Food - Drink
Don't Forget The Zest For More Flavorful Lemonade
By CLARICE KNELLY
A good lemonade has to balance two strong flavors — tangy citrus and sweet sugar — and make them compatible without watering them down. Luckily, there are many tips you can use, like adding a pinch of salt and using room temperature lemons to balance flavors; however, the best tip is to add lemon zest.
Food blogger Carolina Gelen reveals that the secret is to rub lemon zest into the sugar, explaining, "the sugar's abrasive texture will help extract all the natural, fragrant oils in the lemon zest." The essential oils in the peel have a bold note that carries strong citrus flavors without the acidity.
It’s important to distinguish the rind from the zest to avoid any overwhelmingly bitter flavors; zest comes from the waxy, external layer of the lemon. The white peel underneath, called the pith, won’t have a pleasant taste if it winds up in your zest, so move to another spot on the fruit once you start to see it.