When should I use lemon zest and not just juice?
If you want to add lemon flavor, why not just add lemon juice?
For what type of dishes would you recommend using each one?
Best Answer
Lemon juice and lemon zest have a different taste. Lemon juice has obviously more water, is tart (adds fruitiness and freshness to the dish) and the aroma is not as intense as in the zest. If you bake a cake or cookies it's often more desirable to use lemon zest because it doesn't mess up the water-solids-ratio and what you often want is a rather sweet cake/cookie than a tart one. In contrast often the cookie glaze should be somewhat tart - you can use both zest and juice. I have the impression that the zest has a bitter component.
So you have to decide if you want to have a tart component in your dish and whether the dish tolerates additional liquid. Acid is not only important in taste but also in the further "food chemistry". As Jay pointed out, acid can make milk curdle. Also, cooking with acid in aluminium isn't good taste-wise (and probably health-wise, too, but that's another topic).
Someone else asked a question in the opposite direction: Are there any reasons not to include the zest when citrus juice is an ingredient?
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Quick Answer about "When should I use lemon zest and not just juice?"
Lemon juice adds both lemon flavor and sourness whereas the zest only adds the lemon flavor. There are instances in which you only want the freshness of the lemon flavor but not the sourness. One example would be when you are working with dairy.Can you use lemon zest instead of juice?
Lemon zest may also work well, especially if lemon is the predominant flavor of your recipe. Note: If you are using lemon extract, cream of tartar, or lemon zest as a lemon juice substitute, you will want to replace the additional lemon juice with some additional liquid so the recipe doesn't turn out too dry.When should you add lemon zest?
Add it in the last few minutes of cooking so it doesn't get bitter. If you're mixing up a vinaigrette at home (and you should be), why not take 30 extra seconds to grate some citrus zest in there? If you're using citrus zest instead of or in addition to vinegar, you are practically required.Should you juice a lemon before Zesting?
If you plan on using the lemon for both its zest and juice then you should zest it first and then squeeze it for the juice. No matter which tools you use to zest your lemon, always be sure to only zest the yellow part of the lemon. The white section below is bitter and will NOT taste good.How do you use lemon zest?
Use zest in salads or marinades. Sometimes all you need is just a little bit. Freshly grated zest can also be used as decoration on iced breads, cakes, and cupcakes.How to Zest a Lemon | 5 Quick \u0026 Easy Ways!
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Answer 2
Lemon juice adds both lemon flavor and sourness whereas the zest only adds the lemon flavor.
There are instances in which you only want the freshness of the lemon flavor but not the sourness. One example would be when you are working with dairy. The acidity can curdle milk. You would use zest in this case.
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