Grating lemon rind

[carolee1945]

I recently made a fabulous cake from Fine Cooking magazine, but it required a huge amount of grating lemon rind. Does anyone know of a device or a short cut to doing this laborious task?

 

[amazingrace]

How much is "a huge amount?"  Lemon rind is very strong,  and grating releases strong oils.  Are you talking about more than a tablespoon, or more than the rind of more than one lemon...?  In any case,  the best tool I have found is a microplane, available now in nearly every kitchen department.  These grab just the colored part of the rind, and leave the bitter pith behind.  Even large amounts of rind can be produced in practically no time at all.  Plus...mine is a multi-tasker.  I use it for lots of other things. 

 

[durangojo]

i posted this before but who knows where it went.....sorry if it pops up later......

carolee,

you mean besides a microplane? do you know of them? they are actually really fast...just watch your knuckles!. a microplane is a long rasp with holes in it and a handle. it comes in different grate sizes...fine, medium and coarse. i also find that if you refrigerate the lemons first, they are easier to grate. then if you need to juice them, nuke them for 10 seconds or so. the fine grater is really fine and feathery. i use the medium for cheese or if i want a bigger zest, for let's say, zucchini fritters. mine is a cuispro and comes with a plastic cover for the rasp, which is handy if you're drawer searching, plus it keeps the grates cleaner. sure there are many others out there. a very handy dandy tool indeed, the microplane...i have retired my old zester to making lemon twists for martinis and for cucumbers!...i think i heard of someone using their wife's 'ped egg'..which, seems a little extreme, and slightly odd, but people are people!

joey

 

[carolee1945]

Re: lemon rind, there were 2 Tablespoons for the icing, 3 Tablespoons for the cake, and 2 Tablespoons for the lemon curd.  It is the absolute best recipe with great lemon flavor because of the all the rind.

Does the microplane grate as fine as the fine side of the box grater? I guess it does if there are different blades you can use. Which brand would be a good one?  OH, I see you answered these questions.  Gee, thank you so much, I did not expect such a quick reply.

I had not thought of refrigerating the lemons before grating. That makes sense.  If anyone is looking for a fantastic lemon cake, the Fine Cooking website has it. It is called Triple Layer Lemon Cake.

 

[kyheirloomer]

Joey, the PedEgg is a microplane; just a palm-filling version. So there's no reason not to use it.

Come to think of it, with the built-in collecting box, it actually makes sense.

 

[amazingrace]

Does the microplane grate as fine as the fine side of the box grater?  

It depends on the one you choose.  The fine one might be similar,  but at the same time,  it's a different texture.  The rind [zest] comes off in lovely fine strips, instead of being actually grated, as it is with the box grater.  

 

[durangojo]

Joey, the PedEgg is a microplane; just a palm-filling version. So there's no reason not to use it.

Come to think of it, with the built-in collecting box, it actually makes sense.

i know its kind of in the same family..., just a bit kinky in my book..plus, it actually doesn't really grate as much as exfoliate..that is just not a term i'm use to in the kitchen...bathroom yes, kitchen no...

carolee,

need to correct the brand name of the microplane i use.....its a cuisipro, by accutec....it also has a measurement collector cover, which i never use, cuz i just don't measure like that,or even measure really, but its in increments of tsps. to tbls so you know how much you've grated.... i think if you measured it once you would have a real good idea of what your pile should look like..price wise they are about $12 to $20 bucks, which i think is about what a ped egg goes for... also,ky, i actually think the rasp type microplane is much easier not only on the wrists but the whole grating process in general...plus, the ped egg is a huge pita to clean...trust me on that!..not to change the subject, but tomorrow i will be eating my last real tomato sandwich til next summer...waah!!..but i was grateful for the ones i ate, for sure...

joey

 

[homemadecook]

May I know how many lemon rinds to be grated to have a 3 tbl. spoons?

 

[petemccracken]

A pretty good guideline is 2 teaspoons (2/3 tablespoon) per lemon, now, obviously, this depends on the size of the lemon, golf-ball size, probably closed to 1-1 1/2 teaspoons, big ones, maybe a tablespoon?

 

[ronniesc]

A pretty good guideline is 2 teaspoons (2/3 tablespoon) per lemon, now, obviously, this depends on the size of the lemon, golf-ball size, probably closed to 1-1 1/2 teaspoons, big ones, maybe a tablespoon?

I also agree with you PeteMcCracken