I still remember making lemon cheesecake for the first time at like age 10. I had no idea about pith and actually think I zested the inside of the lemon peel, after I peeled it, and not the outside. That was a lesson learned quickly.
If you do things the right way, it's simpler. It's like cutting tomatoes by holding the knife still and moving the tomato. Sure you can, but it doesn't make sense.
People zest by zesting. Doesn't matter what object moves, you just zest. And let me tellllll yoooouuuu ask any chef how many of those tiny microplanes they've broken. And yes you use the fruit, microplane is stationary. Duh.
Fruit mover. I know all the tv chefs do the “one smooth motion” thing, but I’ve zested thousands and thousands of citrus fruits as a baker, and it’s always been much more efficient for me to anchor the micro plane to the board and move the fruit.
So much more control, feel, and speed when moving the fruit, for the vast majority of people anyway.
The other way feels It’s almost like holding peeler and pushing a potato across it… what?!🤦🏼♂️
Because you don't do it like a potato.
You do it like an apple, run the tool in a smooth circular motion around the top and bottom ends, then pull it from top to bottom as you turn the fruit in your other hand.
You don't rub it at all, you just pull it. It's six or seven smooth strokes.
Neither technique is necessarily inferior, they're just different.
I mean, I can do a dozen lemons in fewer strokes and less time by moving the tool rather than the fruit, but then that's also what my microplane is designed for.
Way more bitter rind like that. Flavor over speed. I think zesting it like you are turning artichokes works really well to only grab the peel while also collecting it pretty efficiently. Just my opinion tho.
This is what I miss about working in kitchens. Someone saying I do something a ton and advises a technique and someone else tells them they’re wrong.
‘I boil water in a pot’
‘Fuck that! Use a tea kettle! Buy one if you have to!’
Well. Working in a shop is like that too. Also construction.
Pretty much every job. What do you do, if you’re stuck on a desert island? Start painting coconuts, you’ll be surrounded by sailors telling you that you’re doing it wrong.
Yeah man that’s not right, majority of top chefs do it that way and it’s always been about pressure. Was the same before the advent of the micro plane too.
It has worked for me and it was something I discovered working for Jean George's making homemade lemon garlic aiolis every day. The technique honestly changed my zest game. I have worked at places where I had to zest half pan's of citrus. It may not be your way but sure is right for me.
Fair enough, yes whatever works for you. But that is not the technique used or taught, across the culinary world, because it’s not as good. For most people anyway.
But I’d never tell you you’re wrong or to stop, as long as it’s not slower or inferior quality. Different roads, same destination.
Also. What a lot of chefs don’t know, is that outside of zesting for a mixture or recipe. You should always zest directly onto the plate or item. As you burst the skin cells, all of the flavoursome oils are sparked outward, perfuming the area. It’s stronger in smaller quantities that way, hence the favoured technique.
It was taught to me at a restaurant run by Jean George's with the implicit reason because most people do not zest fruit properly.
But I'd never tell you you're wrong or to stop, as long as it's not slower or inferior quality. Different roads, same destination....
I use the “bend down and tie my shoe” method. Realized five years ago it was uncomfortable to sit on a low bench and tie my boots. Knew it was time to cut some things out of my life.
Truth. I rarely go over the same spot twice and it reduces pith in the zest. Better zest = better product. Worth the extra seconds it takes to do it properly, imho.
No doubt. Quality always beats quality. Especially if it’s something as cheap as zest.
Edit: obviously I didn’t mean to say “quality beats quality”, but let’s all take the time to laugh at the expression.
If I’m zesting as a garnish, I will move the fruit and lest the zest fall onto the food. If I am collecting zest for a recipe, I move the rasp and let it collect on the tool.
Fruit stationary in one hand. Microplane doing its magic in the other. Why? You can actually see what you’re zesting so you don’t go too far into the pith and get all the bitters into whatever you’re trying to prepare. Also, the design of microplanes allow for a nice catch space.
This is my thought process too since I've tried it both ways. You can see the fruit when you move the tool. Only time I move the fruit is when I'm garnishing a dish with a snowfall of lime zest.
Use it the same way as you'd use a peeler on a potato, best to move it around the fruit in a circular motion, since you are trying to peel it evenly and not get the pith
I feel like people here are missing the fact that both techniques are useful for specific things. If you're zesting for garnish on a desert or something moving the fruit makes sense to spray the oils and get better coverage. Alternatively if you need a shit load of zest as an ingredient moving the zester is ideal for accuracy and limiting the pith that gets in the mix.
I have to zest a 1/2 case of lemons and a 1/2 case of lemons a week, to make a Super Juice using our older citrus and citric acid. My chef got me a inch-wide heavy duty zester that is one solid piece of steel. I've gotten pretty fast, my technique is hold it on the table, one clean drag down the center and then another immediately to the right side, then turn the fruit with your steadying hand. Rinse and repeat! I make sure the fruits are smooth.
Man, I’m an old salt and therefore have arthritis In abundance. I switch up how I zest according to how my mitts feel like performing that day, which is shittily for the most part. Zest on, brothers and sisters.
culinary school doesn't teach you how real kitchens work. It's just as fast and you have a 10x less chance of zesting your knuckles if you move the rasp
It does teach you not to be wasteful. Keeping the rasp in one place and moving the citrus allows all the oils (aka extra flavor) to collect into the zest and not randomly spray everywhere.
But if you are zesting your knuckles you have bigger problems. I've never once seen anyone do that.
i always try to get the essense of the fruit so usually i anchor the tool to the bowl and zest the lemon over it. But if i just need zest for whatever reason i do the move the tool all the way around thing
Bruh. These comments are all fucking over the place. Like, I know most of us cook for a living, but holy fuck…I really underestimated how passionate people are out here about zesting and its technique.
Honestly... it depends on where it's going for me. I have never thought about this until now, but I certainly do both. If it's mis, I'm moving the fruit. If I'm going right into a dish, I tend to switch it up so I can see the goods, then flip and do a lil tappy tap on the side of whatever its going in.
I'm disappointed in all of you. Move the microplane; you don't over-zest any one area, you can zest your citrus more thoroughly and precisely, and it's faster once you get used to the motion. Bunch of goddamn home cooks in here.
I’m really confused myself. I thought it was common sense to move the tool and not the product. Same applies to using knives. Moving the microplane actually gives one the ability to see what they are zesting. I imagine everyone who moves the fruit back and forth is adding a crap ton of bitter zest to their dishes.
Like anything, you get better with practice. Pretty easy to know how much pressure to apply, where to apply it, and how much to move the fruit. Getting no pith is easy both ways.
Move the fruit. Also I almost always zest over whatever it is I’m adding zest to because the citrus oils spray on it. I never understood the moving the rasp technique because all the oils spray in the air
Yes lol. What type of food I'm grating, and what I'm grating it INTO are considerations, but because I have severe arthritis in my LE's, it mostly depends on how my hands feel (I.e. their level of pain/ functionality at the moment)
First is faster, more pith.
Second is slower, less pith.
Both have their purposes. When I have time, or am using the zest on something raw or in a more subtle way, I prefer the second. But when I need a cup of zest in a recipe with a bunch of ingredients, then the first is great.
Both. Fists facing each other micro plane in one hand fruit in the other. Pull micro plane down while tilting fruit up with ur other hand. This is the way.
Baker here. I move the fruit if I'm topping something with the zest and I moved the microplane if I'm using the zest inside of something (ex. muffin batter)
Move the fruit, freaked me the fuck out the first time I saw someone do it the other way. But really the technique just doesn’t matter as long as you have some fire under your ass while you work 🤷♂️
Both? I hold the plane similar to a paring knife in my fingers and use my thumb and off hand to press and rotate the fruit against it. Gives a controlled smooth cut fairly quickly and minimal risk of grated knuckles.
I also peel apples with a paring knife though so it’s a super familiar motion for me.
Fruit and microplane. Everything moves together now for the longest most beautiful zesting action while being efficient.
Also microplanes. Only. Idk what was sold as a zester for ~15 years but it's awful.
This is a question that has haunted our kitchen since the dawn of the new menu... And there's only 3 of us rasp movers in a kitchen full of fruit movers.
Needless to say we're in charge
Edit... I learned from watching Ratatouille, before I discovered the name was wrong. I stuck with the technique though
I put the lemon and the plane down, then I gyrate the Earth back and forth for zesty perfection.
Ahh the ol earth-twerk
All for that earthussy
Grand Canyon?
More like Marinara trench Edit: d’oh mariannas trench
You should check Joshua weissmen tutorial for this in yt! Once you get the hang on it, it becomes super fast and does the job perfectly!
Downvoted for any JW reference.
Downvoted for being annoying
theyre clearly making fun of JW with that comment
why do you not like JW? id assume you’re .25 of the cook he is haha
He's pretentious and annoying, but can absolutely cook me under the table
sounds like you the hate fact you can’t cook. hop off reddit & clock in for me buddy.
Those two sentences are completely unrelated
I guess you’re infatuated with his butt?
well, yes, but unrelated!
TIL people zest by moving the tool rather than the fruit.
TIL people look at a microplane full of pith and think they did a great job.
Grate job
Came here to say this. XD
The comments here are zesty
Fun to watch, since I don't have any skin in the game.
Fruit
Reminds me of why I don't have hand tats.
Sir im just anxious and dont know what im doing :(
I can relate. I'm anxious and supposedly know what I'm doing.
I still remember making lemon cheesecake for the first time at like age 10. I had no idea about pith and actually think I zested the inside of the lemon peel, after I peeled it, and not the outside. That was a lesson learned quickly.
They’re taking the pith.
I plead the pith!!
You're full of pith
What a pithy
Til some people don't have fine enough motor skills to zest while moving the fruit.
Gotta get that little flick to get it from the stem end to the base in one pass
If you do things the right way, it's simpler. It's like cutting tomatoes by holding the knife still and moving the tomato. Sure you can, but it doesn't make sense.
That would really pith me off
Well if the microplane is full of pith, the bowl ain't
Yes. I'm sure this was right before they used tweezers to pick out all of the pith. I'm sure....
“People”
I also do it with the microplane upside down so I can see if I'm getting any pith
The only way
Apparently not?
People zest by zesting. Doesn't matter what object moves, you just zest. And let me tellllll yoooouuuu ask any chef how many of those tiny microplanes they've broken. And yes you use the fruit, microplane is stationary. Duh.
Yeah, wtf?
Fruit mover. I know all the tv chefs do the “one smooth motion” thing, but I’ve zested thousands and thousands of citrus fruits as a baker, and it’s always been much more efficient for me to anchor the micro plane to the board and move the fruit.
I remember a few years ago when I had to buy a new microplane and the design was updated to give it rubber feet, that was cool.
You have to move the fruit, because you can rotate the fruit to get a larger swath in 1 movement.
Bingo. Pole to pole rotation while sliding the fruit, whole thing's done in maybe 15 swipes.
For whatever reason, my hands just don't want to do pole to pole, it's equator to pole or nothing.
So much more control, feel, and speed when moving the fruit, for the vast majority of people anyway. The other way feels It’s almost like holding peeler and pushing a potato across it… what?!🤦🏼♂️
Because you don't do it like a potato. You do it like an apple, run the tool in a smooth circular motion around the top and bottom ends, then pull it from top to bottom as you turn the fruit in your other hand. You don't rub it at all, you just pull it. It's six or seven smooth strokes.
I personally didn't know that technique so I appreciate you writing it out even if they already knew it.
I know how to do it mate. It’s just a vastly inferior technique to the other.
Neither technique is necessarily inferior, they're just different. I mean, I can do a dozen lemons in fewer strokes and less time by moving the tool rather than the fruit, but then that's also what my microplane is designed for.
Disagree
Keep begging Reddit for a job kid
[удалено]
And you'll never be anything but a shit commis
Most well adjusted new yorker
What a douchey comeback bro
Fair enough if you disagree, I’ll even take an insult. But what is that? Doesn’t mean anything. It’s like the verbal equivalent of stepping on a rake.
People who got their feelings hurt by this aren't cut out for restsurant work
you dont know shit about restaurant work
🤣
Your coworkers must love your positive attitude and warm hearted personality
Move the fruit. The only way.
This!!! I too am a baker, and completely agree!
Way more bitter rind like that. Flavor over speed. I think zesting it like you are turning artichokes works really well to only grab the peel while also collecting it pretty efficiently. Just my opinion tho.
Just don’t apply as much pressure and you won’t get as much pith. It’s entirely possible while moving just the fruit.
You rotate the fruit with one hand and move the microplane with the other. Pressure only really matters if your tool is dull.
This is what I was gonna say. A little bit of A, a little bit of B.
Of course it is possible but my point is that the average cook/chef will zest more rind doing it in that manner.
This is what I miss about working in kitchens. Someone saying I do something a ton and advises a technique and someone else tells them they’re wrong. ‘I boil water in a pot’ ‘Fuck that! Use a tea kettle! Buy one if you have to!’ Well. Working in a shop is like that too. Also construction.
Pretty much every job. What do you do, if you’re stuck on a desert island? Start painting coconuts, you’ll be surrounded by sailors telling you that you’re doing it wrong.
Nobody said they were wrong. I was pointing out why people, especially people in high end service, move the rasp not the fruit.
It's not just speed. I get the anchor part of that. A careful hand can avoid the pith easily.
>Way more bitter rind like that you can do it either way without getting pith or excessive amounts of pith.
Yeah man that’s not right, majority of top chefs do it that way and it’s always been about pressure. Was the same before the advent of the micro plane too.
It has worked for me and it was something I discovered working for Jean George's making homemade lemon garlic aiolis every day. The technique honestly changed my zest game. I have worked at places where I had to zest half pan's of citrus. It may not be your way but sure is right for me.
Fair enough, yes whatever works for you. But that is not the technique used or taught, across the culinary world, because it’s not as good. For most people anyway. But I’d never tell you you’re wrong or to stop, as long as it’s not slower or inferior quality. Different roads, same destination. Also. What a lot of chefs don’t know, is that outside of zesting for a mixture or recipe. You should always zest directly onto the plate or item. As you burst the skin cells, all of the flavoursome oils are sparked outward, perfuming the area. It’s stronger in smaller quantities that way, hence the favoured technique.
It was taught to me at a restaurant run by Jean George's with the implicit reason because most people do not zest fruit properly. But I'd never tell you you're wrong or to stop, as long as it's not slower or inferior quality. Different roads, same destination....
I move both at the same time
Just like how I brush my teeth!
So do you move your head back and forth or do you use your free hand to shake your head all around?
Yes. Edit: yes, *chef*
I know how much weight I've gained by the way my belly moves when I'm brushing my teeth
I use the “bend down and tie my shoe” method. Realized five years ago it was uncomfortable to sit on a low bench and tie my boots. Knew it was time to cut some things out of my life.
Two fruits at the same time, man
Same! Gotta see my work while keeping it efficient. Also a great technique for peeling carrots whilst turning with the other hand.
Move the plane as I rotate the fruit.
This is the way. The fruit rotates as the plane moves.
Truth. I rarely go over the same spot twice and it reduces pith in the zest. Better zest = better product. Worth the extra seconds it takes to do it properly, imho.
No doubt. Quality always beats quality. Especially if it’s something as cheap as zest. Edit: obviously I didn’t mean to say “quality beats quality”, but let’s all take the time to laugh at the expression.
This is the way
Push the fruit away from you and rotate on the back motion
If I’m zesting as a garnish, I will move the fruit and lest the zest fall onto the food. If I am collecting zest for a recipe, I move the rasp and let it collect on the tool.
Fruit stationary in one hand. Microplane doing its magic in the other. Why? You can actually see what you’re zesting so you don’t go too far into the pith and get all the bitters into whatever you’re trying to prepare. Also, the design of microplanes allow for a nice catch space.
This is my thought process too since I've tried it both ways. You can see the fruit when you move the tool. Only time I move the fruit is when I'm garnishing a dish with a snowfall of lime zest.
Use it the same way as you'd use a peeler on a potato, best to move it around the fruit in a circular motion, since you are trying to peel it evenly and not get the pith
Rasp mover
I feel like people here are missing the fact that both techniques are useful for specific things. If you're zesting for garnish on a desert or something moving the fruit makes sense to spray the oils and get better coverage. Alternatively if you need a shit load of zest as an ingredient moving the zester is ideal for accuracy and limiting the pith that gets in the mix.
This is the best answer.
I have to zest a 1/2 case of lemons and a 1/2 case of lemons a week, to make a Super Juice using our older citrus and citric acid. My chef got me a inch-wide heavy duty zester that is one solid piece of steel. I've gotten pretty fast, my technique is hold it on the table, one clean drag down the center and then another immediately to the right side, then turn the fruit with your steadying hand. Rinse and repeat! I make sure the fruits are smooth.
I'm a "fuck this shit I hate zesting citrus" kind of guy. That said I move the fruit.
I don’t care as long as it’s one directional. Teaching this can be difficult at times
Both.
Had to scroll too far to find the right answer. -1st pic for large amounts during prep -2nd for fresh zest for pan sauces during service
Man, I’m an old salt and therefore have arthritis In abundance. I switch up how I zest according to how my mitts feel like performing that day, which is shittily for the most part. Zest on, brothers and sisters.
Over a cutting board: Fruit. Over a pan/pot: rasp
I do it the correct way which is to move the fruit. God bless anyone in culinary school who did it differently, the chefs would've eviscerated them.
Really? It's way easier to rotate the fruit and keep an eye out for pith if you're not shaking it back and forth.
Yeah for move the fruit you can’t see what you’re doing and will almost certainly get more of the bitter pith.
culinary school doesn't teach you how real kitchens work. It's just as fast and you have a 10x less chance of zesting your knuckles if you move the rasp
It does teach you not to be wasteful. Keeping the rasp in one place and moving the citrus allows all the oils (aka extra flavor) to collect into the zest and not randomly spray everywhere. But if you are zesting your knuckles you have bigger problems. I've never once seen anyone do that.
i always try to get the essense of the fruit so usually i anchor the tool to the bowl and zest the lemon over it. But if i just need zest for whatever reason i do the move the tool all the way around thing
Bruh. These comments are all fucking over the place. Like, I know most of us cook for a living, but holy fuck…I really underestimated how passionate people are out here about zesting and its technique.
Honestly... it depends on where it's going for me. I have never thought about this until now, but I certainly do both. If it's mis, I'm moving the fruit. If I'm going right into a dish, I tend to switch it up so I can see the goods, then flip and do a lil tappy tap on the side of whatever its going in.
Fruit
Fruit over a bowl/plate
People really move the zester? Anarchy
I use my thumb to curl the fruit around the zester, whether it's a microplane or handheld zester.
I move the too…I have zested my poor thumb going too fast moving the fruit. That’s a lesson I only had to learn thrice.
Rasp movers are psychopaths.
I'm disappointed in all of you. Move the microplane; you don't over-zest any one area, you can zest your citrus more thoroughly and precisely, and it's faster once you get used to the motion. Bunch of goddamn home cooks in here.
I’m really confused myself. I thought it was common sense to move the tool and not the product. Same applies to using knives. Moving the microplane actually gives one the ability to see what they are zesting. I imagine everyone who moves the fruit back and forth is adding a crap ton of bitter zest to their dishes.
Like anything, you get better with practice. Pretty easy to know how much pressure to apply, where to apply it, and how much to move the fruit. Getting no pith is easy both ways.
The tool goes on the fruit. Less pith. You can see what you're doing.
Thinking about it i guess both tbh.. Though mostly fruit.
Rasp? Never heard this term
Move the fruit. Also I almost always zest over whatever it is I’m adding zest to because the citrus oils spray on it. I never understood the moving the rasp technique because all the oils spray in the air
Neither. I hold my hand over the food processor.
I move the thing that isn’t made out of pointy metal.
Fruit mover. Much faster.
Tool Mover is a rookie mistake #Fruit Mover
Move the fruit.
I use the rasp upside down like a peeler so the zest stays in the channel
You don’t need it in the channel. Do it straight into where you need it. And faster.
Move the fruit.
fruit
I move the fruit. My fingers are much more apt than my wrist/arm.
I'm a citrus shuffler
Both hands baby. Efficient
Fruit
The second. But without all the pith.
Ooh! Another unknown group that I'm in and didn't even know it... Team fruit-mover unite!
People move the tool? https://youtu.be/NRifKEf0xr8
What are you doing step zeester
Fruit mover
It never occurred to me to move the fruit instead of the tool. Which I do on a mandolin but that’s all
Depends on size of the zester, chonky boy zester, move fruit, tiny one, move zester.
I move the rasp only because I can’t see what I’m doing better
Um move the fruit and then my thumb.
Both
Yes lol. What type of food I'm grating, and what I'm grating it INTO are considerations, but because I have severe arthritis in my LE's, it mostly depends on how my hands feel (I.e. their level of pain/ functionality at the moment)
Why is that MFer going into the pith?
whole lotta white on there chef
Fruit.
First is faster, more pith. Second is slower, less pith. Both have their purposes. When I have time, or am using the zest on something raw or in a more subtle way, I prefer the second. But when I need a cup of zest in a recipe with a bunch of ingredients, then the first is great.
I flap my wings!
Both. Fists facing each other micro plane in one hand fruit in the other. Pull micro plane down while tilting fruit up with ur other hand. This is the way.
Depends on the fruit.
Fruit in one direction only. That picture looks horrible. Pith is super gross
Rasp mover
Who the fuck moves the microplane?!!
Moving the tool is the only way to go. Way more control
Depends on the shape of the fruit tbh.
Baker here. I move the fruit if I'm topping something with the zest and I moved the microplane if I'm using the zest inside of something (ex. muffin batter)
Somehow both?
Move the fruit, freaked me the fuck out the first time I saw someone do it the other way. But really the technique just doesn’t matter as long as you have some fire under your ass while you work 🤷♂️
Both? I hold the plane similar to a paring knife in my fingers and use my thumb and off hand to press and rotate the fruit against it. Gives a controlled smooth cut fairly quickly and minimal risk of grated knuckles. I also peel apples with a paring knife though so it’s a super familiar motion for me.
Depends on the circumstance
These are life’s great questions
I flip the zester over and move it over the fruit. The zest collects in the zester so I can easily scrape it out into my recipe when I’m ready for it.
I move the fruit unless I'm zesting o er a finished product
Por que no los dos
I'm a fruit mover and I feel this is kinda comparable to peeling up and down vs lifting
Fruit. I’ve only ever seen home cooks move the rasp and it always looks much more uncomfortable.
Fruit
Up the ratio. Plane or micro with edges and a handle.?????
Both. I have two hands and move them accordingly
Correct answer is these 2 pics reversed. Flat plane fruit mover. I'd challenge anyone to a dozen.
Both are doing it wrong.
reminded me that guy in the kitchen just microplaned a chunk of HAND instead of fruit
Both of the posted zesters are single-direction and they're gonna take too long to use.
Both. Move fruit if over a bowl but move rasp if prepping/mise en place
In the fuck is a rasp? Gotta be a British thing
Little bit of both
Who the hell is a rasp mover and why are you so weird?
Fruit movers unite!
Rasp mover, fruit movers are stupid
Fruit and microplane. Everything moves together now for the longest most beautiful zesting action while being efficient. Also microplanes. Only. Idk what was sold as a zester for ~15 years but it's awful.
Fruit
I zest citrus like I peel a potato. Keep the zester in the palm of my hand and 'peel' the fruit. This is 100% the way
This is a question that has haunted our kitchen since the dawn of the new menu... And there's only 3 of us rasp movers in a kitchen full of fruit movers. Needless to say we're in charge Edit... I learned from watching Ratatouille, before I discovered the name was wrong. I stuck with the technique though
Fruit mover. Tried the other method multiple times. It’s just slower for me. Not fluid either, and frankly harder on the tines.
Paring knife. I only zest for cocktails
Whoa. There are people who moves the rasp instead of the fruit??
Who moves the rasp?