Can You Substitute Lemon Zest With Dried Peels?

If you're baking or cooking often, you'll know that lemon zest can be a frequent visitor on the ingredient list. Whether it's savory items like salad dressings, or sweet muffins and pies, lemon zest can add a refreshing, citrusy flavor to your recipe. Sometimes though, you might not have a spare lemon to zest, or the time to go and buy some in store.

So you may be wondering if some leftover dried peels or other lemon substitutes are a good swap when you're in a pinch. The answer really depends on what you're making. Lemon zest comes from only the outer layer of the lemon peel, which is also known as the flavedo.

This is where the oils from the lemon are stored, giving a citrusy flavor with minimal acidity. On the other hand, lemon peel (or albedo) contains both the outer and inner layer of the lemon. This makes lemon peel more bitter in taste, as it contains the lemon pith which has a tart aftertaste.

So, using a substitute like dried lemon peel instead of fresh lemon zest could work, although you'll have a slightly more bitter and less bright flavor overall. Substituting fresh lemon zest If dried lemon peel is what you have on hand, keep in mind that its flavors will be stronger. This means that you should use less lemon peel than you would lemon zest.

A ratio of 1⁄3 tablespoon lemon peel for 1 tablespoon lemon zest will give you the same potency of flavor. Because dried lemon peel is not liquid like other lemon substitutes, it is a great option in recipes like cookies, or.