I love to use fresh lemon juice whenever possible and I never use a lemon without first zesting it. We talked about how potent the health properties are in the peel so never discard it. If I am not ready to use the lemon zest at that moment I go ahead and dry it for later use. Dried lemon zest not only works great in recipes calling for lemon zest but you can also use it as a sprinkle in soups, over salads or desserts as well as in herbal tea blends. You can also make some hot lemon refresher by steeping the lemon zest as you would prepare any tea.
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Before zesting the peel you'll want to make sure you clean it real well. I use lemon infused vinegar aka multi-purpose cleaner or fruit and veggie wash. After squirting with the wash I use the fruit and veggie cleaning cloth from Norwex and give it a good scrubbing. It should now be ready to zest. To dry the zest, let it sit for a couple of days on the counter until crisp. Keep in mind that I do live in Utah where there is very little humidity, if you have a lot of humidity keeping it on the counter won't work, you'll want to place it in a warmed oven or a dehydrator.
Store your zest in an airtight container where it will be ready whenever you are! I like to keep a spice jar full of the zest in my spice drawer and the rest I keep stored in a glass jar in my storage room, which is dark, dry and cool. And don't be surprised when your dried zest turns an orange color, this is normal.
For more ways to use your lemon zest, cute labels for your jars and other great ideas for using lemons you can visit Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth by clicking on the link above.
