As is true for most fruits, the skin of citrus fruits is more easily removed from the underlying tissue by briefly immersing the fruit in simmering water.
Some citrus fruit are meant to be eaten fresh as a fruit or squeezed as juice, whereas others are best as a cooking ingredient.
In the kitchen citrus oil is ideal for flavoring salad, cocktail, soup, puddings, cakes, lemonade, desert and ice cream.
It is also used as a flavoring agents in confectionery and alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.
The zest is the outer part of the rind on any citrus fruit. It is intensely yellow, green or orange. The white part is the pitch and that is usually very bitter and not use when cooking.
The zest hold a large amount of aromatic oil and taste, which can add a fruity to many foods. The outer part also can be used freshly grated, dried, candied to flavor liqueur and in marmalade.
Citrus in cooking
