Preserving Orange Zest

Sometimes I wish fruits and vegetables weren't seasonal. Wouldn't it be awesome if our favorite foods were available all the time?! But alas, that's not the case! I am sure there's enough good reasons for seasonality...but hey....no harm in some wishful thinking! So with the mercury on the rise and oranges having almost disappeared from the market, I thought it would be a wise thing to freeze some zest. I love the way it can boost the flavour of many different things...from dressings to marinades to cakes to drinks. And it just looks so bright and pretty!   

Use a zester to remove the zest from as many oranges as you'd like.  (Make sure you wash them thouroughly before zesting). One medium orange yields about 1 tablespoon of zest. If you don't have a zester, you can use a grater as well - just make sure you don't grate the white pith. Place zest in a small zip-lock bag and freeze. Enjoy the zest during orange off-season....use it to flavour your favourite dishes!

Note: Frozen orange zest easily lasts upto 6 months.

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