This will ensure that the section of peel removed is a uniform thickness throughout. The key to removing a citrus peel is to apply even pressure while moving the knife or peeler across the surface of the fruit. If using a peeler, go in whichever direction you feel you have the most control. If using a knife, make sure to cut the skin off facing away from yourself. Hold your fruit with your non-dominant hand and carefully, slowly, apply pressure with your knife or vegetable peeler. Now that you have your tools and your fruit, it’s time to start practicing peeling. A simple orange twist in a Saffron & Honey Rum Old Fashioned Essential peeling techniques Peels that are too soft can also be harder to remove and can also be too thin, flimsy, and oily to hold a shape like a twist. On the other end of the spectrum, you’ll also want to avoid fruits that are over-ripe and feel very soft. Very hard or bumpy-skinned fruits tend to be under-ripe and quite dry, which means they will be harder to peel, less attractive, and contain less of those wonderful aromatic oils we want. These fruits will taste the best, have the easiest peels to manipulate, and also have the most juice. When choosing citrus, make sure that the fruit has a nice smooth skin and gives a little to a gentle squeeze. This Kuhn Rikon 3-pack from Amazon are my current favorites: How to choose the best citrus for the job

A Y-style vegetable peeler is a great inexpensive tool to start with. I like to use vegetable peelers to remove the peels and a sharp knife for cleaning them up, shaping them, or carving them into shapes or designs. If your knife skills aren’t so great, opt for a vegetable peeler instead.įind all my top choice tools in my Essential Tools for Home Bartenders. Vegetable peeler (optional, but highly recommended!)Ī sharp knife is essential for removing the peel from the fruit without also removing too much of the bitter, white pith.You may also like How to Make Cocktail Garnishes (for Beginners) or my 5 Easy (and Beautiful) Cocktail Garnishes (A simple lemon twist) Citrus peel garnish toolsįirst things first, let’s cover the tools you’ll need. If you want to learn more about the different types of garnishes and how they work to improve cocktails, check out my Art of the Cocktail Garnish post! Follow me on Instagram for more garnish inspiration! This photo guide will teach you how to create some of the best known citrus peel garnishes, as well as offer some helpful tips for creating my signature carved citrus peels like the image above. (My first successful carved leaf citrus peel garnish) In addition to visual appeal, citrus peels are full of aromatic oils, which when expressed, add depth and nuance to the finished cocktail. Of all the wonderful and beautiful cocktail garnishes, the citrus twist is the most classic and widely used.

Antique citrus peeler