Frances asks: “What’s the best way to zest citrus fruits? I have a vegetable peeler, but that doesn’t work so well…”

Well, first let’s define a few terms…

Zest is the shiny, textured outermost part of a citrus fruit, such as lemon, lime, or orange, and it is packed with intense aromatic oils. Zest adds flavor and brightness to food.

Beneath the zest/peel is the white pith, the fibrous membrane that protects the fruit inside. The pith is very bitter, so if you must use a vegetable peeler, make sure you avoid the white pith or scrape it off the zest.

But I have a much, much better idea. My good friends at Edgeware® sent me their Better Zester™ to test. I guess that makes mama a “zester-tester”…(rim-shot, please! Thanks, folks, I’ll be here all week…) Ok, ok…no more jokes.

The truth is it should be called “The Best Zester In The World.” Here’s why:

• 300 sharp little v-shaped teeth that quickly strip the zest from the citrus leaving the bitter pith behind.

• A non-stick coating so food doesn’t stick.

• A built-in storage container (with measuring cup!) so the zest stays in one place and you’re not trying to scrape it up off the cutting board or into a measuring spoon to see how much you’ve got.

• A built-in “squeegee” to easily remove the zest from the back of the blade.

• An ergonomic shape with a non-slip tip and a protective storage cover.

Three words: I LOVE IT. The little clouds of zest are just… ethereally beautiful.

You can also use it with ginger, nutmeg and garlic… and hard cheeses like Parmesan (you’ll have to remove the storage container/measuring cup first if you’re grating a lot of cheese).

You can put this in the dishwasher, but like my knives, I hand wash it to make sure it stays sharp and working to perfection.

And, trust me, this little tool is just about perfect!