Happy Boxing Day, everyone!
Yes, I'm still in the midst of Lemon-palooza here at the cottage. I spent this morning, zesting and juicing a small mountain of lemons. The juice, I placed in ice cube trays and froze...it's great when you're cooking and need a tablespoon or two. You just pop a cube out and throw it in. (I do this with leftover broth and wine as well.)
As for the zest, you can use a zester or a paring knife to remove it from the lemon but I like to use my microplane. (If you don't have one, get one! It makes life in the kitchen much easier)
Be sure to only grate the skin (the yellow part) and not the pith (the white part). The pith is quite bitter. Go downward only on the microplane, don't go back and forth, and roll the lemon as you go down so that the zest comes off evenly.
It's best to use the zest immediately afterward as that's when it's most potent, but you can dry it. I use this trick, I learned from Saveur. Take the zest and place it on waxed paper. Let it dry for 24 hours. Once it's dry, fold the paper up and crush the zest into powder. (I like to run a rolling pin or a heavy can over it.) Place it in an airtight container in the fridge, it will keep for a few weeks. Use it to season fish, salads, etc. You can also fancy it up by mixing it with some sea salt or sugar and then use it to rim margarita or lemon drop glasses.
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