How to Use a Peeler for Cocktail Garnishes

The use of citrus peelers among bartenders and liquor enthusiasts has been growing as the demand for rapid liquor infusion heightens. There’s just something about the flavors that ingredients, such as orange peels, infuse in the drink that makes it irresistible.

Now that you got yourself a citrus peeler to keep up with the demand for infused cocktails, you want to know how to use it properly. Fortunately, we’ll show you how to use a peeler for cocktail garnishes in this article.

Why You Should Use a Peeler for Your Cocktail Garnishes

Using peelers is a cheap and easy way to up your garnish game. Although you can use your regular kitchen knife for the task, it does not come close to the consistency and ease of use that peelers can give you.

Kitchen knives also have a tendency to dull easily when not maintained and used for other things. Peelers, on the other hand, are used for the specific purpose of peeling fruits or vegetables, making them less likely to dull from infrequent use.

Peelers can also give you better peeling control over the fruit that you’re working with since liquor garnishes generally infuse their flavors more the better they are peeled.

The citrus twist, for example, is arguably the most popular and relatively straightforward garnish for cocktails. You can carefully remove a strip of orange rind with a vegetable peeler.

The ease of maneuver also makes it possible for you to be more creative in what you do. A small peeler with a 2 to 3 cm blade makes beautiful curly orange peel garnish possible, while wider peels give you an easier and traditional garnish.

How to Use a Peeler

Now that you know why you should use a peeler to make citrus garnishes for your cocktails let’s now look at how you should use a peer.

Ensure That Your Peeler is Sharp

As with any bladed tool, peelers work better when they are sharp. Not only will it cause more consistent and smooth slices, but it will also be safer for use.

Dull blades are more dangerous than sharp blades. They need more effort and pressure to cut, which means you can get injured when you lose grip of the peeler or the fruit.

Too much pressure will also make you unintentionally squeeze the citrus peel, causing it to lose its oil which generally makes up for the flavor of your garnish.

You can sharpen your peeler’s blade using a fine whetstone or a diamond rod file.

Use the Right Blade Type

Peelers can come in many shapes and forms. Some blade shapes are purely for creative purposes, while others actually have some functions.

Generally, you should look at only two major blade types: serrated and straight.

Essentially, serrated edge peelers are better used for either extremely hard or soft fruits or vegetables. The serrated edges ensure that the blade cuts gently into a soft vegetable or fruit’s skin to avoid tearing it apart.

Serrated edge peelers also make it easier to peel harder garnishing fruit such as apples. The serrations add extra grip to the blade, allowing it to glide more firmly across the surface.

On the other hand, straight edge peelers are best for everyday kitchen use. Straight peelers let you thinly peel your cocktail’s garnish while minimizing the loss of the fruit’s flesh, thanks to their sharp blades.

Check Your Grip

As stated, using too much pressure when peeling fruits can injure you. This can either stem from a dull blade or improper hold.

Citrus fruits typically have a consistent spherical shape, so you shouldn’t have much difficulty in handling them. Simply dry the fruit and your hand before peeling to ensure that your grip is well-placed.

Also, ensure that your palm or fingers are not in the way of your peeler’s path. You can use your thumb to turn the fruit or guide your peeler.

Use the Proper Techniques

Although you can simply use your palms and fingers to peel your fruit, there are other ways to ensure safety in doing so.

For example, long fruits such as cucumbers and lemons can be set onto a chopping board when peeling. Then, hold one end of the fruit and peel it away from you.

In any method, you should always peel away from yourself to ensure that the blade won’t hit your body.

You should also always wash your fruits before peeling them since substances such as dirt and pesticides may still be present on their surface. Remember to dry them thoroughly to ensure better grip.

Conclusion

Cocktail garnishes using fruit peels as an infusion are a great way to spice things up for your drink. Put your new fruit peeler into action and surprise your guests with your newly found peeling skills.

Just remember that safety should go hand in hand with fun, and as safe as they are, fruit peelers can injure you if improperly used.