Went to the grocery store. I wanted to get lemons for zesting for a cake.
You can not zest a lemon or lime or orange if they are the waxed kind.
So here's me, touching all the lemons on my wrist. Yes, my wrist. Sounds crazy I know, but your fingertips become slippery from the fruit after a few minutes if they're all waxed. This is why you must always wash produce when you get it home, cause people touch and squeeze and everything to see if things are ripe or over ripe or what-have-you.
Anyways, the stock boy is looking at me like I've tossed a screw or something, raised eyebrow and all, then walks over to ask if I need help, and I'm sure he was thinking he had a tranquiler dart somewhere. I said flat out I was wanting unwaxed lemons.
He started telling me about the organic stuff. Which were still waxed as I pointed out to him. He shook his head at me with a glazed look not understanding what I was getting at. Then after another round of "I've got two bins of fresh lemons that came in last night" and me pointing out how those lemons were still waxed, I had to say to him that I can't zest them if they have wax on them.
"Why not?" he asked now holding three lemons in his hand, his fingers were like contorted trying to balance the lemons, damn I wish I had my camera with me. I might take it with me next time I go to the store just for the hell of it.
"When you try zesting a waxed fruit, the grater just slides and doesn't really grip. And when it does, well you're only getting the wax, not even the peel. Sort of ruins the batter."
Don't know if he got me or not, but I ended up without buying any lemons so there will be no cake today.
