HOW TO MAKE LEMON PEPPER

Carefully remove the zest from the lemons using a zesting tool or vegetable peeler. The pith (white) part is very bitter and you don’t want that in your seasoning. Place the zest in a bowl.

Place the pepper corns on a cutting board and crack them by pressing down on a clean bottom of a heavy pot or pan. You don’t want them ground, just cracked in large pieces. Put in the bowl with the lemon zest.

Use a wooden spoon and mash the cracked peppercorns with the lemon zest. This releases the lemon oil so it combines with the cracked pepper better.

On a small baking sheet or piece of foil, spread the peppercorn/lemon zest mixture out and place in a 200 degree oven. Turn off the oven and let it dry out overnight with the door closed. (If you have a gas oven, just leave it in the oven overnight with the door closed; the pilot light will dry it out.)

The next day, pulverize the mixture in a spice grinder or clean coffee grinder. Store in a cool, dark area.