Infusing the morning coffee with a bit of sunshine is easy to accomplish with a little citrus zest. The lemon, lime and orange zest, grated into the coffee grounds before brewing is all it takes to add a new, brighter flavor to a cup of Joe. Zesting the citrus into the grounds differs from adding lemon juice to a cup of coffee or espresso. The infused grounds create a flavorful coffee without the acid that comes with citrus juice. This is good news for the teeth as citrus juices are notorious for eroding tooth enamel.

The amount of zest used to infuse the coffee depends on how a coffee drinker takes their morning cup and how much citrus flavor they seek. For those who take their coffee with cream and sugar, start with a teaspoon of zest per ¼ cup of coffee grounds. Black coffee drinkers can use ⅛ teaspoon of zest per ¼ cup of coffee grounds. Increase the grounds as desired for more citrus flavor. Decrease the amount of the citrus is too intense.

Zesting citrus into coffee is also doable before grinding the beans. Add the zest then grind the beans. Add more flavor to the beans before or after grinding, add nutmeg, cinnamon or both flavors. Experiment with flavored coffees to find new flavors with that bright citrus zing. This type of coffee experiment could just be the start of a journey into the realm of coffee flavors and infusions.