How we develop and test recipes
A recipe is only useful if it works in your kitchen the first time. This page explains, in plain terms, how the recipes, numbers, images, and health information on Zest & Squeeze are put together, and how to tell us when we get something wrong.
Original recipes, credited traditions
Every recipe is written from scratch by Claudio. We do not copy another site's recipe. When a dish belongs to a specific country's cooking, as in our Global Flavors section, we credit the country and the dish's native name, and the ingredients and instructions are still our own.
How recipes are tested
Recipes are developed and tested in a home kitchen before they are published. We aim for ingredients you can find at an ordinary grocery store, steps that make sense on a first read, and honest time estimates. Where a step tends to go wrong, the recipe says why, and our troubleshooting guides cover the common failures, such as a lemon cake that sinks or curd that turns grainy.
Measurements
Every recipe lists both US and metric amounts, and you can switch between them on the page. Baking is precise, so where weight is more reliable than volume, the metric column is the one to trust.
Nutrition facts
Nutrition numbers are calculated from the actual ingredient quantities in each recipe, divided by the stated number of servings, not estimated by eye. They are approximations, because brands, fruit size, and portioning vary. You can run any recipe through the same method with our free nutrition calculator, which shows the sources behind each figure.
Images on this site
The images on Zest & Squeeze are illustrations of each finished dish, made to show what the recipe is meant to look like. They are not photos of the exact plate from a test session, and the author portrait on the About page is an illustration too. Your result may look a little different, and that is normal.
Health and nutrition articles
Articles that touch on health, such as whether lemon water is good for you and grapefruit and medication, list their sources, show when they were last reviewed, and carry a reminder that they are general information, not medical advice. If you take medication or have a health condition, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Updates and corrections
When we change a recipe or article in a meaningful way, such as fixing a step, adding a question people keep asking, or refreshing a source, the "Updated" date on the page changes with it. If you spot an error or a recipe did not work for you, please tell us at hello@zestandsqueeze.com, or leave a comment on the recipe. Corrections are made as soon as they are confirmed.
