Recipes|Featured Main
Limoncello
Difficulty Level: Easy
-
Yield:6 cups
Ingredients
- 10 lemons (the best you can buy)
- 1 750 ml bottle vodka or Everclear
- 3 cups water
- 2 ½ cups sugar
- 10 lemons (the best you can buy)
- 1 750 ml bottle vodka or Everclear
- 709.76ml water
- 591.47ml sugar
Limoncello, a liqueur from Southern Italy, is tart and bright full of fresh lemon flavor. It’s surprisingly easy to do and makes a great gift. It is delicious served ice cold as a digestif after a meal.
Preparation
STEP 1
Wash and thoroughly dry lemons.
STEP 2
With a vegetable peeler carefully remove all yellow zest from lemons and place in quart size jar or other sealable container. Using a pairing knife be sure to remove as much white pith as possible from zest strips as this can make your limoncello bitter.
STEP 3
Pour alcohol over lemon zest and seal container. Store in cool, dry, dark place and let the lemon oils steep for 4 days or up to 4 weeks. Shake it around a bit daily to be sure flavors are dispersing evenly.
STEP 4
After your multiple day steep time has completed. In a saucepan over medium heat combine water and sugar to make your simple syrup. Stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Cool to room temperature.
STEP 5
Strain lemon alcohol mixture to remove zest. Add simple syrup. (You can add as little or as much as you want until your preferred sweetness).
STEP 6
Transfer to airtight jars. Store in cool dark place or freezer. Serve ice cold in small glasses.
Options
Limoncello can be made with any favorite lemon including Meyer Lemons.
Zesting your lemon with a Microplane is also an option.
Get creative to make it your own by adding a few stems of a fresh herb the last couple of days of steeping such as lavender, Lemon Basil, or Lemon Thyme, or rosemary.
Limoncello is great served on its own, but can also be added to sparkling water, cocktails, or as a flavoring in desserts.