Limoncello — Recipes

Ingredients

8 big untreated organic lemons
1 liter (4 cups) of pure alcohol 95° which is equivalent to 1 liter of Everclear (190-proof) or you can use a 100-proof Vodka
600 g (3 cups) of granulated sugar
1 liter (4 cups) of water

Directions

Kitchen Tools and Equipment to Make Limoncello at Home
For making Homemade Limoncello Recipe it’s necessary to have some simple but really useful kitchen tools. Let’s see which ones.
First of all, a peeler, preferably ceramic, to finely peel the lemons and remove only the zest. The ceramic blade will never brown foods or alter taste or smell of food. So it’s perfect for this recipe.
Then you need a large glass jar (at least 3 liters/1 gallon of capacity) with an airtight or screwed lid.
It’s necessary a large fine mesh strainer to strain the alcohol and remove the lemon zest after the infusion. With that goes funnels of different sizes to pour Limoncello into bottles, even the smallest ones.
Finally, some glass bottles with airtight or cork cap to store Limoncello.
) – Wash the lemons and dry them with kitchen paper. Do not rub them too much so as not to disperse oils and perfume. Use only ORGANIC UNTREATED LEMONS (for more informations see the paragraph below “What are the Best Lemons to Use?”).
) – Peel the lemons with a ceramic potato peeler. The ceramic blade will never brown your lemons or alter taste or their scent.
Take care to remove ONLY the zest (yellow part), leaving the white spongy one on the lemon, as it could give a bitter taste to the liqueur.
) – Place the lemon zest in a large airtight glass jar then pour the alcohol (or the Everclear or the Vodka). Let them infuse for 2 weeks in a cool place out of direct sunlight.
Better cover the jar with a cloth to be sure that it remains in the dark. During this time, SHAKE THE JAR EVERY DAY to mix the ingredients well without ever opening the jar.
) – After the required infusion time, you need to make the syrup. So put the water and sugar in a saucepan and, over low heat, bring to a boil. Stir constantly until the sugar is completely dissolved. Then let it cool down.
) – Now filter the liquid with a sieve and remove the lemon zest.
) – Once the syrup is cold, add it to the infusion of alcohol and lemon zest and mix well. Now pour the Limoncello into glass bottles with hermetic closure or cork stopper. Store the bottles in a cool, dark place for one week.

How to Store Limoncello

Once the limoncello is ready it can be stored in the freezer. The alcohol and sugar prevent it from freezing so don’t worry. In this way it’s already cold when you want to drink it! Homemade Limoncello should be drunk within three months from the date of preparation.

Notes

NOTE: for added safety, you can sterilize the bottles by boiling them in a pot full of water. The boiling should last at least 20 minutes, then drain the bottles upside down.

Now your homemade Limoncello is ready! Remember to put it in the freezer at least three hours before drinking it or keep it always in the freezer, ready to drink on any occasion!

Nutrition

Calories: 343 cal Serving Size: 100 g