In the midst of a frigid cold Seattle day, a slight break in the rain, and at least a few months of grey ahead I needed some hope for spring and summer. A small reminder that the sun will come out again and roof top BBQ’s and 10pm sunsets aren’t just a distant memory but a hopeful upcoming delight. One of the most delicious discoveries last summer was Limoncello. One of my girlfriends brought me a bottle of her batch as a housewarming gift and little did I know…it was DELICIOUS! I love citrus in cocktails and this wonderful libation changed my very life!
This recipe takes about 6 weeks but it’s WELL worth the wait! Feel free to experiment with other citrus; blood oranges, tangerines…the possibilities are endless! For this recipe I did a batch of lemon and a small batch of grapefruit so I’ll keep you posted on how they turn out!
Update- the grapefruit turned out MARVELOUSLY! I doubled the citrus and halved the sugar so it’s most assuredly a mixer as opposed to the traditional aperitif but it’s still quite delicious!
A bit of History (from Wikipedia)
“Limoncello is an Italian lemon liqueur mainly produced in Southern Italy.It is traditionally served chilled as an after-dinner digestivo. Along the Amalfi Coast, it is usually served in small ceramic glasses themselves often chilled, the Amalfi coast being a center of both ceramics and limoncello production. This tradition has been carried into other parts of Italy.”
Rick Steves article on Limoncello cites that it’s the second-most-popular liqueur in Italy after Campari!
Notes:
- Whatever volume you have for the first phase, you will need about double the space when you add the simple syrup so start with a LARGE container!
- I’ve heard with all the lemon and simple syrup in the recipe, that you can use cheap vodka and run it through a Brita a few times. For the first go around I used the good stuff, since I didn’t want to mess it up but the next go around I might think about a little lower shelf alcohol.
Limoncello
Ingredients
2 lbs Meyer lemons
1 qt vodka (I used Sky)
6 c water
2 1/2 c sugar
Cambro restaurant style plastic bins
Norpro Natural Cheesecloth
Jars or Bottles for the final product
OXO Good Grips Citrus Squeezer
Microplane
Directions (Initial Step)
Zest lemons with Microplane, making sure that you don’t include any of the white pith, into the Cambro restaurant style plastic bins. Pour the alcohol into the bins and mix with the zest. Place bins in a dark place. Shake up the mixture once a week to assure that all the oils and alcohol are mixing together.
Once you’ve mixed up the Lemoncello, cut the citrus in half and juice into a separate bowl. If you don’t have one, purchase a OXO Good Grips Citrus Squeezer. This handy little tool will be your saving grace for the juicing part! Since the juice makes hands slippery during this part, the grip on the handles is a really nice feature while the ceramic types can slip around a little. Once you’ve juiced the citrus, dispose of the rinds and pour the fresh juice into ice cube trays to use in cooking and baking.
Directions (4-6 weeks later)
- On the 4th week shake up, check and see if the zest is white. This indicates that the oils have fully been extracted. If not, allow to steep 1-2 more weeks.
- Once the lemons are pale, strain the liquid through Norpro Natural Cheesecloth into a large bowl and discard the zest. On this step it’s helpful to have another set of hands or a large rubber band to adhere the cloth before pouring the liquid and the zest.
- In a saucepan over low heat, heat the water and sugar until the sugar is dissolved and the syrup is clear. Let cool to room temperature and mix into the strained alcohol.
- Pour into bottles that you wish to display the final product in.
- Place back in a dark cupboard and let steep for 1-2 more weeks. Then you’re done and ready to enjoy!!
- Limoncelllo can be stored in the fridge or freezer for weeks!