Limoncello is liquified Italian sunshine. The best versions are made with thick-skinned lemons from the Amalfi coast. They’re sipped – glass by small glass – with memories of the azure coastline and often draw to a close a subjectively perfect meal of anything from simple spaghetti to a multi-course Italian feast.
But if you’re craving the lemon-infused liqueur tonight, I’m afraid you’re going to have to go buy a bottle. This recipe takes four months; however, now is the perfect time to start. You’ll end up with a summer sipper that’s tons better than the one brand of Limoncello available at the SAQ.
In the meantime, you’ll remember that you have something to look forward to every time you look at the bottle of organic lemon zest in your fridge.
I mentioned that less-than-stellar Limoncello above, but what are the signs of a good Limoncello?
- It doesn’t burn when it goes down, meaning it’s made with a high quality base alcohol, usually vodka or Everclear.
- It has a fresh lemon flavour – it’s often intentionally made too sweet to mask the burn or the use of low quality lemons.
- It’s not bitter – bitterness comes from lazy de-pithing or low quality lemons.
- There are only three ingredients: lemons, alcohol, water and sugar
There are two schools of thought on the best recipe for homemade Limoncello. One involves suspending whole lemons above alcohol and letting the aromatics infuse over a long period of time. The other involves painstakingly peeling lemons and dunking the peels directly in the vodka for slightly more time. In both cases, you then strain the liquid and add sugar syrup to taste. The best recipes following the latter formula then call for the addition of fresh lemon peels for a shorter period, followed by another straining, theoretically resulting in a more fruit-forward flavour.
I was scared of the suspension method because of potential mold, though the alcohol in the jar is supposed to prevent that, despite that fact that the fruit doesn’t actually touch it.
So I went with the lemon peel version. In either case, the key is to use organic lemons, since any pesticides or fungicides in the peels will end up in the Limoncello.
Homemade Limoncello
2 lbs organic lemons
1 bottle of the best, smoothest vodka you can afford (I used Grey Goose – it was a gift – but there are lots of options that aren’t Smirnoff…)
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
2 more organic lemons
Use a vegetable peeler to remove the peel in long, thick strips from the 2 lbs of lemons. Carefully remove all the white (all of it!) from underneath the peel. This will take awhile, so use a very sharp, small knife to make it easier.
Pour the vodka into a clean 1 L mason jar, pitcher with a lid or other container that doesn’t take too much room in the fridge. It’s going to sit there for awhile, so it can’t take up all the space. Add the lemon peels, screw on the lid and leave in the fridge for four months.
Four months later, bring the sugar and water to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer 5 minutes, stirring to dissolve the sugar and reduce to a light syrup. Let cool.
Drain the yellow liquid from the jar into a clean bowl. Discard the lemon peels. Pour the liquid back into the jar.
Peel and remove the white pith (like before) from two fresh organic lemons. Add the cooled syrup. Let sit for 15 minutes on the counter to 5 days in the fridge. Strain lemon peels.
Drink your Limoncello!
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