A few months back we were at our local farm stand – not unusual, we’re there at least once a week if not more often.
This trek, however, they had a huge crate of lemons. Victor looked at me and said “Limoncello“. Naturally, I never argue with him. We bought lots.
The first time we made Limoncello was in 2004. We had been up to Boston and were at a now-defunct store named All Things Sicilian. They had a Limoncello set along with a recipe. It was one of those what the heck moments – we bought it. We don’t use it often, but it sits in the living room on the shelf under the TV… It gets dusted every other Friday…
The first time I blogged about it was 2006 – and we had already changed the recipe using much less sugar. This is the revised version:
Limoncello
- 15 organic lemons, well scrubbed
- 1 1.75 liter bottle Everclear or vodka (80 or 100 proof – higher proof=stronger)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
Wash the lemons well and pat dry. Carefully zest the lemons with a zester or vegetable peeler so there is no white pith on the peel.
Step One:
In a large glass jar (1-gallon jar), add the vodka and the lemon zest. Cover the jar and let sit at room temperature for at least 10 days and up to 40 days in a cool dark place. The longer it rests, the better the taste will be. (There is no need to stir – all you have to do is wait.) As the limoncello sits, the vodka slowly take on the flavor and rich yellow color of the lemon zest.Step Two:
In a large saucepan, combine the sugar and water; cook until thick and syrupy, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Cool the syrup and then stir into the limoncello mixture. Allow to rest for another 10 to 40 days.Step Three:
After the rest period, strain and bottle: discarding the lemon zest. Keep in the freezer until ready to serve.
If you don’t have organic lemons, use conventional and just wash them better…
We have usually made double and triple batches of this and have made it with Everclear, 100 proof, and 80 proof vodka. Everclear is harsh – and needs a lot of sugar syrup. Personally, I don’t think it’s worth it. 100 proof is okay, but… in my dotage, I have found that I’d rather use a vodka I can drink on the rocks. We went for Kettle One.
We also cut back and used a little more than 1.25 liters vodka to just under a cup of simple syrup. It made exactly 4 – 375ml bottles!
It may be the best batch, yet!
