make Limoncello! I have a confession. I made two batches, intending to give them out as Christmas presents last year. Well, they never made it out of the apartment.
Way before Danny DeVito made the lemon liqueur famous on daytime tv, I fell in love with it in Italy when I wondered what was this sweet lemony drink served at the end of meals? But back in the US, store-bought limoncello was sickly sweet with only a hint of lemon. So what's a girl to do but make her own? Following in-depth instructions posted on egullet, the results are better than anything you'd find in the store. It would make a great homemade Christmas present, if you can manage to give it away.
Here's the limoncello formula, courtesy of egullet's Limoncello Queen, Katie. I've condensed the original recipe:
-- Take the peels of one dozen lemons + 1 lime, either removed with a vegetable peeler, or microplaned off. Katie thinks the infusion is faster with the microplaned little shreds of peel and I tend to agree. Plus, I think the microplane is quicker anyway.
-- Place the peels into an airtight container and cover with one bottle of 100 proof vodka or Everclear. There is a lot of debate on the egullet limoncello thread about whether to use vodka or not. Personally, I used a grain alcohol that I found in Alabama and brought to NY. If you can find it in your state, I'd go for the Everclear. As it says on the thread, "the higher alcohol level seems to get better extraction from the peels." Plus, my friend Doreen tried the vodka route, deeming it a disaster. I'm inclinded to believe if you just use vodka, it's just going to taste like lemon vodka. And that's not what we're aiming for.
-- Place the jar in a safe place (I used my closet) where a roommate won't wonder what on earth is in the container and toss it. It should be turning yellowy from the oils. Let sit around three weeks.
-- Filter through a coffee filter or cheesecloth into a large bottle or jar. Discard lemon peels. Make a simple syrup, dissolving three cups of sugar into three cups of water. Add two cups of the simple syrup to the limoncello. Taste it. You're drinking it, so make it to your liking. Does it need more simple syrup? Is it already too sweet? Fill the rest up with water. I reused my grain alcohol bottle -- So for a 750 ml bottle, I usually add half the limoncello mixture and half the simple syrup. If you used 100 proof vodka, you may need to add more regular vodka into the mix.
There are other 'cellos to be made. Clementine, orange, maybe even lime? The choices are endless. My friend Doreen made one with apple peels and cinnamon, which is next on my list to try.






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