Good things come to those who wait and as promised, here is the recipe for old-fashioned authentic Italian limoncello (or lemoncello depending on who you talk to). For those of you who don't know much about this tasty liqueur, you can read up on it here. I also feel obliged to let you know, in case some of you are non-drinkers, that it is meant as a flavoring and to be consumed in small amounts. Don't try drinking this on the rocks or you'll end up like Danny DeVito. And we can't have that.
All right, enough of the small talk; time to spill the family secrets:
Authentic Italian Limoncello
For the limoncello, you'll need:*Fresh lemons. Lots of them.
*1 quart Everclear grain alcohol, 190 proof. (If you live in one of the states where 190 is illegal, try the 151)
*2 quarts water
*2 cups sugar
1) Peel the rinds off the lemons, making sure to get as little of the white stuff on them as possible. That is what creates the pulp, and we're making alcohol here, not lemonade.
2) Place the rinds in a large jar. We used an old, but thoroughly clean, pickle jar.
3) Pour 1 quart of Everclear into the jar so it covers the rinds. Close lid tightly.
5) In a sauce pan, combine 2 quarts water with 2 cups of sugar. Stir over low heat until sugar is melted. Remove from stove top and let cool completely.
6) Keeping the Everclear mixture far away from the stove and any other heat source, strain the rinds from the mixture. The Everclear should have soaked up some of the rinds' color and should be yellowish.
7) AFTER THE SUGAR/WATER MIXTURE IS COMPLETELY COOLED, combine it with the Everclear:
8) Pour into cute small bottles to give away as gifts. You can use a funnel or just eyeball it. Go ahead and stick a piece of the lemon rind in the bottom of the bottle for that certain je nais se quoi:
9) Tie with ribbon to spruce it up:
10) Do this all while sipping champagne:
I like to think that these bootlegging lessons count towards my goal of learning how to cook, no?
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Post a Comment 11 comments:
Wow -- look how cute those came out!! You and your little domestic goddess are spreading the DIY inspiration.
Thanks for posting...I just might have to give this one a try :)
mmm yummy! question...where did you get the ADORABLE bottles??
Hi Biddy,
The bottles and the ribbon are both from Michael's. You can probably find them at any craft store in your area, though.
If I weren't nursing, I would be all over this.
Looks delish and reminds me of trips to Italy!!!
i just got a whole armload of lemons from a friend's tree and can't wait to make my own. How did it taste?
I didn't like limoncello, until my brother invented limoncellow martinis! One measure of limoncello to two measures of vermouth plus plenty of ice - heaven! :-)
4-5 drops of limoncello on vanilla ice cream is heaven!
My first introduction to this elixir was (far too long ago) in Southeastern France, on an incredibly Mediterranean day. Nobody seems to post this as a suggestion, but on a hot, sunny, day, put about a shot into a _tall_ glass. Fill with (cool) Perrier or another good mineral water, sit in the sun, and relax into a state of sublime hedonism.
When ready to drink, is this stored in the freezer? Assumably it doesn't break the bottle b/c it doesn't freeze, yes?
when giving as a gift do you give it frozen or do you let them freeze.
Try adding one vanilla bean when adding the lemon peals to the everclear. Slice the been and scrape out the seeds then add all to the mixture. It gives it a great mellow taste. Also, sometimes I will add the zest of half an orange to the fifteen lemons mostly for color. This is really good, You can also make this with half lemons and half limes for a different flavor.