Limoncello

I've always wanted to make limoncello, especially since learning that Italians speak so casually about the process.  I'd hear people say that it involved no more than a simple bit of mixing lemons with sugar and some alcohol, and just letting it sit until the time is right, and presto you have limoncello.  So simple.  Wasn't I surprised to find out that it actually is this simple!  Well, almost.

Here's the process: wash and peel some organic lemons, steep the peels in alcohol for a month, add some simple syrup, let it sit a few more days more, and freeze.  Presto!  Limoncello.  I followed the recipe offered by America's Test Kitchen very closely.  The result was pretty good.  And what fun it was!  Homemade limoncello, at last!  Apparently the same recipe can be followed using orange peels (to make "orangecello"), grapefruit peels, etc.  Perhaps I'll try that next.  These pretty little bottles of limoncello make wonderful gifts.  But I wouldn't argue with you if you decided to keep them all for sharing with guests at home.  It can be quite impressive when you offer your dinner guests a bit of homemade limoncello as an after dinner digestivo.  And it leads to some very good conversation as well!

An important note about the lemons: Be sure to buy organic lemons for this recipe, since you want to consume as little pesticides as possible with your limoncello.  When the peels steep in the alcohol, any chemicals on the peels are drawn out and end up in the alcohol.  (Alcohol is a solvent, afterall.)  For the same reason, you're going to want to scrub the lemons well, to remove anything that might be stuck to the peel.  Also, America's Test Kitchen recommends using regular lemons, as they suggest that Meyer lemons are a bit too floral in flavor.

Lastly, what to do with all those leftover lemons?  Well, make fresh lemonade of course!  To save on space, I made a lemonade that was very concentrated; I added water by the glass (to suit individual tastes) when serving.  Some folks liked it straight, others preferred it watered down.  It was perfect!

Makes: 5 1/2 cups (~1.3 liters) of limoncello

Ingredients:

• 1 (750-ml) bottle 100-proof vodka
• 8-10 organic lemons (~2 lbs), scrubbed well
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 cup sugar

Directions: 

1. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the zest from lemons in long strips.  Use a paring knife to remove any of the pith from the zest.  (The pith will add too much bitterness.)
2. Combine the zest and vodka in large non-reactive container (with ~ 1 liter capacity), cover with a lid, and let the mixture steep in a cool, dark place for 28 days.  The full 28 days (give or take a day or 2) is necessary to give the best lemon flavor.  Some say that you should store the mixture away from light to keep the peels from darkening.
3. Strain the infusion through a mesh strainer into large liquid measuring cup (at least a 4 cup volume is needed), pressing on the zests with a wooden spoon to extract as much liquid as possible.  (Using a liquid measuring cup or a bowl with a pour spout will aid in dispensing the limoncello into bottles.)  Discard the zests. 
4. Combine water and sugar in a small saucepan.  Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is completely dissolved, about 2 minutes.  Let cool.
5. Add 1 3/4 cups of syrup to the infused vodka, adjusting the amount as desired.  Swirl to combine.
6. Transfer the limoncello to a bottle(s) with a tight-fitting lid.  (I used 1-17 ounce bottle, and 2-8.5 ounce bottles, and had just a bit left over.)  Let the limoncello mellow for 5 days in a  cool, dark place. 
7. Transfer the limoncello to the freezer.  Serve the limoncello cold from freezer.

The zesting process begins!

Removing the pith.

Ready to be stored.

Close-up, day 0.

30 days later!

Straining the zests.

Pre simple syrup.

Post simple syrup.

Bottled!

Summertime sharing.

Limoncello is embarrassingly easy to make -- all you need is patience.  And it's delicious.  Once you master one limoncello recipe, you might want to try others.  For example, one recipe is making quite a stir in Brooklyn and around the web; it involves suspending a lemon above some vodka for several weeks, letting the alcohol vapors leach the essential oils from the lemon... wow!  Other recipes suggest that you can add herbs, spices, or other fruits to the mixture, at different times during the steeping process and for different steeping durations, to create a more complex flavor. 

In the US, lemons are in season during the winter, but limoncello is best enjoyed on a warm summer night.  That's not to say that limoncello isn't wonderful any time of year.  In fact, I've been told that one sip can bring you back to those lazy summer evenings in a flash...  So go ahead and enjoy, all year long.  Summer's waiting!