Summer is almost here, BBQ season is starting….FINALLY!!!
I like to make homemade drinks. Not only you feel cool and special about it ( hehehe) , but it is something different, and most of the time much better than just a ready bottle from the shelf of your nearby store.
Limoncello is an Italian lemon liqueur mainly produced in Southern Italy. It is also produced in Abruzzo, Basilicata, Apulia, Sicily, Sardinia, Menton in France, and the Maltese island of Gozo. In northern Italy, the liqueur is often referred to instead as limoncino.
Although there is debate about the exact origin of the drink, it is at least one hundred years old.
So, long story short. Here is how to make a per.r.r.r.fect limoncello liqueur. You will LOVE it!
Make sure you chose organic lemons, because we will be using its peels.
You will need:
- 3 large organic lemons
- 250 ml pure grain alcohol ( ideally 95%)
- 250 grams of sugar
- 750 ml of fresh distilled water
- 1L closing bottle
- 1.5 L jar with a top
- 500 ml jar with a top
- funnel
- sieve
- cheese cloth
How to make it:
- Clean the lemons very well using a vegetable brush or a dump cloth.
- Dry and peel the lemons, making sure to only separate the yellow part of the peel from the fruit, and not go too deep. I used a potato peeler.
- Put alcohol in a 500 ml jar. Add lemon peels to the jar with alcohol.
- Leave the jar in a cool dark place for 3 days.
- After 3 days get a 1.5L jar with a top. Put sugar and water into it. Close the lid and give it a very good shake. Make sure all the sugar is dissolved.
- Take you alcohol with peels and strain it though a sieve into the jar with a water.
- Get a spoon and stir it well.
- Get a funnel and put the cheese cloth on top of it. You can secure it with a rubber and press the cloth down just a bit.
- Pour Limoncello though the funnel into the bottle. Close it.
- Your Limoncello is ready now waiting for you.
The sweetness and the strength of the drink can be adjusted to your liking. I am able to find only a 78% alcohol in our stores. So I go with it.
It makes a perfect chill out drink for you, for your guests or even a perfect Christmas present or home welcoming treat. Whichever is you story – you ( and the person on the receiving end) will love it 🙂
Here you go. Happy summer! If you have any question, do not hesitate to ask me! I will be more than happy to answer them for you.
2 Comments
Is this something that gets better with age? If I wanted to give it as a Christmas gift, would there be a benefit to making it in the summer and letting it sit in a cool basement?
Hi Angela. There are different types of recipes for Limoncello all over internet. Some of them suggest keep it at room temperature for at least 4-6 weeks ( compared to 3 days that I suggest). Then you also have to have 100 % alcohol only.
I used to keep mine in the fridge for 3-4 months. it changed the color ( yellow became a bit darker and “foggy” look disappeared.
So long story short, I would suggest you to make it a week – couple weeks before giving it as a present.
Just remember to let your gift recipients know to refrigerate their limoncello before serving it. 😉