Homemade Limoncello Recipe. When California life gives you lemons...
Inspired by an earlier Vox question of the day, the summer heat wave and an April post about a freaky lemon, I'm sharing my homemade limoncello recipe.
Limoncello is the traditional Italian lemon-flavored liqueur made using lemon zest. You can sometimes get homemade limoncello in Italian restaurants and some liqour stores will carry one or two commercially bottled imports, I have found most of what you find in the stores to be expensive and not that good. Nothing compares to homemade.
I haven't been to Italy since I was in my early twenties, but I'm told that Italians love to have limoncello as a dessert drink after pizza or fish. I don't think a meal is necessary however, Limoncello is lovely to drink on a hot summer night with friends while chatting in the comfort of your own home. I suggest that you keep a bottle in the freezer at all times!
There are different ways to make your own limoncello., When I made my first batch about 5 years ago I found lots of recipes on the internet and combined them and improvised to make my own.
There are faster ways to get to the end product, but in my opinion, the key to good limoncello is 1.) bunches of the best lemons with plump moist skins and 2.) patience. Living in California, I now have lots of the first and am still rather painfully short on the second. But with limoncello-making, patience in the process pays off, so don't rush it. And don't be a stickler for the details. Making this lovely liqueur is more of an art than a science.
Here's one version of the recipe I have used, but I make it just a little differently every time and mostly just wing it. I don't think there's a wrong way to do this actually, so don't stress on being too precise.
Limoncello
- 15-20 lemons - clean, unwaxed with nice plump skins. The skins should give off a lemon sent, don't get ones that don't smell heavenly. And try to get organic fresh lemons when you can.
- 2 (750-ml) bottles 80-proof vodka. The cheaper the better. Or for best results, I try to find Everclear and use one or two bottles of that because it's pure and doesn't have any sugar in it.
- 2 to 3 cups of water
- 2 to 4 cups sugar (a 1:1 ratio of sugar to water makes a classic simple syrup, but use more sugar if you want yours a little thicker or sweeter)
For this recipe you also need a large (2-3 litre) glass jar with a sealed lid. The jar should be washed and rinsed very well or sterilized. You don't want anything in your limoncello but what you put there.
You will also need the bottles you want to put the final brew in. I get mine at Cost Plus and I save nice glass bottles from other beverages I've purchased that have good reusable, sealable tops.
I use a three-step process.
Step 1: lemon in alcohol
- Wash and dry the lemons. Only use the ones without blemished peels or pare off any spots and the stems, ends.
- Remove the peel from the lemons with a sharp peeler or fine grater/zester, carefully avoiding the bitter white pith. If you choose to peel your lemons, please note that if any white pith remains on the back of a strip of peel, scrape it off. If you get any of the white part in the batch, the limoncello will be bitter and you don't want that!
-
Put the peels in a glass jar and add the vodka and/or Everclear, leaving at least two inches below the top rim. Seal tightly.
- Leave the lemons to steep in the jar in a cool, dark place until the peels lose their color, at least 2 weeks. I leave mine for at least 2-3 months. (That's why mine is extra yummy). Every couple of weeks I swirl the peels around in the jar to mix up the oils in the alcohol, plus I don't know if that helps, I just like to check in on it!
- Put the water and sugar in a saucepan, stir and slowly heat until it turns clear and all the sugar is dissolved completely. Let the syrup cool.
- Put the cooled syrup in the jar with the lemons (you might have to divide the batch into two jars at this point, depending on the size of your jar).
- Put the jars back in the closet for at least two weeks. Longer is fine too.
Step 3: strain and bottle
- Strain out the lemon peels through a coffee filter or cheesecloth and pour the limoncello into another container. Press down to remove all the vodka and oils that you can from the peels before tossing them in the trash.
- Stir the liquid with a clean plastic or wooden spoon.
- Put the liqueur in clean bottles, seal tightly and leave the finished bottles for at least 1 week before using. I told you that I use making limoncello as an exercise in practicing patience!
For best flavor and drinking it straight, store the limoncello in your freezer. It shouldn't freeze because of how much alcohol is in it and it is simply lovely ice cold.
Tips:
- The time consuming part is the peeling, but take your time and don't get any of the white underbelly of the skin in the batch. I use a very sharp paring knife or a potato peeler. Lately I've made a few batches using a lemon zester. It's sooooo much easier, but I don't think as much lemon flavor gets in as peeling. However, to compensate for that, I've been adding more lemons to Step #1
- Use organic lemons or at least ones you know where they came from. Now that I have more than one everbearing Meyer lemon tree in my backyard, I don't have to worry about chemicals anymore.
- Make a big batch at once. Especially if you're letting it steep as long as I do. Once you taste this or give it away to friends, it goes quickly and people will beg you for more. Better to have more on-hand that wait another few months!
- You can also make similar liqueurs using other citrus fruits, but I've never tried them myself. “Lime-cello” sounds great to me and could be terrific in cocktails and cooking. (Substitute the peel of limes for the lemon peel. Taste the liqueur for the degree of sweetness you want as you add the syrup.) An orange version might make an appealing alternative to triple sec.
Delicious Uses for Limoncello:
- straight up frozen in limoncello shot glasses (best if you put them in the freezer too)
- spiking a tall glass of cold lemonade or iced tea
- splashed in glasses of champagne
- over ice cream or angel food cake
- splashed on a fresh fruit mixture
- in cranberry juice
- in sparkling water, tonic or soda.
Comments
i was google-ing homemade limoncello for a recipe, and was happily surprised to find a VOX posting! Of course it's the one I'll use! :)
I've made limoncello before, using 100-proof vodka (smirnoff) for two reasons. One, I'm not sure you can buy everclear in washington state. Two, I have an distaste of big plastic jugs of cheap vodka. I mean, I'll drink it by the gallon at a party (which is probably the cause of the aversion!), but refuse to buy it.
My limoncello turned out delicious, actually much more yellow than your pics, although it had a little too much of the thick, sugary, sweetness, which was amplified by how cold it was.
I want to make some for my birthday party next month. It's cutting it a little close on the fermenting times, but maybe if I use more lemons...?
Using more lemons will definately help infuse more lemony flavor if you don't have as much time to let it stew. I just finished bottling up my last batch that had been "brewing" since April 24 and I wish now that I'd used more lemons mostly to make it more yellow, but it's oh so delicious just the same. I also think mine is less yellow because my lemons are picked right off the tree in back and the skins aren't as yellow as the ones I've bought in stores.
Good luck on your birthday batch!
I did a kumquat-cello once (I have no idea how I ended up with too many kumquats) and I remember it was only so-so and a little...odd.
I just saw this post again and I think it's inspired me to try the real thing with a well-tested recipe! (I love all the details and pics of the process:))
I was browsing online tonight and found someone else's photos of the process too. This is a good example of how to peel the skins so there's no bitter white part.
So I made a batch last night, and decided to zest the zest with a microplane rather than peel it. Actually, I think this is how the recipe I used previously did it.
My hope is a for a quicker, and more complete, extraction of all of the lemony-goodness. In theory, it should work (much more surface area), i just need to be a little more careful straining it later. The vodka is already quite yellow!
I use cheese clothe to strain mine with peels, that might be good for the fine zest as well. Let me know how it turns out.
I've always wanted to try Limoncello because of Giada on the Food Network so now I think I will, for sure!
UPDATE to this post.
The results of this batch made wonderful Christmas gifts.
I currently have a batch going with 1.5L of Everclear 151 proof. I used 20 lemons. The batch has been steeping for about a week now and the lemons are all white. Should I resist the temptation to finish?
Bizarre how your comment didn't line wrap! For the rest of us,,,were's what it said...(it showed up as one long line on my VoxWatch...weird)
"The batch has been steeping for about a week now and the lemons are all white.
Should I resist the temptation to finish?"
Yes. I would. I'd leave it for at least two weeks before going on to step two.
Thanks for sharing!
Idiots.
Really? I didn't know that about higher proof alcohol. But the strongest stuff I've used for my limoncello has been Everclear. When I venture out of state next time I should see about getting high proof grain alcohol. Does it go by any brand names? Or do I just ask for "the stuff that's illegal in CA and stronger than Everclear?
Everclear brings back bad memories from sneaking bottles into the midnight movies in high school :) ugh..
Last night I had a limoncello made with absolut ruby red, and organic lemons. It sounded more promising than the execution (actually, it was quite good, but a little too syrupy, and served too warm) and I definitely think there's something to be discovered here..
Too warm is not good. I keep my limoncello in the deep dark cold of the freezer. And my favorite thing to serve it in (these days anyway) is sparkling fruit juices, like grapefruit or tangerine Hansen's sodas. And the other wonderful combination is pomegranate or pomegranate blends. I want one now, but it's the last middle of the afternoon here. ;-)
It might not be an option for everyone but when I'm at my In-laws in Southern California on leave (I'm active duty Navy) I comb all the bases in the area for their 190 proof alcohol.
Hey Gang,
I am in the second phase of my inaugural batch of Limoncello. Here's the deal.
I followed the recipe to the letter. I peeled the rinds off with a new peeler, and made sure there were no pith attached to the skins. I put this batch up a month ago in the back of my basement refrigerator. I was very exited.
Today, i added the simple syrup to my limoncello today, and tasted it. It wasn't very good. It tastes like lemon rinds and vodka. Here are my questions for anyone who wishes to answer.
First, is this the way it is supposed to taste? Admittedly, I have no point of reference since i have no idea how a proper batch of limoncelle shuld taste.
Secondly, if this is not how it is supposed to taste; how can i fix it so it tastes better?
Any suggestions from you all will be appreciated! Thanks!
It isn't so much bitter as it tastes like lemon peels. I was a chef way back when, so I know how to peel a lemon without the pith. I bought a new peeler, and peeled only the skins. The peel taste is really strong, so I am contemplating straining it now. I must say that I didn't add a lot of sugar syrup, so maybe the elixir will improve if I add more. I didn't have the luxury of using organic lemons as they are not available where I live.
I want sweet lemony goodness, I do!
I will try and purchase a bottle of limoncello from the liquor store in the next week or two to compare the flavors. After that, I'll know how to adjust it.
Thank you for your quick response, luv!
I wouldn't strain it now. Add more (extra sugar intensive) syrup and let it sit a few more weeks with the peels still in there. I often add more sugar if it doesn't seem sweet enough. Not much more water, but thicker syrup; you don't want to dilute the alcohol too much so it freezes - I did that with my last batch. You can also splash in some more vodka if you think it's not strong enough after adding the additional sweetening. Then let it sit for some more time with the lemons in it. Next, strain it with a cheese cloth and put some in the freezer before tasting it.
Hope it works! The key is really the quality of the lemons and not getting any pith in the batch. And if you're going to the store to buy some limoncello, make sure it's imported from Italy. In my opinion, I've not tasted any as good as homemade.
Oh, another thought just occurred to me. If there's an authentic Italian restaurant near you, they usually make their own as well and I'm sure you can sample what it's supposed to taste like there.
I'm no authority on this subject (despite Vox's high ranking for this post in a Google search), so if anyone else has opinions or thought on Diane's question, please chime in!
1. Is it OK to let the batch age in the fridge?
2. Using 80 proof instead of Everclear, won't my finished product be too weak in alcohol content?
2) I rarely use Everclear because I can't find it and it's fine. The key to the alcohol strength is how much of the syrup you need to use with it. That's the thing that cuts down the alcohol volume, but also is vital to sweeten. It's a matter of balance and taste. Good luck!
Patty,
I have taken the following measures to insure sweet lemony goodness.
1. I made a double thick sugar syrup from the leftover sugsr syrup and added it to the elixir. That alone improved the flavor.
2. I took it out of the refrigerator, double sealed it and hid it my house.My roomate is also a chef, and prowls around at night looking for my limoncello. One of the reasons I hid it in the bowels of my fridge is because my roomate refuses to bend his body over a 45 degree angle. I depended on that to hide my limoncello.
I will age it for 2 weeks this way, bottle and age it so it will be ready in time for my b-day on 8-13
After my first trip to Italy,
My first batch of limoncello have strong alcohol take. Is there a way to get rid of the harsh alcohol bite without diluting the lemony goodness?
I used 18-20 worth of zest, 2 750 mls of Smirnoff Tiplr distilled vodka, 2 cups of sugar and 4 cups of water.
1. I've found my glass container isn't exactly air tight. Will that make a difference?
2. I stole a taste from the batch almost 2 weeks in pre-syrup and it tasted a bit bitter. When peeling the lemons, once in a while there were very tiny amounts of the white pith on the zest, which i attempted to scrape off with a knife. I prayed it wouldn't make a difference. Has it?
Also, I tried zesting oranges to make an Orangecello, and found orange zest differs greatly from lemon zest. Lemon zest lets off a wonderful lemony smell when peeled, but the orange zest smelled awful. It seems the majority of the flavor is in the fruit itself, and any Orangecello would be made more like an orange-infused vodka. FYI.
Great recipe! ...I'm starting my first batch tomorrow!!
I recently brought back some Limoncello and some Limoncetta from Italy. ...The Limoncetta is thicker and they're both all gone! :(
I can't wait to begin! I'm looking forward to, as you say, "lemony goodness"!
Reading this has brought back some great memories of my trip and really makes me want to go back very soon!!
I would like you to know that I think I have achieved "sweet lemony goodness."
I bottled my limoncello earlier today and just had a sneak taste. I shook it in a cocktail mixer w some crushed ice. The cold muted the taste of peels and was quite enjoyable. Thank you for sharing this recipe. I ended up with almost three bottles of this stuff...enough to last for my b-day!!
muchos gracias!
diane
2. I am one to say don't get ANY white part in the brew, but that said, I bet you haven't ruined it. It is bitter and harsh before the sugar syrup step and the proper amount of time, lots and lots of time.
Question: I have read on other sites that one bottle of alcohol is added in the beginning with the peels and the second bottle is added at a later date. Do you think it makes any difference if all of the alcohol is added at once or in two steps?
It would seem to me that you would want the lemon to infuse into as much of the alcohol as possible. Your thoughts?
I think it's probably best to have as much lemon peel infused alchol as possible; the more lemony the better. That said, if I've felt mine needed too much of the sugar water into and wasn't high enough in alchol as a %, then I have been known to splash in some more vodka at the end.
On the last batch I did, I probably should have done that because when I kept a bottle in the freezer, the last batch would get pretty slushy, like it didn't have enough alochol in it not to stay completey liquid.
Serious, you can't really do this wrong, in my opinion, but then again, I never follow a recipe exactly. I check lots of reference sources for recipes and then just plunge in using common sense and my gut to determine the process.
And as an optimist at heart, I trust that it will turn out fine -- and it usually does.
Good point! Since I am using one bottle of 100 proof vodka and one bottle of Everclear, I don't think I'll have the freezing problem! I'm sure it will turn out just fine.
So, I'll add the second bottle today and agitate it daily for the next 2 months!!
...I'll keep you posted! :)
Thanks!
Well, Gang,
Since I had sucess with Ms. Patty's Limoncello recipe. I am sharing one with you. I made it up one night last week while concocting a drink to celebrate my 45th b-day
Diane's Lemon Sour You need:
juice of 4 lemons
juice of one lime
juice of one large orange
2 tablespoons of superfine sugar
1/4 cup water
homemade lemoncello
To get the best juice out of the fruit, fruit must be room tempurature. Squeeze all fruit into container and strain out all pith and seeds. Add water and start with one tablespoon od sugar and add that to juice mixture. Stir to dissolve. If desired, add second spoonful of sugar to mix (Should have a puckery sweet-tart taste).
In mixer glass, measure equal parts of limoncello and sour mix. Shake in mixer glass. You can serve this over ice. or strained into sugar-rimmed glasses and enjoy like a martini.
BTW= to make superfine sugar, pulse granulated sugar in food processor until fine textured. Also, sour mix can be used in amy recipe that requires sour mix.
I hope you will enjoy this as much as I have.
Happy Birthday by the way too! Will making limoncello be a new annual tradition?
Yes, this will become a part of my annual celebration. I hope one day you will give my lemon sour a try....It was sooooo good.
BTW, I've also tried mixing it with iced tea, club soda, Sprite, as well as straight... YUMMY!!
Thanks again for sharing this recipe with all of us, and thanks for the birthday wish!
Diane
Nowadays, I'm going in for something a little more classy and that doesn't require decanting from an old cooler. I can't wait to try this Limoncello recipe and give it as gifts for Christmas!!
Hey, Patty. Trying out your recipe for Christmas gifts. I'm making about five gallons -- I've got a big Italian family who will love it.
I used about 150 lemons (they were small) and 6 liters of the 190-proof Everclear (one benefit to living in Jersey, I guess!). I zested the lemons (and part of my fingernail....) directly into the alcohol, and it was turning bright yellow within minutes. This was on Sunday, and as of last night (Wednesday), my peels are almost white! I planned for about two months of steeping, and another month after I added the syrup. Have I gone overboard? Is the higher alcohol content going to cut down how long I have to steep, do you think?
I'm planning to add another 1.75 liter bottle of Everclear (the funds were a little low), and it will bring it closer to the quintuple recipe I'm making. With the higher alcohol level, is that a good idea? I'm realizing that, after adding the syrup, the finished product will be around 90 proof, which seems high for a digestif.
At any rate, thanks for the recipe! I'll definitely let you know how it turns out....
First off, I know that some people are having a hard time finding 190 proof everclear, but it really is the only way to go. To my knowledge it has the absolute strongest alcohol content of anything that you can find. This is incredibly important because even though everclear itself will make the normal mortal vomit, it is considered "tasteless" and this will allow you to get a more pure limoncello flavor out of the mix.
I notice that a lot of people use a potato peeler to peel their lemons, however I use a zester. It undoubtedly takes more time to do it my way, but you are left with a much higher surface-area ratio on the peels. This means that you can get more of the lemon oil out of the peel (and for those of you in a time crunch, it can be done quicker)
I wait the full 30 days of "brewing" and then another 30 days of waiting after adding the simple syrup. The longer that you wait with the syrup the better it tastes.
Make large batches of it, someone said it earlier: your friends will fall in love with it and beg you for it. Also, you have to try doing this with oranges, it works incredibly well. You can substitute "orangecello" for triple sec in quite a few drinks (like a margarita).
All in all this is such a cool thing to make. Good luck everyone!
Perhaps other commentors have another suggestion?
I did follow the directions so..hmmm..any suggestions?
Hi there! I'm 18 and live in Northern Virginia (Everclear isn't sold in VA). I happen to have a love of Limoncello, which began in a family trip to Italy where I tried it in many restaurants. I hope to make a batch and bottle it as gifts for my graduation, (I'm starting Culinary School in September) but I need to have a friend get some Everclear from either DC or Maryland. If anyone is from the area, would they mind letting me know if it is sold around here!
Also, has anyone had both peeled and zested variants? If so which produces a more vibrant yellow? Which produces a 'lemonier' taste? I have a good 3 months to mess around with the recipe if something needs changing but I thought someone else's opinion on which method is tastier.
Another tricky stage will be hiding it somewhere away from my parents (they are on the list of recipients). I'm guessing my closet will be my best bet as it is cool and dark. Thanks!
I bottled my heaven's brew last night. I ended up using a 1:1 sugar to water simple syrup ratio, but ended up not using all of it. 5 cups of sugar to 5 cups of water, compounded by 5 for the batch that I was making, and had about half-a-gallon left over.
This will be a Limonicious Christmas! Thanks!
I used the same (only the round ones) World Market bottles you did, for someone's else's homemade Kahlua this year! Aren't they pretty!?
Oh and for anyone else's benefit, here's the link to Guy's photos from above:
I suppose you could make something with rum and lemons, but it would not be limoncello.
I've never made limoncello before, but a general rule to prevent sugar crystallization is adding corn starch (1 tsp per cup), a little lemon, or cream of tartar.
Does anyone have any sugestions on where to find labels for my Limoncello?
Something I could download and print.
Although, next time I do a big batch I think I'm going to use this site. http://www.myownlabels.com/ seems to make them look very professional.
Lemons: mostly home-grown and picked (if not, then store-bought). There are different varieties which affects the acidity but size wise, the lemons use in our area are medium to almost large (i.e. average adult-sized fist, or about a softball)
Alcohol: Italy has it's own pure alcohol, definitely superior than what we have available in the U.S. It is not available anywhere on the U.S.; however, Everclear is a GREAT substitute. I've used 151 proof...you can use 180 if you find it in your area (available in San Diego, California)
Sugar: A sugar syrup solution is always made before combining it with the lemon rind/alcohol solution. The sugar and water in the saucepan are simmered to melt together over low-med heat and set aside to cool. I will stir prior to adding to the lemon rind/alcohol solution. Stirring during melting should not have any adverse effects, I've seen my landlord do this from time to time. There are certain "rituals" during food prep in some Italian households "just because"...they are very big on tradition.
Ratios: You can play with the sugar ratios up to 1/2 cup either way depending on how you sweet you like it.
Fermentation time: At least 7 days (NO LESS) up to a couple of weeks. I've not had the experience on having anyone extend it past two weeks. If your container has a good tight seal, your lemon alcohol may be more concentrated. I learned not to let it sit too long, for "fear" of pickling!
Temperature: As with all homemade sauces, wine, cordials, etc....everything is kept in a COOL, DARK, place. In Italy, unless you live in a studio or apartment, almost everyone has a basement or cellar or some room where it is cold and dark - almost fridge like in temperature. Keeping it in a warm place was never recommended. I keep mine in a wine refrigerator case set at a constant cool temperature. You can get away with wrapping your jars (ALWAYS GLASS, per my Italian landlord, nothing else) in a brown bag in a cool part of your closet or pantry.
Limoncello is great. In Italy, we drink it as a digestif or after dinner drink after our espresso or coffee. It's especially great to take after those heavy or rich meals (pasta, meat, sauces, etc) and acts as an aid to digestion. But, we also enjoy a shot of it (no more, excess is frowned upon) during hot summer days as a refresher, or during celebratory rites.
In Italy you can find this cordial made from lemons (my favorite and most popular), oranges, strawberries, cantaloupe, honey dew melons and coffee (my second favorite). If I could share a cooking tip I learned from my life in Italy, it would be that Italians love food with a passion: start with fresh, great produce; and simple, fuss-free recipes that do not have lengthy preparation (unless it's proscuitto).
Anyway, I have a couple of recipes passed down to me. My brother in law has already made several batches and it always turns out great. If anyone is interested, I would be more than happy to share them with you. Ciao!
Also, if you store it in the freezer, make sure you allow for enough space/allowance at the top...do not fill it all the way to the top avoid any possible expansion (i.e. explosion in freezer).
We always store ours how we have learned in Italy: Limoncello in the coldest part of the fridge (or wine refrigerator), sturdy ceramic shot servers always in the freezer. If you don't have ceramic shot servers, you can also store your shot glasses in the freezer, just make sure they are sturdy and not "chintzy". Before serving to a crowd, limoncello can be put in the freezer an hour or two before pouring.
Traditional limoncello purists look for the lemony yellow color and strength. This is what makes it uniquely limoncello. Otherwise, you'll just have the equivalent of a lemon alcohol drink. Limoncello is a digestif, an elixir or liquor cordial. As it is made from pure grain alcohol and nothing else, it will be yellow, sweet and strong! You can play with your sugar ratio to control the sweetness.
We drink it straight up from the freezer, one ounce SHOT portions...no more. Of course it's great splashed on anything else, other beverages, cake, gelato (ice cream) and even mixed in with your bread dough!
Hope this helps clarify your question.
I would LOVE those recipes!!!!
thanks!
Thanks for the info, some friends brought me three one liter bottles of the 190 proof from Arizona on their last visit.
Thanks Again
=Dan=
Hi All,
When I added my cooled sugar syrup to the jar it turned instanly cloudy white. After several weeks the cloudiness has reduced but is not gone. What happened, and is it salvageable?
Thanks
James Y.,
I had the same results. I just adde the simple surup to my batch on Feb-15-08. Hopefully we will get a response to our question soon.
Dan
Patty,
Would it have been better to remove the lemon zest prior to adding the simple surup?
The ones I used for this batch are actually repurposed ones from a French lemonade that I have found at Cost Plus and some grocery stores here. I think they're about $3.99 each and that includes the lemonade!
Just this weekend I also found some great bottles to use at Ikea. I think they were about $3-4 too.
The tops on those bottles are perfect because they make a nice tight seal. Very reusable, I've used them several times and they stay nice and tight. People now even give me the bottles back when they are hinting around for a refill when I make the next batch!
wOOt! 100th comment on this thread!! And it's my own -- LOL!
Hi
I have been making limoncello for a couple of years now. I also use orange and lime. All three are delicious.
What happened. Only part of my comment posted? Here is the rest. I also make lemon/lime (10ea.) tastes pretty good.
This time I am trying grapefruit by the request of several friends. I just have a couple of comments.
1) If your mix has a little extra bite after step #2. I went to the wine store and bought some glycerine. I believe 1 or 2 oz per quart. This really smoothed out the mix.
2) The bottles with the wire top I found at specialtybottle.com for $1.95 ea and if you order 108 or mor the price drops to $1.52
3)You know when your peels are done when you can snap them in half,If they do not snap there still is oil in the peel that needs to be extracted. I know I am not an expert, But every little bit of info comes in handy, as i learned when I first started. So take my info in this spirit and Happy Limoncello Making.
Unless it's a dilution ratio issue, the cloudiness is actually a result of the temperature of the sugar syrup. If the syrup mixture is still warm (or not completely cool) the resulting limoncello will be cloudy (after combining the syrup and lemon/alcohol mixture). If you prefer your limoncello to be a clearer, cool your syrup first at the very least, at room temperature. Having both mixtures cool will result in a much clearer limoncello.
It really depends on your preference. For most homemade batches back in Italy, we combine it even if it's slightly warm to achieve that opaque-ish/cloudy appearance. There are many limoncello vendors down South who prefer this for aesthetic purposes. However, if clear limoncello is your preference, try the cooler syrup alternative and see if this gets it to the appearance you like. As long as your end product doesn't end up too crystal clear (purists might consider this "watered down", and therefore weaker in strength), the cool syrup method may just be what you're looking for. Buono fortuna (Good luck)!
Please let me know if anyone has previously tried the cool syrup mixture and have their limoncello batch end up still cloudy. Frankly, we always made our limoncello batches w/ slightly warm (or slightly cooled, depending on how you look at it) sugar syrup. Call us impatient, I guess that's how we've always learned it; everyone else that we knew of in our area seemed to make it this way too. As we've never made it with cooled syrup, we're curious how big of a difference a cooler syrup has on limoncello appearance.
By the way, I had a typo on my last response to James Y. In case anyone is wondering, It's supposed to be "Buona Fortuna" with an "a" at the end of "buono" not an "o". Words are matching genderized (feminine in this case).
Well, Buona Fortuna to all limoncello makers!
Last August (2007) I followed your directions and made my first batch of limoncello! In November I added the simple syrup and kept it in a dark closet. Other than a swirl once or twice a week, I have left it alone.
That is until today! I bought some of the re-sealable bottles from Cost Plus and strained & bottled the golden potion this afternoon.
I just tasted some after it sat in the freezer for a few hours and all I can say is WOW!!! Yuuuummmmy! It is very smooth and lemony. I even did a taste test comparing it to a bottle of Limoncetta I brought back from Italy and the home made is so, so much better!!!
Thank you Patty! I can't wait to bring some to a party this Saturday!!!
Hello--
I can't wait to try my hand at this, and am hoping to get my first batch completed in time for my mom's visit at the beginning of May. One question--has anyone tried this with ruby red grapefruit? I saw lime and orange both mentioned as options, but was wondering if it would work with grapefruit, too.
I love grapefruit anything, so maybe I'll just have to try it and report back.
In some states (such as NY) it is illegal to sell grain alcohol.
Randi
I was reading the comments on the lemoncello for a solution to a possible problem and came across your inquiry.
Weird, the rest of the comment didn't print. Anyway, I juice the lemons and use it for lemondrops. I use equal amounts of fresh lemon juice, simple syrup and vodka, shake and strain into a sugar-rimmed martini glass. These lemondrops can also be made in large batches and put into a ziploc freezer bag and stored in the freezer. I haven't found a lemondroptini as good as these! The juice itself can be frozen also. I have a Lisbon Lemon tree, and an abundance of lemons, and also a Mexican Lime tree - great to use the fresh lime juice for margaritas!
Limoonello:
First batch put down on January 18, 2008 as follows:
2-btls. - Bottles 180 proof Everclear
2 ea. – 1 gal. Ball Creative Containers available at amazon.com
22-ea. -- Lemons zested using potato peeler and zest gratter. Zest grater seemed to work better and should yield better flavor based on more area of lemon skin exposed to liquid. Note: Using the zest grater resulted in a somewhat cloudy result. I will use the potato peeler in the future even if I have to age it longer..
8-ea. – 16 oz. clear bottles with http://www.midwestsupplies.com/ 16 oz. EZ Cap Bottle (Clear): These bottles do not require a capper, since they come complete with a Grolsch-style swing-cap (included). The rubber gaskets will last for at least 5 or 6 uses.
1-ea. – Hydrometer for testing alcohol content
15-Feb-08 - Added 6 cups of water (bottled) and 4 cups of sugar in surup (exactly 4 wks from start of batch). The batch immediately turned cloudy.
29-Feb-08 – Filtered batch using coffee filters and sqeezed peels to extract oils prior to discarding. Batch is a bit cloudy but okay.
01-Mar-08 – Filtered batch on more time using cheeze cloth to see if it would result in clear liquid but no such luck.
15-Mar-08 – Bottled the batch, final procuct resulted in 5 full 16 oz. bottles and one about ¼ full. Stored partial bottle in freezer to taste. Wow! Turned out very good but very strong and too sweet. I will consider deluting future batches with less sugar and more water. I will try to refine the recipe as I go from bottle to bottle of the present batch.
Thanks so much Patty for your original post and to everyone who's posted their own hints and tips. I'm sure it's because of yall that my very first batch turned out so well!
Note: In last post I did not spell limoncello correctly. Must of been because I sampled too much of the good stuff.
Dan
Not sure how accurate this is...I may just have to experiment with the temperature aspect and see how what comes up. Let me know if you've done other alternatives. Thanks!
If you are a planning a trip to Europe (especially with kids), I'll be happy to share with you a wonderful resource that made our European road trips a unique experience.
Thank you! I would love to travel to Italy one day..life long dream...
The last line of my message did not go through...wanted your recipe for limoncello. Also, do you have to add the sugar? Could you use splenda instead?? Since you have already added the alcohol, not sure if sugar is needed for some type of fermentation, or just for flavor.
do you have a recipe for an Italian coffee liquor? that sounds very appealing.
thanks,
Ann
For the limoncello aperitif/digestivo, sugar is used to balance the lemon tartness and sharpness of grain alcohol. I'm not sure how making it without sugar would turn out, it might turn out too astringent or even unpalatable to certain taste buds. Let me know how it goes if you choose to go this route. You can always cut back the sugar amounts if you find any of the recipes are too sweet for your preference.
By the way, the Splenda substitute sounds interesting. I haven't really tried too many recipes with Splenda and I'm curious to find out how that would affect limoncello. Based on what little experience I have with sugar substitutes, it makes the end products much more sweeter so do you think maybe we would have to use a little less sugar? Please share how your batch with Splenda comes out. I can't wait to find out about this interesting alternative. Ciao!
Yes I do have a recipe for coffee liquer. My landlord makes limoncello in the summer season and liquore caffe during the fall/winter seasons. I actually have one bottle left of the coffee liquer which I've brought with me on my move back here to Honolulu. I gave one bottle to my brother in law. He normally doesn't like coffee but he loves this liquore caffe. Give me a chance to hunt for the recipe among my unpacked boxes; if it takes too long, I'll just call my landlord for the recipe again. I promise to keep you posted. Aloha!
I skimmed the posts and am SO overwhelmed! I was really excited until I read the one post about how Everclear is not sold in PA (where we are) or in VA and MN (where we have family). And if I remember correctly, alcohol can't be shipped to homes in PA either.
Is there a brand that could be a substituted? One in which, if we were to make limoncello, we wouldn't be wasting our time and would still be able to enjoy the "lemony goodness" that you all are raving about and that is making my mouth water? :) We don't normally buy vodka, so I'm not up on the brands and proofs and whatnot!
I do apologize if someone mentioned it in a previous post and I didn't read it - I hope you understand!
And, I am kicking myself for not trying it while we were in Italy 2 years ago! We had 18 glorious and wonderful days and did not try 1 single drop it the "lemony goodness". Ugh! Guess that means we must go back. Oh darn!
Most local italian restaurants make their own limoncello and serve it as an after-dinner drink so you don't *have to* go back to Italy to try it before you make it.
Also, you don't have to use the strongest type of Everclear, you can use any inexpensive vodka or lesser strength Everclear which you can get anywhere.
I would love to have your recipes. Could you forward them to me? Thanks so much. Also, you mentioned crema limoncello, do you know how or when you might add cream? I have heard this version of limoncello is as good if not better than regular limoncello. Thanks.
Patty: I am going to start my limoncello this coming weekend as my daughter has a lemon tree that is full of lemons and we've been trying to figure out what to do with them all. Now I know! Can't wait. This has been a fantastic blog full of interesting information.
most of my post didn't show up so I'm sending it again...after I peeled the lemons I put them in a food processer and chopped up very fine. added lemon to alcohol and because the zest was so "fine" it turned really yellow..really fast! I used a plastic container...has anyone tried plastic before? I'm going to take the fast track with this first batch..will let you know how it turns out.
Hi...just for the record, if you want to make Limoncello the way Italians make it, don't use vodka. Use everclear (which I'm fairly certain IS grain alcohol). You only need to steep the peels for seven days. Then, add the lemon infused alcohol to the simple syrup while it's still hot--that will give you the typical Italian "foggy" look--you don't want it clear if you are trying to make legit Italian limoncello. The measurements are: 1 liter Everclear, 1 1/2 liters water, 3 lbs of sugar. Simmer the simple syrup for 15 minutes on medium simmer to slightly thicken the syrup. I'm not tryin to be a contrarian--I visit with my relatives and friends in Southern Italy and they all use this recipe--none use vodka. Further, every chef I've talked to in Italy makes it this same way. So, from what I can gather it's the standard recipe. You can also substitute oranges for the lemons and make "arancello." Enjoy.
ps--Once you make it this way you'll get hooked on the "wham" you experience after swallowing--something you cannot get from the vodka.
Thanks Ron. This is how I have been making mine.
I was going to reply on proof, for everyone, simple math.
equal parts alcohol to water(before sugar) will be half the original proof of the alcohol. 1lit 190 proof everclear + 1lit water = (190/2=95proof)
1lit 190 everclear + 1 1/2lit water = (190/2 1/2=76proof)
Also some notes. I mainly use a cheesegrater http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1
(Thank you!)
you can always add more vodka/everclear to it. it doen't take much.
I made my 1st batch and it is great. Yes, as someone said earlier it is strong but very good. I used 190 proof Pure Grain Alcohol. With such high alcohol content I used 2 cups of sugar and 4 cups of water to dilute it. Thank you so much for this recipe. I agree this will be great gifts. I wish I could find clear flippy bottles I had to use some German beer bottles. The green ones are pretty but the amber not so much.
FYI- I just finished drinking my first batch of Lemoncello that I made for my b-day LAST YEAR. This proves that it lasts at least a year in the freezer! I'm going to make another batch soon; so once again, Danke, Danke, Danke!
Deedlelee
Here's my whole post:
I think you can do this with peppermint leaves as well. If you have a peppermint plant, instead of using the lemon zest, just pick a bunch of leaves, wash and dry the water off, and continue with the rest of the recipe for limoncello. It takes out the tedious part of the process.
I haven't tried it yet, though. My mint plants just got big enough to start trimming, but I'll let you all know how it goes.
Also, I'm waiting for my pink lemon tree (variegated Lemon tree), sambo lemon tree, and lime trees to ripen, I'd like to see how those work with making limoncello! (I did read somewhere that when using limes, it's good to cut the limes into quarters and use the whole fruit, instead of just the zest)
As for right now, this post has me pumped! I am going to go to the store this afternoon for lemons, alcohol, and a zester. I totally have to try this!
On another note, I also have a pummelo tree... I wonder how that fruit will be. It won't fruit until December or so.
Thanks Patty! (and everyone else that has posted here)
How many lemons were used in this recipe?
You seemed to have left out the important ingredient Ron
Sorry for the duplicate post patty.
As an herbalist, this is what I know bout making tinctures. Which is what is being made when you add the lemon rind to the alchohol.
It is best to use everyclear or grain alcohol when extracting volitile oils from organic matter. The container needs to be sterilized, add the peels ( either thinly sliced or grated) to the jar ( i use canning jars, as they seal tight) then add the desired amount of alcohol to the rim of the jar. You want to make it airtight, which also includes not have an air seal at the top of the jar. So if you are using 1 liter of alcohol you want to use a 1 liter container. Fill jar to the rim and cap. Place in a cool dark location. Not in the refrigerator. A pantry, basement or bathroom works really well.
I have not made limencello, but have made other "tinctures, cordials and liquers" and have not had any problems with bitterness and the like.
I live in South Florida. My house easily hits 80 during the day. None of my closets or pantries are air-conditioned, so they get even warmer. If I tried to make my house in the 65 - 70 range, I'd be signing my paycheck over the the power company each month. (The coolest my house gets is 76 when I crank the air at night)
As I see it, I can either fridge it or leave it in the heat... is there a lesser of two evils or is there an option I haven't thought of?
Beleive it or not your pantry is actually cooler than you think.
We live in AZ and keep our house set at 82 24/7 and my pantry stays cool enough to house all my tinctures.
Patty,
The same principles do apply, as the process is the same, with differing results of course. I wouldn't drink a medicinal tincture over ice!!!!
Not true; we have it in the Florida Panhandle, at least they do on the AF Base.
And, it is the 190 proof, too.
One of the ones I found was dated back on July 13, 2007 (I wish I knew how to link to it for you)
hey i just wanted to share a recipe with yall for homemade amaretto liquer. i made some limoncello and wanted to try and make other stuff and i found this recipe. it is amazing! my fiance and i take some out of the freezer every night and mix it with some sour mix and have little amaretto sours! very yummy. It is very easy and very quick to make. its says to age it but i find it is just as good right after you make if. so if you cant wait like me dont worry. just make sure you use really cheap vodka. i tried 100 proof vodka and it was so strong no one would drink it. so i had to throw it away! the brandy i use is just e&j brandy. it does the trick. and is pretty cheap. people like it so much i just made a GIANT batch that made ten bottles! (the swing top bottles like in this post) so they will sit and wait until christmas when they will be going to their new homes.
depending on the size bottles you use (i used the swing top bottles) it filled one all the way to the top and another one about 3/4ths. so you might want to add just a smidgen more than 2 cups of each to fill two bottles all the way. if you have any questions or anything fell free to email me...
vertigoxcured@gmail.com
Ingredients: 2 cups sugar 2 cups water 2 cups vodka 2 cups brandy 4 tsp almond extract (not flavoring) Preparation:In a heavy saucepan, bring sugar and 2 cups water to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes to make a simple syrup. Cool to room temperature.
Add the vodka, brandy, and almond extract to the cooled syrup. Stir to combine. Pour into stoppered bottles and let your homemade amaretto age at least 1 month.
ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!!!
<br>
2 cups sugar<br> 2 cups water <br> 2 cups vodka <br> 2 cups brandy <br> 4 tsp almond extract (not flavoring)<br> Preparation:<br>In a heavy saucepan, bring sugar and 2 cups water to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes to make a simple syrup. Cool to room temperature.<br>
Add the vodka, brandy, and almond extract to the cooled syrup. Stir to combine. Pour into stoppered bottles and let your homemade amaretto age at least 1 month.
That means that if you started with 2 liters (2*1000 ml) of 153 proof grain alch, then to get to 76.5 proof you would simply make up 2 liter of simple syrup. The amount of sugar or honey is up to you.
My wife likes it sweet but I have sugar problems so I like it less sweet. If you add 2+ liters syrup you'll end up with 4+ liters of limoncello. I like about 1/2 cup of honey or sugar per liter of syrup.
It may become cloudy when you add the syrup, don't worry, the Italians prefer it that way and it does not hurt the taste. The cloudiness is the result of the mixing of the vodka and the water. I have well water with some acid and some hardness so my limoncello is always cloudy.
If you want to be a real purist you can filter everything through some coffee filters, both the syrup and the lemon infused alchohol. If you're really anal the run everything through a Britta filter before mixing, I've never tried it but I've read that cheap vodka plus three or four trips through a Britta filter = Grey Goose. britfirst