How To Make This Delightfully Delicious Limoncello Recipe
It All Starts With a Good Teacher
Years ago my friend Tim taught me how to make Limoncello. After tweaking the recipe a bit I have the most delightfully delicious Limoncello recipe just for you.
I have always found Limoncello to be yummy since my first taste many years ago. Now I make it occasionally for a delectable little libation to enjoy with friends. Below I will show you how to make my delightfully delicious Limoncello after my story.
What is Limoncello
Simply put, Limoncello is a lemon liqueur. Some drink it as an aperitif before a meal (to stimulate the appetite), or after a meal as a digestif (to aid in digestion).
Limoncello is made from the zest of lemons fermenting in Everclear (for our recipe) Some even use vodka (but not us). The process takes weeks and it is well worth the wait.
Limoncello is served chilled in a shot glass (never over ice). The alcohol volume is usually around 32% so it is a powerful little shot. But it is not meant to be knocked back like a shot. It is meant to be sipped.
The History of Limoncello
Limoncello has a long history beginning in Italy but the truth of when is still a question. One story says Limoncello was created in the early 1900s by a woman in Capri. The story continues that her Grandson later opened up a restaurant that specialized in his Nonna’s Limoncello recipe. Much later her Great-Grandson started mass-producing the same recipe.
Another story goes that Limoncello was created by Italian Nuns in the 1600s to help make their lemon dessert taste better.
Yet a third story goes back to the Middle Ages when it was said that local farmers and fishermen drank something very similar to warm up before their workday.
Other uses for Limoncello
I make a few drinks with Limoncello in them. One is Prosecco-Chello. Another is a Limoncello Lemon Drop Martini.
There are also good ways to use Limoncello to add a delightfully delicious flavor to other things. It has been mixed in Panna Cotta recipes, I have drizzled it over my salad and even mixed it in with my marinades for a delicious lemony zing. I also have an amazing recipe for Sunshine Cake that I will share another time. Then we tried it in something new (you will be so surprised).
Chili Cookoff Recipe?
One winter just after we made a batch of our Limoncello we were invited to participate in the Lobdell Lake Chili Cookoff. After much dialog, we decided to make our delightfully delicious Limoncello Chili recipe. People loved it and we won 2nd place!
To this day our chili recipe is kept top secret. Mostly due to the fact that we can’t remember exactly how much Limoncello we put in it (because we were drinking it as we were making our chili).
By the end of the afternoon, some of us (who will remain anonymous) were singing the song “King Tut” with sock puppets while dancing. As I told you before this stuff is potent.
My Delightfully Delicious Limoncello Recipe
I enjoy my version of the recipe the best because it tastes smoother and more enjoyable. At the bottom of the recipe I have included a shorter timeline if you are in a hurry to make this. I encourage you to try whichever way works best for you but I would love to hear your opinion!
Homemade Limoncello
Course: DrinksTantalizing sipping drink for year round
Ingredients
10-12 large organic lemons
1 liter of Everclear
2 cups water (for simple syrup mixture)
2 cups sugar (for simple syrup mixture)
Directions
- Clean your lemons (even scrub them if necessary to get any dirt off).
- Peel your lemons with a zester to just remove the yellow peels (be careful not to peel the pith or the pulp)
- Place peels into an airtight glass container that has a seal. Pour in your Everclear and seal.
- Wrap your container in aluminum foil to keep out the light. I also place my container in a dark cupboard.
- Shake Container every day for 40 days. (If a day or two gets skipped it’s ok).
- After 40 days, strain peels out with a coffee filter or cheesecloth.
- To make your simple syrup: Place a sauce pan on stovetop. Pour in water and sugar. Bring to a low boil and stir frequently until dissolved. Let cool.
- Once cool add your simple syrup to your alcohol infusion.
- Pour into airtight containers and let sit for 5 days. Then place in freezer to keep chilled for use.
Notes
- If you don’t have the full 45 days you can shorten to 15 days (shaking each day) for the infusion time and then 5 days once you mix the simple syrup in. The color will look lighter because longer you let your lemon peel infuse with the alcohol the darker the liquid will get. As a result the alcohol will taste sharper.
