LIMONCELLO~WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LEMONS MAKE LIMONCELLO

Right after I had met Scott, he and I got into a conversation about Limoncello.  Basically, I told him I made it instead of going to the ABC store and buying it.  He pretty much laughed at me because he made it as well.  He really did not believe I made it and I had to prove to him by showing him pictures that I did indeed make it.

Since then he and I have been making it together.  It is such a delightful lemony tart liqueur.  It is a nice sipping drink to have on a hot summer day but it is typically used in Italy as an after dinner drink to help your digestion. Here is a fun fact, it is the second most popular liqueur in Italy.  Another fun fact is limoncello is a from Southern Italy.  

I got into making it due to a friend giving me some years ago and I loved it so, of course, me being me I did some research on this refreshing drink the next day and found out how easy it is to make yourself.  And as they say, that was that.  

It is extremely easy to make but you must have some time and patience to make it.  You need a high content vodka, we use Everclear and zest of lemons.  The alcohol acts as a solvent, the higher the alcohol content the less time it takes for the alcohol to pull the lemon oils (flavor) from the lemon zest. Then after this sits several weeks, we normally go months, you make a simple syrup and combine.  Yummy goodness but you have to be careful because this stuff is potent.  

LIMONCELLO

Ingredients

• 1 1500 ml bottle of 100 proof or high vodka or everclear
• zest of 12 to 15 lemons 
• water
• sugar

Directions

• Wash your lemons in warm water to get any pesticide or wax off of them.
• Zest your lemons, I use a vegetable peeler.  Try not to get the pith which is the white part under the skin.  This will make your limoncello bitter so try to peel only the yellow zest. 
• I put my zest into a restaurant size glass pickle jar and cover it with the alcohol.
•  Allow this to sit at least a month, stirring it daily.  True Italians will tell you to store it this way as long as you can. 
• After it has sat you drain the alcohol from the peels.  
•  Make a simple syrup that is the same volume as the liquid you have.
• Simple syrup is part sugar and water. Bring this to a boil and dissolve the sugar.  Allow to cool.  
• Once cooled you mix the simple syrup with the alcohol then store it in bottles in the freezer.

Here is a limoncello calculator.  By using the calculator you can make your limoncello the percentage you would like.

Since we like it to have a higher alcohol content we store ours in the freezer because it will not freeze.  However, if you want a lower alcohol content keep yours in the fridge.  It is meant to be servers ice cold.  

Over the years I have really gotten into the attitude, "Waste not want not." With that said I keep the zest of the lemons after I make limoncello.  They are very hard and really have hardly any yellow color.  I candy my peels.  Yes, you heard me correctly.  I candy the peels and believe it or not they still have a bit of the lemon flavor.  I will be posting this recipe soon.  

I have to buy my lemons but for those of you that have access to lemon trees, you really need to try this recipe.  If you have ever had store-bought limoncello you seriously need to make it!!  I promise you that once you have made it you will never want to buy it again.  

Note the waste not want not attitude includes saving my liquor bottles to store our limoncello.  

Happy Sunday!!

ENJOY!!