Few things are as quintessentially Italian as limoncello. The sweet, syrupy, tart, and delightfully strong after-dinner drink originates in southern Italy on the Amalfi coast where they grow lemons the size of your head, but it’s enjoyed all over the boot. While it’s certainly produced commercially most families make their own. While the Sfusato d’Amalfi lemon is certainly special and contributes to the distinct taste of limoncello, I’ve found that you can make excellent tasting limoncello with the lemons typically available in the U.S. I’ve been asked dozens of times for this, and now is a good time of year to find decent lemons, so here it is.
The best part is, it’s easy to do and I’ll walk you through it. Here’s everything you need:
1.5kg lemons (works out to be about 6 large lemons) with bright, clean skin.
1 liter grain alcohol (150 proof)
A clean jar of at least 1L capacity.
(then a month later)
800g plain white sugar
1.25 liter good tasting water
A clean jar of at least 3L capacity
I was given this recipe by a dear friend in Italy who is passionate about food and the result is spectacular. The process is simple and I’ll walk you through the whole thing right here in this video:
Limoncello is best served ice cold, and you’ll find a bottle stashed in most Italian’s freezers. I always like to bottle a few bottles for gifts, and the put the rest in a 750mL swing-top bottle in the freezer. I’m not trying to brag, but I’ve been told this limoncello is the best people have ever had. Now it’s your turn to share with your friends.
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