Homemade limoncello

Ever wonder what Ph.D. chemists do in their spare time? (Geez, I hope not. What’s wrong with you?!) Well, I know, because I’m married to one. Big Bad Dad, like many other chemists, likes to homebrew his own beer and make his own liquors. (Actually, they like to drink even more than they like to brew, but I digress.)

This recipe for limoncello comes from a collegue of his. Real Limoncello is derived from the lemons of Sorrento, a town on the Italian Amalfi coast. Many Italian families make their own versions of the drink.

(Warning: it took Noah just as long to survive the flood and get on dry land as it takes to make this recipe. Make it NOW so you have some to make limoncello lemonades this summer.)

Limoncello

Ingredients:

• 15 thick-skinned lemons (Eureka, Lisbon or other thicked skin variety)
• 2 bottles of 150 proof Everclear
• 4 cups sugar (vary)
• 6 cups water (vary)

Directions:

1. Wash the lemons in hot water before you start.
2. Remove the peel with a vegetable peeler (thin, with minimal pity). You can remove additional pith on the back of the peel by scraping with a knife, (NOTE: some white pith adds a somewhat bitter flavor, which some folks may like.)
3. Put the peels in a 4-quart Mason jar. Add enough Everclear to cover the peels.
4. Cover the jar, date it, and put it to rest in a dark cabinet at room temperature.
5. After 40 days, take out the lemon-extract mixture.
6. In a sauce pan set over high heat, stir the sugar and water together and boil for 5 minutes.
7. Let the sugar syrup cool completely in the pan, to room temperature.
8. Add the sugar syrup to the lemon-extract mixture.
9. Stir well to combine. Replace the cover on the jar and note the date.
10. Return it to the dark cabinet and store for 40 more days.
11. At day 80, remove the limoncello from the cabinet. Strain the mixture and discard the lemon peel.
12. Pour into clean, unused bottles with caps or decorative corked bottles. Store the bottles in the pantry, but put one bottle at a time in the freezer until ready to use. Great ice cold from the freezer in small liquor glass

Moonshiner’s Notes: Make note of taste, and improvise. To sweet or not sweet enough? Add or reduce sugar. Alcohol too high/low? Adjust water. Too bitter or not enough? More or less lemon pith. You can try adding other citrus fruits, too.

Posted on January 8, 2007 in More Stuff

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