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Limoncello Recipe, Stage Three

After a rest period of between 30 to 45 days, strain and bottle: discarding the lemon zest. Keep in the freezer until ready to serve.

If you have a nice decorative bottle go ahead and pour the limoncello into it and place in the freezer. Because of the alcohol content, the liquid won't freeze, but it will become nice and thick like syrup. Limoncello makes a great digestif, served at the end of the meal to aid with digestion. We use small liqueur glasses or shot glasses.

Remember, limoncello is around 80 proof. Even though it is sweet and delicious, it will hit you before you know it. Do you recall the infamous, drunken Danny DeVito appearence on The View? He blamed his state on limoncello! Let that be a warning!

Cin Cin!

Italian Limoncello : History and Information

Limoncello is a deliciously sweet liqueur flavored with the zest of fresh lemons. Commercial limoncello is available, but the homemade version is very easy to make and tends to be more flavorful.

The birth place of limoncello is in Southern Italy around the Bay of Naples , including Sorrento , Amalfi and the Isle of Capri. The history of limoncello is a bit cloudy but here’s one version that seems likely. The liqueur was born early in the 1900’s on the island of Azzurra . There in the garden of a tiny boarding house the proprietress, Maria Antonia Farace, tended a small garden of lemons. She started making a sweet lemon extract that was a hit in the house. Her nephew, sensing the possibilities, opened a bar soon after World War One, and featured the icy cold drink made from his aunt’s recipe and lemons!

Competing stories tell of a sweetened lemon liqueur being served by all of the best families in Sorrento alro around 1900. In Amalfi, the history of limoncello is even older – as old as lemon cultivation itself! The regions fishermen, it is said, always got a bracing shot of limoncello before braving the cold winds on the sea. Still other belives that we have the area’s monks to thank for the development this wonderful elixir, like that of Chartreuse in France . The one thing that is known is that Massimo Canale started a small production of handmade limoncello and trademarked the name in 1988. Now Limoncello appears on the shelves of most liquor stores all over Europe and America , and even as far away as Asia .

Clare has been making limoncello for years now. The process is easy, but it does take time to mature. So you won’t be peeling the lemons today and enjoying the limoncello tonight. But with a little patience you can create a delicious beverage for later this summer into fall. AND this could be the first item you can scratch off of your 2007 Holiday shopping list!

Limoncello Recipe, Stage One

If you have ever been to Italy, you'll instantly know about Limoncello. It is a lemon liqueur that is served well chilled in the summer months. It is wonderful as a palate cleanser or as an after dinner drink. Keep your bottles of Limoncello in the freezer until ready to serve. The ingredients are simple and few, and making a batch doesn't require much work, but you'll need some time. Limoncello must steep for (80) eighty days. Over the course of the summer we will keep you posted on the progress of our Limoncello with photos and further instructions.

ingredients

15 lemons*
2 bottles (750 ml) 100-proof vodka**
4 cups s ugar
5 cups water

* Choose thick-skinned lemons because they are easier to zest. We bought some gorgeous lemons from Whole Foods.

** Use 100-proof vodka, if you can find it. A higher proof vodka has less flavor than a lower proof one. Also the high alcohol level will ensure that the Limoncello will not turn to ice in the freezer. We could not find any higher that 80 proof. So that's what we used.

1. Wash the lemons with a vegetable brush and hot water to remove any pesticides or wax; pat the lemons dry.

2. Carefully zest the lemons with a zester or vegetable peeler so there is no white pith on the peel. NOTE: Use only the outer part of the rind. The pith, the white part underneath the rind, is too bitter and would spoil your Limoncello .

Stage One (approximately 30 days):
In a large glass jar (1-gallon jar), add one bottle of vodka; add the lemon zest. Cover the jar and let sit at room temperature for at least (10) ten days and up to (40) days in a cool dark place. The longer it rests, the BETTER the taste will be. (There is no need to stir - all you have to do is wait.) As the Limoncello sits, the vodka slowly takes on the flavor and rich yellow color of the lemon zest.

Stage Two (approximately 30 days):
In a large saucepan, combine the sugar and water; cook until thickened, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Let the syrup cool before adding it to the Step One Limoncello mixture. Add the additional bottle of vodka. Allow to rest for another 10 to 40 days.

Stage Three :
After the rest period, strain and bottle: discarding the lemon zest. Keep in the freezer until ready to serve.