Limoncello

Ingrediënten

10 lemons: Standard lemons are just fine for making limoncello, though I do recommend buying organic lemons. Since non-organic lemons are usually coated with wax, you’ll get a better extraction from organic lemons. Plus, alcohol will pull everything from those peels, including any pesticides or insecticides used on the lemons.

750-ml bottle vodka: If you have the option, 100 proof vodka or even higher-proof grain alcohol is the very best to use for making limoncello. This will extract more and better lemon flavor from the peels, and makes a smoother, less cloying limoncello.

Sugar: Start with a simple syrup made of 1 cup of sugar dissolved in 1 cup of water — start here whether you used 100 proof or 80 proof vodka. Add this to the infused vodka, taste, and add more simple syrup to taste. You can play with the ratios of water to sugar here, all the way up to 4 cups of water with 4 cups of sugar and anything in between. More water will dilute the alcohol base, making a less alcoholic, milder, and smoother-sipping liqueur. More sugar will make a sweeter limoncello.

Instructies

Peel the lemons. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the peels from all the lemons. Try to remove only the outer yellow skin and as little of the pith as possible. Transfer the lemon peels to a 1-quart jar.

Cover the peels with vodka. Cover the peels with vodka and screw on the lid.

Infuse the vodka. Let the vodka and lemon peels infuse somewhere out of the way and out of direct sunlight for at least 4 days or as long as a month. The longer you let the vodka infuse, the more lemony your limoncello.

Strain the vodka. Line a strainer with a large coffee filter and set it over a 4-cup measuring cup. Strain the infused vodka through the filter. You may need to stir the vodka in the strainer if the flow stops.

Prepare a sugar syrup and mix it with the infused vodka. Prepare a sugar syrup of at least 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar — bring the water to a simmer and stir in the sugar to dissolve; allow to cool. Pour the sugar syrup into the infused vodka. Stir gently to mix. Taste and add additional sugar syrup if desired.

Bottle the limoncello and chill. Insert the funnel in the neck of one of the bottles and fill with limoncello. Repeat with remaining bottles. Chill the limoncello in the fridge or freezer for at least 4 hours before drinking. Limoncello can be kept in the fridge for up to a month or the freezer for up to a year.

Notities

Use a microplane or zester: We’re only using the lemon peels here because I’ve found it easiest to remove the peels with a vegetable peeler. But you can also use a microplane or a citrus zester for a more flavorful infusion (just try to get the skin alone and as little pith as possible).

Make lemonade: With the leftover lemons, you can make a batch of homemade lemonade!

Helpful Swaps

Meyer lemons: If you have access to them, Meyer lemons make a superb limoncello.

Other types of citrus: You can also branch out into other citrus fruits like grapefruits, oranges, and tangerines.

80 proof vodka: 80 proof vodka is fine to use — it’s also easier to find and less expensive than 100 proof. If you use 80 proof vodka, you won’t need to add as much sugar syrup after infusing the vodka.