Authentic Limoncello Recipes

ITALIAN LIMONCELLO

Steps:

• Combine alcohol and lemon zest in a 1-gallon jug with a tight-fitting lid. Place in a cool, dark place to rest for 1 month. Swirl contents of the jug every few days.
• Combine water and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat; stir until sugar is fully dissolved. Set simple syrup aside to cool completely, 15 to 30 minutes.
• While simple syrup is cooling, place a sieve over a large bowl and line with coffee filters. Strain alcohol mixture through coffee filters to remove all sediment. Replace the filters as needed until all the mixture has been filtered. Filter one more time to ensure all sediment has been removed. Discard coffee filters and zest.
• Add enough simple syrup to the alcohol mixture to reach the desired alcohol-by-volume percentage; refer to an alcohol content calculator.
• Divide limoncello among 6 wine bottles. Seal with corks. Allow to rest in a cool, dark place for 1 month, swirling every few days. Strain one more time to remove any leftover sediment if desired.
• Place 1 bottle of limoncello in the freezer and serve icy-cold. Store remaining bottles at room temperature.

AUTHENTIC LIMONCELLO RECIPE

Steps:

• Using a potato peeler, remove the rinds from the lemons, leaving all or as much of the pith on the lemon as possible (the white part). Too much pith and limoncello will be bitter.
• Place the lemon peels in a covered glass container with the Everclear and let sit for 7 days.
• On the 8th day, strain the lemon peels from the Everclear and discard.
• To make the simple syrup (sugar and water), add the water and sugar to a medium saucepan on medium heat. Stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Let cool to room temp and add to the Everclear. You can serve immediately or place in the freezer to chill.

TRADITIONAL ITALIAN LIMONCELLO

Steps:

• Zest lemons, making sure to get the outermost part of the skin and avoid the white pith.
• Place lemon zest in a glass bowl and cover with alcohol. Cover and let infuse at room temperature until yellowish in color, about 7 days.
• Bring water and sugar to the boil in a saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove syrup from heat and let cool, about 10 minutes.
• Pour alcohol into the syrup through a fine-mesh strainer; discard lemon zest. Stir well.
• Pour limoncello into thick, freezer-safe glass bottles. Store in the freezer for at least 2 weeks before serving.

LIMONCELLO

Steps:

• Using a vegetable peeler, remove the peel from the lemons in long strips (reserve the lemons for another use). Using a small sharp knife, trim away the white pith from the lemon peels; discard the pith. Place the lemon peels in a 2-quart pitcher. Pour the vodka over the peels and cover with plastic wrap. Steep the lemon peels in the vodka for 4 days at room temperature.
• Stir the water and sugar in a large saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Cool completely. Pour the sugar syrup over the vodka mixture. Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight. Strain the limoncello through a mesh strainer. Discard the peels. Transfer the limoncello to bottles. Seal the bottles and refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours and up to 1 month.

HOMEMADE LIMONCELLO RECIPE

Steps:

• Wash the lemons then dry them with kitchen paper. Peel the lemons with a ceramic potato peeler. Take care to remove ONLY the zest (yellow part), leaving the white spongy one on the lemon, as it could give a bitter taste to the liqueur.
• Place the lemon zest in a large airtight glass jar then pour the alcohol (or the Everclear or the Vodka). Let them infuse for 2 weeks in a cool place out of direct sunlight. Better cover the jar with a cloth to be sure that it remains in the dark. During this time, SHAKE THE JAR EVERY DAY to mix the ingredients well without ever opening the jar.
• After the required infusion time, you need to make the syrup. So put the water and sugar in a saucepan and, over low heat, bring to a boil. Stir constantly until the sugar is completely dissolved. Then let it cool down.
• Now filter the liquid with a sieve and remove the lemon zest.
• Once the syrup is cold, add it to the infusion of alcohol and lemon zest and mix well. Now pour the Limoncello into glass bottles with hermetic closure or cork stopper. Store the bottles in a cool, dark place for one week.