We here at lybations love to roll our sleeves up and make our own tasty liqueurs and infusions. Today we're going to instruct you on how to make Limoncello, a liqueur rich in history.
The story goes that in the late 19th century, Vincenza Canale, an innkeeper on the Isle of Capri was serving her homemade lemon liqueur to guests as a "digestivo" - an after dinner digestive aid. Word spread, requests were made for bottles and the family began to bottle the "limoncello". Today the descendants of Signora Canale run one of the leading Limoncello companies, Limoncello di Capri.
There you have it, if yours doesn't come out as planned you can always pick up a bottle from the experts.
- 10 Organic Lemons with the thickest skin you can find
- 1 750ml Bottle with highest proof high grade Vodka
- 2 - 4 Cups of regular Table Sugar
- 5 Cups of Water
- Microplane Grater
- Sterile Cheesecloth Bag (optional)
- Large Screen Strainer
- Stack of Fluted Paper Coffee Filters OR
- 1 Flat Bottom Permanent Coffee Filter
- 2 Infusing Mason Jars or Bottles with Tight Lids
- Serving Bottle
Now follow these 4 easy steps.
Zest all your lemons with the microplane grater. Don't zest to the point of seeing the white rind! If you zest into the rind your Limoncello will be bitter.
Drop the lemon zest and 2 cups of sugar into your infusion jar and tighten the lid for a good seal. *If you opted for using a cheesecloth bag use it at this point.
Store in a cool dry pantry for a minimum of ten days and up to a 2 month for maturation. Remember the longer the distillation the richer the lemon flavor. At the 10 day mark check for sweetness, if you need more, add another cup of sugar and let it rest another 20 to 30 days. Also, shake the bottle once a day - at least in the first ten days.
Lastly, you're now ready to strain your finished limoncello with a strainer and or filter into your serving bottle and chill in the fridge for a couple of hours.
Hopefully you've learned some Italian by now and can use a celebratory word or two to describe your limoncello creation. Cheers!