Limoncello - the Divine Taste of Italy

On our recent wedding anniversary hubby and I dined in a wonderful little restaurant and ordered a slice of Limoncello cake to finish off the meal. One bite and I seriously thought I'd died and been transported through the Pearly Gates. I decided right then and there that I was going to make a batch of Limoncello and ultimately, that divine cake. Never mind that I had no idea how to make Limoncello; I figured that was a minor detail.


If you've never tasted Limoncello, it's a classic Italian liqueur with a distinctive lemon flavor. As my first foray into making Limoncello can attest, it’s ridiculously easy to make. You infuse lemon peel in pure alcohol (vodka works great) for several days and then combine it with a simple sugar syrup. The infusion results in a gorgeous yellow liqueur perfectly balanced with both the sweetness and the tartness of the lemon. You can sip it straight, or over ice with a splash of carbonated water, or combined in a cocktail. There is no wrong way to drink limoncello. And I might add, it's the perfect summertime drink. Ready to give it a try?


10 large lemons, scrubbed well
1 750-ml bottle of vodka
2 and 1/2 cups of water
2 and 1/2 cups of sugar


Using a zester, remove all the yellow peel off the lemons into a very large jar, or bowl. If you don't have a zester, use a very sharp knife being careful not to remove any of the white bitter pith. If you do, dig it out and discard the pith. Pour the bottle of vodka over the zest, stir, cover, and set aside at room temperature for 4-7 days. I set mine aside for four days and it turned out fine.


On the 4th or 5th day, pour the water and sugar into a pot, stir, and bring to a boil on the stove. Boil for 2-3 minutes until the sugar completely dissolves. Let it cool completely down to room temperature. When it's cool pour the vodka and lemon zest into the pot or pour the sugar syrup into the vodka/zest jar, stir, and set it aside for 12 or so hours.


The next day, set a fine mesh strainer or a funnel lined with a coffee filter over the bottle you want to use to store the limoncello. As you can see from the photo, I made enough for several bottles of different sizes. Discard the lemon zest. Cap and seal the bottles and set them in the fridge to keep them cool.


You can also store limoncello to give away as gifts at the holidays. I can assure you that mine won't last that long.


Salut, Salud, To Your Health!