Limoncello

My parents are in California visiting their friends the Muntzes. My mom was commenting on Carrie's lemon tree. I can't think of a more fun use for an excess of lemons than making some Limoncello.


15-20 lemons - clean, unwaxed with nice plump skins. The skins should give off a lemon sent
2 (750-ml) bottles 80-proof vodka. The cheap stuff is fine.
4-6 cups water
2-4 cups sugar (more if you want it thicker or sweeter)
For this recipe you also need a 2-3 litre glass jar with a sealed lid. The jar should be washed and rinsed very well or sterilized. You don't want anything in your limoncello but what you put there. You could use an old-fashioned sun tea jar.
You will also need the bottles you want to put the final brew in. I get mine at Cost Plus and I save nice glass bottles from other beverages I've purchased that have good reusable tops. Pellegrino bottles work well.

Step 1
Wash and dry the lemons. Only use the ones without blemished peels or pare off any spots and the stems, ends.
Remove the peel from the lemons with a sharp peeler or fine grater, carefully avoiding the bitter white pith. If any white pith remains on the back of a strip of peel, scrape it off. If you get any of the white part in the batch, the limoncello will be bitter and you don't want that!

Put the peels in a glass jar and add the vodka about two inches below the top and seal tightly.
Leave the jar to steep in a cool, dark place until the peels lose their color, at least 2 weeks. The longer you leave it the better, try to do 2 months, stir it once a week.

Step 2
Put the water and sugar in a saucepan, stir and slowly boil until it turns clear. Let the syrup cool
Put the cooled syrup in the jar with the lemons (you might have to divide the batch into two jars at this point, depending on the size of your jar).
Put the jars back in the closet for at least two weeks. Longer is fine too.

Step 3
Strain out the lemon peels through a coffee filter or cheesecloth and pour the limoncello into another container. Press down to remove all the vodka and oils that you can from the peels before tossing them in the trash.
Stir the liquid with a clean plastic or wooden spoon.
Put the liqueur in clean bottles, seal tightly and leave the finished bottles for at least 1 week before using.

Now you maybe thinking, what will I do with all this delicious Limoncello. Well if you are nice you can share it with your friends. Or here are some at home uses:
-straight up frozen in limoncello shot glasses (best if you put them in the freezer too)
-spiking a tall glass of cold lemonade or iced tea
-splashed in glasses of champagne
-over ice cream or angel food cake
-splashed on a fresh fruit mixture
-in cranberry juice
-in sparkling water, tonic or soda.