A couple of years ago I had my first taste of limoncello. I was instantly hooked. That stuff is what’s up. How I survived my first couple of decades without it in my life is beyond me. Now that we have found each other, it is here to stay. Whenever I go out to eat at an Italian restaurant (no, Olive Garden, I am NOT looking at you) I make sure to ask if they have a homemade limoncello. The answer is usually yes and then the server/bartender proceeds to ask if I’d like to order some. That is an offer I can’t refuse. But alas, we can’t always be out at Italian restaurants and so for those nights at home, comfy pants on, it’s nice to reach into your freezer and pour yourself a little bit of homemade limoncello.
I very rarely follow directions. I’m a terrible baker for this reason. Sometimes I try. Once I made my grandpa a birthday cake that had to be “glued” together with icing. He ate it anyway. Such a good grandpa. Anyway, I say this because there are tons of limoncello recipes online. I’m not here for that. This is basically just a PSA to make yourself some limoncello. Like, today. It’s super easy and lemons are healthy so there’s that.
Basic concept. Get yourself a bunch of lemons. Meyers lemons are the best in my opinion but sometimes they are more expensive. So those other “regular” lemons will do the trick if that’s all you can find or afford. About 10 lemons is probably enough for every liter of vodka you are using. If you’re feeling extra citrusy make it 11 lemons. Or be a rebel, go for 12. It’s the beauty of creating in your own kitchen, you can experiment!
Now comes the most tedious part of this project. Peel your lemons. Not like you’d peel an orange to eat it. You just want to take the outer layer off, the zest. I use a potato peeler which sometimes cuts a bit too thick. The imporant part here is you only want the yellow part going into your vodka. If you leave the pith (the white spongy part) it will impart its bitter flavor into your final product.t No bueno. I used a paring knife to scrap any excess white off my lemon peels. When you are finished peeling and your fingers are inevitably very sticky, it is time to add the vodka. Grab a large glass container. I’m not certain it necessarily has to be glass, but I like to watch my vodka turn yellow while it does its thing, so clear is best!
Put all of your peels into your container and then pour the vodka in as well. Cap the bottle and place it on a shelf. Grab a beer and kick your feet up. You have a week to wait for the next step. Side note, make sure you choose a decent vodka. By no means does it have to be top-shelf, you are changing its flavor and adding sugar after all, but cheap liquor isn’t good for anybody, anywhere. Matt and I use Hope Organic Vodka as our go-to. Talk to your store associate if you aren’t sure. They can probably guide you to a good option for your project if you can’t find the one I have mentioned.
When it looks like this, give it a good shake, get all those lemon peels down into your vodka so it can soak up all of that lemony essence.
After a week passes, the next step will be to add a simple syrup to tone down that straight vodka flavor. Simple syrup is usually equal parts sugar and water. In our house, we don’t like things to be too overly sweet, so we usually do less sugar, but you play around and see what works best for you. I added about 4 cups of water and 2 cups of sugar. You are going to add your sugar and your water to a small pot and bring it to a boil. Let it boil for about 15 minutes until the mixture looks well, more syrupy. Let your syrup cool then add it to your vodka and lemons. Let it sit for two weeks then bottle it! Just the liquid, not the peels. Pop your bottle in your fridge and enjoy ice cold!
Let us know in the comments what you think if you try your hand at making your own.
