Every year Mike & I do a homemade gift for family and friends, and this year I thought it would be fun to try making one of my favorite liqueurs. I did a little research in October since I knew it was probably a lengthy process, and came to find out we needed to basically start right away for the best results. We began the first steps the day before Halloween - and had everything bottled and ready to go on December 20th! It was a lot of work ( we made 30 500 Ml bottles ), and getting those damned lemons peeled resulted in this wonderful Tenosynovitis in my wrist - but the finished product is absolutely delicious and everyone loved it so I'd say it was a smashing success! Here are the photos we took along the way - plus a smaller scale recipe if you'd like to try making some at home.
The whole thing starts with the vodka - try to use 100 proof if you can find it because it won't freeze , and Limoncello should be kept in the freezer. This was 8 Liters of vodka for the first curing.
We begged, borrowed (and stole) lemons from all over the place ( thanks Julie & Tony & El Dorado Polo Club . Also my apologies to my neighbors who probably saw me sneaking around the block stealing lemons ). There were about 200 lemons in total - this picture represents about 1/3 of what we came up with.
Each lemon has to be peeled by hand with a sharp pairing knife. You have to make sure that you only peel off the yellow skin and not the bitter white pith. The pith can taint the Limoncello and make it taste sour instead of sweet. This is no easy feat. Especially when you have 200 lemons to do. It took me about 5 hours to roll through them. When my doctor diagnosed my wrist condition he asked me if I had been peeling a bushel of apples. If he only knew.
We used a huge 50 gallon tub ( sanitized first ) to do all of the curing. In go the lemon peels ( I think you are looking at about an hours worth of peeling here ).
As I added the peels I also gradually added the vodka. You can wait until the end to do this but I was excited.
Here is the final product of the first curing - 200 lemon peels and half of the vodka. It was kind of beautiful, actually. Now to put the lid on and let it sit for 20-30 days in a dark, cool place. Must. Resist. Urge. To. Stir!!!
Skip ahead about a month. 5 lbs of sugar mixed with 20 cups of water and heated on the stovetop became a big vat of simple syrup.
My giant stockpot - getting good use for once.
Once the syrup cooled overnight, it got added in, along with the remaining vodka. This is whats known as the "second cure" period. I can't explain the smell in my house when we opened up the lid for the first time - lemon pinesol!!
20 days later - and it's time to bottle! I ordered these great bottles online from http://www.specialtybottle.com/ . They have black screwcaps, which I thought would look nice with the labels we designed.
I chilled a shot for Mike to be our official taste tester!
He made a face but gave two thumbs up - it tasted strong & sweet , just like it's meant to be.
Using the funnel for bottling made for a lot less mess. This stuff is STICKY.
Mike was in charge of bottling.
You can see the color is just right and completely natural - it's just from the peels.
Putting the caps on extra tight.
I am super excited at this point!!
And finally it's labeling time. It's amazing what a little double stick tape, velum paper and wire rimmed ribbon can do!
Two months later and we have 30 beautiful bottles. I can't explain how satisfying it was to be finished. Although we have already had requests for next year - I am seriously thinking about going back to toffee or fudge.
Who am I kidding, I already have ideas for doing a cranberry "infused" flavor=)
Andie's Limoncello - Makes about 2 Liters
15 thick skinned lemons
2 bottles 100 proof vodka
4 cups sugar
5 cups water
Step One - 2 months or so Out :
Wash the lemons well with soap & warm water then pat dry.
Carefully zest the lemons with a pairing knife or vegetable peeler so there is no white pith on the peel. Use only the outer part of the rind. The pith, the white part underneath the rind, is too bitter and would spoil your Limoncello.
Wash the lemons well with soap & warm water then pat dry.
Carefully zest the lemons with a pairing knife or vegetable peeler so there is no white pith on the peel. Use only the outer part of the rind. The pith, the white part underneath the rind, is too bitter and would spoil your Limoncello.
Step Two:
In a large glass jar or pitcher, add one bottle of vodka to the lemon peels.
Cover the jar and let sit at room temperature for at least 20 days and up to 40 days in a cool dark place. The longer it rests, the better the taste will be. Do not stir - all you have to do is wait ! As the Limoncello sits, the vodka will slowly take on the flavor and rich yellow color of the lemon zest.
In a large glass jar or pitcher, add one bottle of vodka to the lemon peels.
Cover the jar and let sit at room temperature for at least 20 days and up to 40 days in a cool dark place. The longer it rests, the better the taste will be. Do not stir - all you have to do is wait ! As the Limoncello sits, the vodka will slowly take on the flavor and rich yellow color of the lemon zest.
Step Three - after 20 to 30 days :
In a large saucepan, combine the sugar and water; cook until thickened, approximately 5 to 7 minutes.
Let the syrup cool, preferably overnight, before adding it to the Limoncello mixture.
Add to the Limoncello mixture from Step One. Add the additional bottle of vodka. Allow to rest for another 15 to 30 days.
Step Four:
After the second curing, strain and bottle: discarding the lemon zest.
Keep your bottles of Limoncello in the freezer until ready to serve.
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