Living in Italy, there are certain things that locals just do for themselves. Who buys olives when you can brine your own? Why would you buy olive oil in the grocery store when your buddy “knows a guy?” And why would you buy Limoncello when you you can make your own?
December is the season for citris, it’s the time to point the spot light on the seasonal fruit of lemons and let them shine. Amalfi is known for their lemons but here in Itri we also have an abundance of the cheery yellow fruit. So this week I determined to try my hand at making homemade Limoncello.
Actually, it’s really easy. You just need lemons, vodka, water, sugar and time. Start by peeling your lemons, you can do it with a zester, a cheese grater a sharp knife or a vegetable peeler. I used a knife and carefully cut the lemon rind away from the lemon trying to avoid as much as the white pith as possible.
Then place the lemon rinds in vodka and let it sit from 4 days to a week. Do this in a wide mouth jar rather than a bottle if you used large sections of rind like I did, otherwise you will never get the rinds out and you will have wasted a perfectly good bottle and we hate to waste anything in frugal Italy,
After four days to a week, the vodka should have taken on a bright yellow color. Drain the vodka into a new bottle with plenty of room to add your sugar syrup (about four cups worth).
Limoncello
Ingredients:
- Rind from 5 lemons
- 1 liter vodka (about 4 cups)
- 2 1/2 cups sugar
- 3 1/2 cups water
Instructions:
- Cut, zest or peel lemon from 5 lemons
- Place Lemon peal in 1 liter vodka in a wide mouth jar, allow to sit for 4 days to a week
- After the resting period, drain the infused vodka into a bottle with enough room to add the sugar syrup (about double the volume: 4 cups)
- Make simple syrup by bringing the sugar and water to a boil and boil for 15 minutes, allow to cool to room temperature
- Combine infused vodka with simple syrup and allow flavors to mingle for 2 weeks (if you can wait that long! ….I couldn’t)
