Limoncello-From Fine Cooking February/March 1997 (out of print)

A Few Ingredients and Plenty of Time

The ingredients for limoncello are simple and few, and making a batch doesn’t require much work, but you’ll need some time. Limoncello must steep for 80 days; start making it now so that it’s ready to drink in the hot months to come.

To begin, you’ll need a large glass jar-at least four quarts-with a lid. Or divide the recipe into smaller batches.

Choose thick-skinned lemons because they’re easier to zest. You’ll need about 15 medium to large fruits. Wash the lemons well with a vegetable brush and hot water to remove any residue of pesticides or wax. Pat the lemons dry and remove the zest. A vegetable peeler does the job best; it give you long, wide strips of zest with hardly any of the bitter white pith. If you do get some of the pith with the zest, carefully scrape it away with the tip of a knife. Fill the jar with one bottle of the vodka and, as you remove the zest, add it to the jar.

Limoncello should taste like fresh lemons, not poor quality vodka. Use 100-proof vodka, which ahs less flavor than a lower proof one. Also, the higher the alcohol level will ensure that the limoncello won’t turn to ice in the freezer.

Mix the Ingredients and Wait
After combining the vodka and the lemon zest, cover the jar and store it at room temperature in a dark cabinet or cupboard. There’s no need to stir: all you have to do is wait. As the limoncello sits, the vodka slowly takes on the flavor and rich yellow hue of the lemon zest.

After about 40 days, combine the sugar and water in a saucepan, bring it to a boil, and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Let the syrup cool before adding it to the limoncello mixture, along with the other bottle of vodka. Cover and return to the cupboard for another forty days. Then simply strain the limoncello into bottles and discard the lemon zest. You can store the bottles in a cupboard, but always keep one in the freezer so it’s icy cold when you’re ready to drink it.

Limoncello
(pronounced lee-mohn-chel-loh)
Yields 3 quarts- Takes 80 days and patience waiting

15 thick-skinned lemons
2 - 750 ml bottles of 100-proof vodka
4 cups sugar
5 cups water

Scrub your lemons with warm water and a brush to remove any wax or pesticide residue. Strip the lemons with a vegetable peeler. You’ll get long wide strips of zest with little of the bitter white pith. In a gallon glass jar with a lid, add the zest to one bottle of the vodka and wait.

After 40 days, combine the sugar and water in a saucepan, bring it to a boil, and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Let the syrup cool before adding it to the limoncello mixture, along with the other bottle of vodka. Cover and return to the cupboard for another forty days.

Then simply strain the limoncello into clear glass bottles with screw on caps and discard the lemon zest. You can store the bottles in a cupboard, but always keep one in the freezer so it’s icy cold when you’re ready to drink it. Serve in chilled glasses straight up or with sparkling mineral water.

Limoncello can be used in homemade frozen granitas, sorbets or ice cream. Serve it over blueberries or peaches with biscuits for a shortcake, or drizzle over store-bought ice cream or sherbet and serve it with a butter cookie or biscotti.