Traditional Italian Limoncello Food

TRADITIONAL ITALIAN LIMONCELLO

Steps:

• Zest lemons, making sure to get the outermost part of the skin and avoid the white pith.
• Place lemon zest in a glass bowl and cover with alcohol. Cover and let infuse at room temperature until yellowish in color, about 7 days.
• Bring water and sugar to the boil in a saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove syrup from heat and let cool, about 10 minutes.
• Pour alcohol into the syrup through a fine-mesh strainer; discard lemon zest. Stir well.
• Pour limoncello into thick, freezer-safe glass bottles. Store in the freezer for at least 2 weeks before serving.

LIMONCELLO

Steps:

• Using a vegetable peeler, remove the peel from the lemons in long strips (reserve the lemons for another use). Using a small sharp knife, trim away the white pith from the lemon peels; discard the pith. Place the lemon peels in a 2-quart pitcher. Pour the vodka over the peels and cover with plastic wrap. Steep the lemon peels in the vodka for 4 days at room temperature.
• Stir the water and sugar in a large saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Cool completely. Pour the sugar syrup over the vodka mixture. Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight. Strain the limoncello through a mesh strainer. Discard the peels. Transfer the limoncello to bottles. Seal the bottles and refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours and up to 1 month.

HOW TO MAKE LIMONCELLO

Steps:

• In large glass jar or bottle, combine vodka and lemon peel. Seal and let stand in cool, dark place 1 week.
• If using lemon leaves, in medium saucepan, bring 4 cups water to boil. Add leaves and blanch 10 seconds, then drain and rinse under cold running water. Pat dry.
• In medium saucepan, whisk together 2 cups water and sugar. Bring to boil over high heat, then boil, uncovered, 15 seconds. Measure 750 milliliters of syrup (reserve remainder for another use) and stir into vodka mixture. Strain mixture, discarding lemon peel, and pour into decorative bottles. If using lemon leaves, tuck 2 into each bottle. Seal bottles with stoppers or corks and label with year.
• Limoncillo will keep, chilled, at least 1 year.

LIMONCELLO

Steps:

• Using a sharp paring knife, cut the peel away from the white, bitter pith.
• Put the peels in a large glass jar and add the vodka.
• Put the large jar of liquor away in a place where the sun won't reach it, and then wait. The longer you wait, the more flavor the lemon peels will impart. If you're really impatient, you can try it after a month, but it's best to wait at least 3 months.
• Make the simple syrup. Mix equal parts water and turbinado sugar in a saucepan and heat until the sugar melts and becomes liquid (use more sugar if you want it really sweet). Add it to the jar of booze and lemons and wait a week or two.
• Using a sieve, filter out the lemon bits (squeezing them to get all the flavor out of them), and decant the limoncello into bottles. Most people say "wait another week", but go ahead and taste it now, it's good, eh?.
• After a week, put the bottles in the freezer for serving.