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Came down with the mother of all chest colds last week, which also led to the worst sore throat we've had in years. Lucky we had five liters of the cure in the freezer that didn't cost us an arm and leg to make. Consider this recipe the next time you're tempted by the kitsch of buying Danny Devito's Limoncello (if you check out that link, click on the musical Sorrento lemon at your own risk).
It's been a while since we made limoncello; with the orangecello we made a couple years back finally finished, it was due time. Now, had we known the recipe included in this entry would yield 2-1/2 liters of limoncello, we wouldn't have bought double everything. But five liters of limoncello in the freezer is a good problem to have, we have lots of friends who like the stuff, and warm weather is coming.
The recipe we used comes from the website What's Cooking America. Two things. First, we used Polish grain alcohol which, in our experience, has a smoother taste than Everclear. Second, we let the lemon rinds steep in the grain alcohol for 30 days, to get as much oil and color from the zest as possible. A good sign that this has been achieved: after the rind has been removed, the infused grain alcohol looks like, um, urine.
1 liter (750 ml) of Everclear alcohol
10 medium to large lemons
1 1/2 liters of water (6 1/3 cups)
3 pounds of sugar (6 1/2 cups)
Wash the lemons with a vegetable brush and hot water to remove any reside of pesticides or wax; pat the lemons dry. Using a potato peeler, take all the lemon rinds off of the lemons so there is no white pith on the peel. Place the rind-peelings in a large container with the Everclear alcohol. Cover the container and let it sit for seven days.
On the eighth day, strain the the peels from alcohol; discard peels.
In a large saucepan, make a simple syrup by combining the water and sugar; let it simmer "fast" for 15 minutes. Let simple syrup cool to room temperature. Add to alcohol.
You are now finished and can drink it right away.
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Yeesh, Everclear? The last time I drank that I thought I saw dead people.
Grain alcohol is best for this recipe because of its high alcohol content. If you use 80 proof vodka, as an example, the dilution of the mixture once syrup is added could cause the limoncello to freeze solid.
I bet. I am sure its a good recipe. I threw up a little in my mouth as I rememebered what happened the last time I drank some.
Wow, that's a lot of limoncello. Can I have a bottle? I'll have to try that Polish grain next time I do a batch.
Only Eight days? No way. You can improve the flavor by letting the peels seep for 4 times as long- over a month, at least. I've made limoncello for Christmas gifts in the past, and it was always a well received.
Here's a great site-
http://vinoevittles.blogspot.com/2006/03/limoncello-recipe.html
You should also warn your readers that it's VERY important to make sure that the pith (white stuff under the lemon peel) does not get into the mixture, or else it will ruin the final product by making it very bitter.
Reading comprehension, Jenna. I wrote that I let mine steep for a month. Anything longer just petrifies the rind.
Your recipe says eight days.
I didn't realize Chicagoist contributors were so quick to insult their readers.
From paragraph 3, the one directly above the recipe:
And keeping an eye on the pith was mentioned in the recipe.
Hope this soothes any hurt feelings.
Your harmless arrogance toward readers--deserved or not, it's not my call; perhaps it part of your writing personality--might go down more easily if you didn't have a glaring typo in the first half of your first sentence of this post. Just saying.
Matilda, that might all most be hell-larious if you weren't so obnoxious, which is why we don't want non of what you're selling this wee.
I loved the wee, it brightened the above Monday offering with added zest! You ruined it pest!
Can't we all just get along? At the beginning Chuck mentions that the only difference from the recipe as printed is that he would soak for 30 days. I do agree it is confusing when you have the eight days right there too. It might help if the quoted recipe and text is indented so as to make clear what is being reposted from another site and what is being written here. It would make pre-recipe comments from Chuck much more obvious.
Could limes be subbed in?
Jdole84: I guess limes could be substituted. The problems with are the rinds on limes are thinner and harder to work with. the citrus from limes is brighter and not as warm as lemons.
Bunnybear: that's a good point to note that my quoting the recipe from the link was confusing. I'll go ahead and make the changes.
JennaNL: The intent in both my comments to you was not to insult, only to kid. My apologies.
Five months later, and he still didn't "make the changes"! Sad, really. I kid, I kid (but it's still true. and sad.)
I don't help my point much by missing errors in my own original post.
I wanted to share that link because I found it really helpful when I first made limoncello, and later heard from folks who didn't take the "no pith" rule seriously enough.
So basically the only part of the lemon you're using is the zest?