There’s nothing quite like ending a meal with a little digestif, whether it’s amaretto, Bailey’s, or my personal favorite: limoncello. I’ve loved this lemony liqueur since our honeymoon in Rome, and it always makes me think of our time at the breathtaking Rome Cavalieri no matter where I happen to be!
I never knew just how simple limoncello was to make at home with a little patience. A few of us decided to take on this task at our recent farewell to summer party.
Here’s what you’ll need to make your own limoncello:
Glass vessel with lid or cork
Zester or grater (we used these that had an attached box to catch the zest)
Funnels (make sure you have one with a wide opening to push the zest through; we used one for the zest and one for the vodka)
Lemons (we used the zest of 2-3 lemons for our 10-12 oz containers)
Vodka (same rule here as when you’re cooking with wine…use the kind you’d enjoy drinking)
Later on (once it’s been infused):
Coffee filter
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of water
Pot to heat up sugar and water (simple syrup)
Once you have everything you need it’s time to start zesting! I did some research beforehand and found out that you can also take a sharp paring knife and peel the skin off the lemon. Whether you zest or peel, you’ll want to make sure that you only get the yellow part and leave the pith (white layer) behind.
Next, set your funnel on top of the glass container that you’re going to store the limoncello in and carefully push the lemon zest through. If you are using the peeling method, this part just got easier as you simply feed the peels directly into the glass container.
Once your lemon zest or peel is in, it’s time to add the vodka. Funnel it through into the glass canister, fasten the lid or cork, and you’re almost there!
Once your gorgeous limoncello is bottled up, the waiting game begins. Set your bottle somewhere dark, or out of direct sunlight (a pantry is perfect). Keep it there for four days to one month, depending on how lemony you want it. The longer it sits, the more lemony it will end up being.
Once your limoncello has had its time to infuse, strain it over a coffee filter to remove the zest and/or peels.
Heat your saucepan on the stove with one cup of water and one cup of sugar to make your simple syrup. Remove it from the heat and let it cool for a bit, then add it little by little to taste.
After you’ve gotten it to that perfect level of sweetness, it goes into the fridge or freezer. Keep it there for at least four hours, then it’s ready for your next dinner party! Limoncello will keep in the fridge for one month and in the freezer for at least a year. Enjoy!
