LIMONCELLO

Limoncello is a traditional Italian lemon liqueur, known for its vibrant yellow colour and bright, zesty flavour. It’s made by steeping lemon zest in neutral spirits (like vodka or grain alcohol), which extracts the lemon oils and transforms into this sweet, tangy, and refreshing digestif. Usually served chilled, limoncello is a perfect palate cleanser after a heavy meal or a lovely ingredient in cocktails and desserts.

Tips for making limoncello at home

  1. Choose the right lemons: Opt for organic, unwaxed lemons because you’ll be using the zest. The zest contains all the essential oils that give limoncello its punch, so no pesticides or wax.

  2. Zest carefully: Peel only the yellow part of the lemon skin, avoiding the white pith underneath, which is bitter and can ruin your batch.

  3. Use good quality alcohol: A high proof neutral spirit like 95% grain alcohol is ideal for faster and better extraction, but vodka works too, just be patient with the infusion time.

  4. Patience is a virtue: Let the zest soak in alcohol for at least two weeks in a cool, dark place. The longer it sits, the more flavourful your limoncello will be.

  5. Flavour your sweetener: Get creative with the simple syrup. Prep it a day in advance and let woody herbs and spices sit in it overnight to steep like bay leaf, rosemary or cinnamon.

LIMONCELLO

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LIMONCELLO 〰️

Time: 45 minutes hands on + 3 weeks steeping

Serves: 1.5 litres of limoncello

1 litre vodka

Eight lemons, unwaxed and washed

340ml caster sugar

160ml boiling water

Start by peeling the lemons. You want a peeler that doesn’t take the pith (white part of the lemon) with it, you just want a very thin layer of lemon skin/zest. If the peeler does bring some pith with it, use a serrated knife to remove. Add all the lemon peels to a airtight container/large jar along with the vodka. Seal and place in dark spot at room temperature for 2 weeks.

After 2 weeks strain out the lemon peels. In a small bowl add the caster sugar and pour over the boiling water, using a spoon to quickly stir it all together until the sugar has melted completely. Add the sugar syrup to the lemon vodka, stir in and place back in container/jar and seal, and leave in dark spot at room temperature for one more week.

Once final week is done, add limoncello to a sterilised glass jar/bottle and pop into the fridge. You can keep it at room temperature, but in the fridge keeps it chilled plus keeps the flavour fresher for longer.