what to do with lemons after making limoncello
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"Sunshine in a bottle" is what I like to call it. Sweet, boozy sunshine.
If you lot've never had a sip of the Italian lemon liqueur known as limoncello, you're in for a treat.
Homemade limoncello blows away the shop-bought stuff, and information technology'due south ridiculously simple to make.
While many commercial imports tend to exist likewise sugariness, homemade limoncello tin be made as strong or as balmy every bit yous wish. Permit it sit down a while to age into a bright, smooth sipper, and your concoction could rival some of the finest in Italy!
The Italians take been making limoncello for over a hundred years, when those clever Sicilians figured out how to cope with their hot summertime evenings.
Most of the country'southward limoncello production is situated along the Amalfi declension, where the zest of Sorrento lemons (as well known as Femminello St. Teresa lemons, and praised for their high oil content) is steeped in booze and mixed with simple syrup to create a refreshing digestif.
Served straight out of the freezer in a chilled glass, limoncello is perfect on its ain, or tin be used to fasten lemonades and flavor cocktails.
If you lot're like me and y'all like to do a little "gartending" (garden bartending), a tall glass of limoncello and soda on the rocks, garnished with a mint sprig, makes a delightful drink after digging in the dirt all 24-hour interval.
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The Best Bootleg Limoncello
Makes two (32-ounce) bottles
Ingredients
10 medium organic lemons
one (750 mL) bottle loftier-proof pure grain alcohol (such as Everclear)
3 cups water
2 cups sugar
Instructions
Since limoncello is made from the zest of lemons, you lot want to use thick-skinned, high-quality, organic lemons free of wax and pesticides.
Don't skimp on this office. The best lemons will make the best limoncello! I picked Eureka lemons right off my tree, choosing the ones with the smoothest skins.
Wash and scrub off any dirt and dry your lemons thoroughly.
Using a Microplane, zest your lemons, taking intendance to zest only the peel and non the pith.
The pith is the bitter white part of the rind, which will requite an unpleasant flavor to your limoncello. The peel is the yellow office of the rind, containing the oils that give zest its lemony flavor.
You'll observe that even after zesting, my lemons are still yellow because I've only zested the sparse outer layer of peel. A Microplane is essential for this reason; some people use a vegetable peeler or a paring knife, but they inevitably pare some of the pith forth with it. For the smoothest season, avert taking the pith off.
A Microplane also produces fine shreds of zest, rather than long strips. These fine shreds accept more surface area and therefore more pockets of lemon oil to infuse the alcohol.
Resist the temptation to zest every function of the lemon clean, as yous might zest some of the pith also. With the leftover lemons, freeze some lemon slices or make lemon juice cubes (or endeavor my rosemary lemonade) and so nothing goes to waste.
I normally end up with one to 1 i/two cups of zest from my lemons. Pour the zest into a make clean half-gallon drinking glass jar.
Pour the bottle of alcohol into the jar and seal with a hat.
There is much debate on using a rectified spirit, such every bit Everclear, over a high-proof vodka for infusing the lemon zest. In my opinion, the college the proof, the better infused the alcohol will become in a shorter amount of time.
In California where I fabricated my outset limoncello, Everclear comes in 151 proof (unless yous know someone in the military who tin buy the high-octane stuff on base).
Back in my habitation land of Nevada, my friends used to soak cherries in 190-proof Everclear (ahhh, loftier-schoolhouse memories).
In other states, Everclear is even illegal. Then, only apply any you tin become your easily on. I recommend zilch less than 100-proof vodka (and a mid-form vodka similar Smirnoff is fine for this purpose — don't bother splurging for the "skillful stuff").
When it really comes downwardly to it, high-quality lemons (that are properly zested) are much more than important than high-proof alcohol.
With your potent mixture sealed, information technology's time to stash it away for three weeks (or up to half dozen weeks if steeping in vodka). Proceed the jar in a cool, nighttime identify and let the booze work its magic.
At this stage, the stuff is pretty lethal, and then don't do something lightheaded like I've washed earlier and try to take a whiff of what'due south brewing in there. I guarantee your olfactory organ hairs will detest you for it.
Afterwards the waiting flow has passed, examine the jar. The alcohol will have taken on a vivid yellow hue by this point.
Scoop up a spoonful of zest; if the zest has become pale and brittle, its job is done and all the oils have been released.
Now it'due south fourth dimension to make the uncomplicated syrup. In a medium saucepan, dissolve the saccharide in water over medium heat. Let the syrup cool to room temperature before calculation information technology to the lemon-infused alcohol.
Give everything a stir, seal the jar once again, and permit it sit for at to the lowest degree another week. The limoncello will mellow out a lot during this menses, and will continue to get smoother the longer it ages. (Hint: Beginning a batch in autumn for Christmas gifts!)
Some of my best batches take sat on a shelf for more than 3 months before being bottled. They become bright and citrusy, with the lemon flavour really shining through.
On the other paw, "young" limoncello is pretty potent and best suited for mixing into cocktails than sipping every bit a digestif.
Later on a week or two (or even longer, if you tin muster up the patience), information technology's ready to be bottled. I like to utilize my Weck juice jars, merely you tin can bottle them in smaller jars for gifting.
The Weck jar comes in a 36-ounce size, which gives a niggling extra room if you like your limoncello on the sweeter side and desire to add more unproblematic syrup. (Otherwise, two 32-ounce bricklayer jars would work — I simply recommend using these leakproof plastic mason jar lids, as the rims can go pretty sticky after a while.)
Strain the limoncello through a fine sieve to take hold of all the lemon zest.
Then, strain the limoncello again as you funnel it into glass bottles, using an ultra fine sieve, gold coffee filter, paper coffee filter, or layers of cheesecloth. The second straining might seem unnecessary at kickoff, but it'southward worth the effort to get the liqueur as clear as possible.
You know you lot've made a practiced one when you meet the "lemon collar" — a ring of oil floating at the top.
Once everything is bottled upwardly neatly, store your limoncello in the freezer, along with a couple of cordial glasses then you're always fix for dessert!
Homemade Limoncello Sources
mDesign Round Mini Palm Scrub Castor | Microplane Premium Archetype Serial Zester | Ball Broad-Oral fissure Half-Gallon Jars | OXO Colander Large Scoop | OXO 3-Inch Mini Strainer | Weck 36-Ounce Juice Jars | Ball Regular-Mouth 32-Ounce Jars | Ball Leakproof Plastic Mason Jar Lids | Pasabahce Cordial and Liqueur Extra Mini Glasses | JoyJolt Heavy Base 2-Ounce Shot Glass Set up
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Additional Fourth dimension 28 days
Total Time 28 days xx minutes
Ingredients
- x medium organic lemons
- i (750 mL) bottle high-proof pure grain booze (such as Everclear) or high-proof vodka (see Notation)
- iii cups water
- two cups sugar
Instructions
- Since limoncello is made from the zest of lemons, you want to apply thick-skinned, high-quality, organic lemons free of wax and pesticides. Wash and scrub off any clay and dry your lemons thoroughly.
- Using a Microplane, zest your lemons, taking care to zest only the pare and non the pith. (The pith is the bitter white part of the rind, which will give an unpleasant flavour to your limoncello. The pare is the yellow role of the rind, containing the oils that give zest its lemony flavor.)
- You should cease upwards with 1 to 1 one/two cups of zest. Pour the zest into a make clean one-half-gallon glass jar.
- Pour the bottle of alcohol into the jar and seal with a lid.
- With your potent mixture sealed, it's time to stash it away for three weeks (or upward to six weeks if steeping in vodka). Keep the jar in a absurd, night identify and permit the alcohol work its magic.
- After the waiting period has passed, examine the jar. The alcohol will have taken on a bright yellow hue past this point. Scoop up a spoonful of zest; if the zest has get pale and breakable, its job is done and all the oils have been released.
- Now information technology'south time to make the elementary syrup. In a medium saucepan, dissolve the sugar in water over medium rut. Let the syrup absurd to room temperature before adding it to the lemon-infused booze.
- Give everything a stir, seal the jar over again, and let it sit for at least another week. The limoncello will mellow out a lot during this catamenia, and will continue to get smoother the longer information technology ages.
- After a week or 2 (or even longer, if you can muster up the patience), it'due south ready to be bottled. Employ two 36-ounce bottles to leave room for adding more than simple syrup as needed, or two 32-ounce bricklayer jars to fill completely with limoncello.
- Strain the limoncello through a fine sieve to grab all the lemon zest.
- Then, strain the limoncello once again as y'all funnel it into glass bottles, using an ultra fine sieve, gold coffee filter, paper coffee filter, or layers of cheesecloth. The 2nd straining might seem unnecessary at get-go, simply information technology's worth the try to become the liqueur every bit clear as possible. You know you've made a good ane when you lot see the "lemon collar" — a band of oil floating at the top.
- In one case everything is bottled up neatly, store your limoncello in the freezer, along with a couple of cordial glasses so you're always ready for dessert!
Notes
You'll notice that even subsequently zesting, my lemons are still yellow because I've simply zested the thin outer layer of peel. A Microplane is essential for this reason; some people apply a vegetable peeler or a dent knife, but they inevitably peel some of the pith along with it. For the smoothest flavor, avoid taking the pith off.
There is much debate on using a rectified spirit, such every bit Everclear, over a high-proof vodka for infusing the lemon zest. In my opinion, the higher the proof, the better infused the alcohol will get in a shorter corporeality of time.
I recommend zip less than 100-proof vodka (and a mid-course vodka similar Smirnoff is fine for this purpose — don't carp splurging for the "good stuff").
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16 Serving Size:
1/four cup
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 118 Total Fat: 0g Saturated Fat: 0g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 0g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 3mg Carbohydrates: 30g Cobweb: 1g Sugar: 26g Protein: 1g
Nutrition information isn't always accurate.
This post updated from an article that originally appeared on March 30, 2012.
Source: https://www.gardenbetty.com/homemade-limoncello-aka-sunshine-in-a-bottle/
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