Limoncello

This family recipe for limoncello is straight from Sicily. Learn how to make this amazing Italian drink.

Course Drinks

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 45

soaking/resting Time 17

Total Time 17 45

Servings 32 oz. bottles

Calories 1499kcal

Author Liz Trementozzi

Equipment

Ingredients

10 lemons ripe and fresh, not green
4 cups high proof alcohol I use Everclear
4.5 cups sugar
4 cups water distilled

Instructions

First, start by washing your lemons so there is no wax or dirt deposits on the skin. This is critical because we are using the skins to make the limoncello!
10 lemons
Now, take your peeler and very lightly peel the outer layer of the lemon. It is very important to not peel any of the white pith underneath part of the skin. If you do not follow this advice, your limoncello will taste bitter - yuck!
The layer you are peeling will be so thin it is almost translucent.
Place the lemon peels in your large glass container.
Add your alcohol to the lemon peels. Put the lid on and place the container in a dark cool area for 10 days to infuse.
4 cups high proof alcohol
Pro Tip: You'll notice the liquid will not fill up the whole container. Don't worry about that because we'll be adding the sugar water later.
After 10 days, it's time to make the sugar syrup!
In a large saucepan, bring your water almost to a boil over medium-high heat, and add in your sugar. Stir it continuously until all the sugar is fully dissolved. Remove from the heat and let it cool down to room temperature.
4.5 cups sugar, 4 cups water
Pro Tip: To speed up the cooling process, place the sugar syrup in the fridge. It is very important that the water is not warm or hot! It must be cool/room temperature.
Pour the syrup into the container with the alcohol and lemon peels. Stir well.
Now pour the liquid through a very fine cloth, (I used cheese cloth over a strainer), to filter out any and all tiny particles. This is very important because those particles will alter the flavor over time.
Now pour the filtered limoncello into your air tight bottles. Use a funnel to prevent spillage. Rinse the bottles incase any limoncello spilled down the sides.
Place in a fridge for 7 days.
After 7 days, your limoncello is ready to drink!

Video

Notes

Nutritional data are estimates based off of API calculations.

Store final products in dark cool area.
Make sure your lemons are ripe (no green), super clean and scrubbed before using.
These make great gifts or nice cordials at parties.

Nutrition