I have a delicious recipe for you to try- this is so easy to make and it turns into a really wonderful gift!
This year my Dad had a huge harvest of lemons on his lemon trees and he kept giving us bags and bags of lemons. I decided as part of his Christmas gift this year I would try my hand at homemade Limoncello with his fresh lemons.
The first time I tried Limoncello was when I was on the island of Capri in Italy years ago. Limoncello is serious business there and all the Italians we met kept insisting we try the Limoncello.
Fresh lemons on wooden table
Limoncello is essentially a grain alcohol or Vodka marinated in lemon peels. Then you add a bit of simple syrup and voila! Limoncello! It is a lighter drink and meant to be consumed ice cold.
In Italy we drank this from a shot glass as a digestif at the end of the meal. It is kind of like a Lemon Drop but it has a much richer lemon taste. A true Italian Limoncello isn’t nearly as sugary as the drinks we typically get here in the States- it is cleaner and more refreshing.
On Capri they have beautiful pottery celebrating the amazing lemons they grow- this is one of my little shot glasses that I brought back to remember that spectacular island. They serve Limoncello in a shot glass with a small dessert.
Your homemade Limoncello won’t be quite as good as what they make in Italy but that is because we just don’t get the amazing produce here. (Even in California nothing tastes quite as good as it does there- magic in the water I think.)
So try it out! It is a great gift when you don’t want to make sweets but still want to do something homemade. This is popular as a Wedding favor and a little goes a long way so you can use mason jars or whatever you might have to store your Limoncello.
I also made a big batch for my friends and a few neighbors. This takes just minutes to make and should be served ice cold.
Here is the process for Limoncello- it really couldn’t be easier you just need to plan ahead so it can infuse all that lemony goodness.
- Lemons- organic if possible
- 1 bottle good Vodka
- Sugar
- Water
- Patience
- Grate the rind off 10-13 lemons (depending on size).
- Use a potato peeler for this process or a microplane.
- You want to carefully avoid the white part of the rind as that is bitter.
- Now that you have all those lovely peels add them to a pitcher and dump your Vodka in the pitcher. Stir it a bit and cover with Saran Wrap.
- Let this sit in a cool spot for at least 4 days or up to 30.
- Once you are done infusing your Vodka with the lemon peel (mine sat for 7 days)- mix 2 cups of sugar with 3 cups of water in a pan.
- Place over medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves- just a few minutes.
- Once it is dissolved remove from heat and let cool.
- In the meantime you can strain your vodka mixture.
- I used a mesh strainer and that got most of the peels out.
- If you have really fine peels from using a Microplane you might want to strain a second time with paper towels or cheesecloth lining your strainer.
- This is not totally necessary but I like the Limoncello to be nice and clear yellow and not have little floaty peels inside.
- Once you strain the Vodka mixture add the sugar water and stir well.
- Store in freezer.
Any type of lemon works for this recipe, I used Meyer Lemons because that is what I had but the freshest, juicest lemons are the ones to choose. Try to use organic if you can. If cost is an issue or availability is an issue just scrub the lemons really well before you grate them.
Alla tua salute!
Oh and if you do give this as a gift you might include on your tag to serve icy cold. It should be stored in the freezer and it will last 1 year or more!
Grab a microplane to help with this recipe by clicking here.
(If you are wondering what to do with all the leftover lemons- here is an amazing recipe for Fresh Homemade Lemonade!)
Wow! I’d love to try this. Thank you!
Great Mella come back and let me know what you think :).
Great to see that lImoncello (yes, the I is capilized as I want to point out (being Italian and all) that it is Limoncello, Not lemoncello (although that would seem to make more sense to Americans since they are lemons….but the true word is limoncello. In Italian the word is limon…thus, limoncello. There is, nor ever has been, the word lemoncello. But it IS delicious! The longer you let it sit, the better it becomes. It is actually better made with grain alcohol and left to sit for 3-6 months before imbibing. Thanks for sharing! (Oh, also, just a quick French lesson: the word is vOILa, not viola. Viola is an instrument, voila is a French word.!!! Just wanted to point that out as I see you use the word a lot.
Thanks for all your hard work…you rock!
Ok thanks for sharing Holly. I actually studied French for 4 years in college so I am aware it is a French word. I am also aware that there is an instrument with a similar spelling. Sometimes I run spell check too quickly on posts and that sort of thing can happen. I have seen Lemoncello spelled both ways- here is a brand spelled with E from Total Wine:
http://www.totalwine.com/eng/search/lemoncello
and a few from Total Wine:
http://www.bevmo.com/Shop/ProductList.aspx/_/D-lemoncello/N-/Ntt-lemoncello?DNID=Home&Dx=mode%2Bmatchany&fromsearch=true&Ntk=All&Ntx=mode%2Bmatchany
But you are right the i is correct. I wish I had a lifestyle blog where I only posted once a day or less but sadly with the volume I post and the time it takes per post there are often many errors. I think I just had lemons on the brain because I was so focused on getting the pictures done ;). I will fix that right away.
My friend gave me two bags of lemons… I will be making this. I had no idea how easy it is to make limoncello. Thanks for sharing.
Love the tag – how did you make it? Could you share the template 🙂
Nina- you know I didn’t have time to make tags :P. It takes me ages because I am not a designer by any stretch. I bought those at Sur la Table. It was $5 for a pack but there are a ton of them in there with slightly different styles.
I love that “patience” is listed as an ingredient. If only all recipes (and recipe posters) were as honest….
Thanks for the laugh, Charlene — and for another recipe to try!
😉
Can this be made using potato vodka? Seeking gluten free version so grain alcohol is no good.
Anthsar– I am not familiar with potato vodka so I am not sure :).
I’d really like to try this, but I’m not sure what size bottle of vodka you used for 10-13 lemons and your simple syrup of 2 cups sugar and three cups water. That seems like a lot of syrup, so maybe it’s a gallon bottle of vodka? Please let us know.
Judy, I use a 1.75L of Vodka- I get the Absolut at Costco for about $21.
Thank you very much!
Girl ~ I don’t care how you spell it. This looks FAB and I will be making some for my Steeplechase Party this spring! Thanks so much for the recipe!
Ha 😀 Thanks Ashley! I hope you and your friends enjoy!
I am with Ashley, I dont care how you spell it or say it, after a few of these I dont think i could spell it or say it correctly anyway! hahaha I love anything with lemons in it. Looks fabulous!! So glad I ran across this going to buy some Lemons tomorrow! Thanks!! 🙂
Love this recipe! Thanks for the recipe inspiration! Making this for Mother’s Day – great mother and mother in law gift!! Thank YOU! Also, I don’t care how you spell it, I just care how it tastes! 😉
Ha ha! So glad Andrea– I hope they like it too 🙂
Thank you so much for posting this recipe. My husband vacationed in Capri (long before he met me) and fondly reminisces about how much he loved to sip on lemoncello after every meal. I am going to try to surprise him with this. Thank you again!
Oh well now you can make it and tell him you are ready to go back for a visit :D. Just make sure it is icy, icy cold Jen. So yummy! I hope he likes it.
What do you do with the rest of the lemons if you only use the rinds?
Tanya- whatever you want 🙂 You could make a lemon cake or make lemonade or use the lemons for dinner over a few nights- lemon chicken or something… make salad dressings. Whatever you normally use lemons for. Just store in a Ziploc bag in the fridge so they last longer.
I have a question. how many bottles and how much boose do I put in each bottle.
This sounds delish!! I was just wondering, could you use some of the lemon juice for the simple syrup, to add more lemony flavor 🙂
Hi Lolli- You can add more lemon if you like. It will be a little more tart though but that is just a personal preference thing. Limoncello is pretty lemony so don’t worry about that 🙂
I added your drink to my roundup, I hope that you enjoy!
http://jessiinthekitchen.blogspot.mx/2014/12/thirtyand-thirsty.html
Please, forgive me but this is NOT Lemoncello!!! We (Italians from Italy, not NY!!) would never, EVER, use vodka as a base, because it completely changes the flavor! You should try using everclear (not sure about the spelling, sorry). 😉
Hi Simona- that was how it was made when I was in Italy. I have seen recipes using Everclear and I had some similar drinks in Spain that used Everclear and the taste was a bit much for me. I find the vodka to be a lot smoother than Everclear personally but you can for sure make the substitution if you prefer 🙂
My mom has been perfecting her recipe and she uses Meyer Lemons and ages hers for at least six months in a dark corner of the garage….time is definitely the key to making it smooth and melding the flavors all together.
How do you keep the bottles from busting in the freezer?
Hi Annette, I have never had a bottle burst in the freezer. I don’t fill these all the way to the top though. I fill them about 2/3 full.
I am so excited I came across this post! It reminded me of one of my favorite movies, “Under the Tuscan Sun.” They drank limoncello with the most beautiful scenery all around them. I’m going to go out and buy some cute bottles and tons of lemons and vodka and make a big batch!!! Love your blog!