Limoncello is one of those rare after dinner aperitifs that everyone seems to love. It’s a popular Italian lemon liqueur that is most common in Southern Italy. If you have never tried it, the best description is a sweet dessert cordial with an intense lemon flavor. It’s absolutely delightful!!!
A bottle of Limoncello makes a lovely gift. It’s easy to make but it does take time to marinate so planning ahead is essential. Now is the perfect time to whip up a batch with the plethora of lemons this time of the year. If you’re lucky enough to have family or friends with a lemon tree, now’s the time to hit them up for some.
I always thought it would be really difficult to make. Boy was I wrong! It’s actually one of the easiest libations to make and you only need 4 common ingredients to make it, and some time and patience.
When my dear sister-in-law Sara gifted me with a big bag of lemons, I knew exactly what I would use them for. I used every single part of those beautiful lemons. Nothing went to waste!
- Lemonade
- Lemon Cleaner
- Limoncello
I peeled them and used the zest to make this Limoncello. I squeezed out the juice to make a refreshing pitcher of Grandma Marie’s Lemonade.
I even used the rest of the lemon parts, that would typically end up in the trash to make an Organic All Natural Lemon Cleaner. I got every last bit of lemony goodness out of that bag of lemons!
Start by washing and drying lemons to remove any dirt.
Using a vegetable peeler, peel just the skins off the lemons. Try not to include the white pith which will make the Limoncello taste bitter.
Place the lemon skins in a large jar. Use a jar that is large enough to hold the lemon peels plus an entire 1 liter bottle of vodka.
Pour vodka into the jar to cover lemon peels completely with the vodka.
Seal the jar. Now comes the part where you have to be patient. Let the lemon skins/peels marinate in the vodka for a minimum of 20 days in a cool, dry location.
After the peels have marinated in the vodka for a minimum of 20 days it’s time to make the simple sugar.
Bring 6 cups water to a boil and add 3 cups of sugar.
Stir until syrup comes to a boil and the sugar is completely dissolved. The liquid will go from cloudy and opaque to clear. Remove the pan from heat. Cover and allow syrup to come to room temperature.
Once the simple syrup has cooled to room temperature, it’s time to get the lemon juice ready. Use a stainer to drain off the vodka from the lemon skins.
Add about a ½ cup water to the lemon skins to rinse them off and get every last bit of that lemony goodness. Combine the water with the lemon marinated vodka.
Discard skins. They have imparted all of their lemony goodness for the Limoncello.
STOP! Don’t toss all of the peels into the trashcan. Stuff a handful into your garbage disposal and grind them up. It will get rid of any stinkies in your drain and fill your kitchen with a lovely fresh lemony fragrance. You can thank me later.
Add the cooled simple sugar syrup to the lemon vodka and stir to combine.
Decant into decorative bottles or jars.
To serve Limoncello, place small glasses in the freezer for about 30 minutes.
Serve Limoncello ice cold in chilled glasses. A lovely refreshing libation, perfect when the temperatures rise.
Limoncello is also delicious in this easy to make cocktail.
Limoncello Spritz
- 2 oz Limoncello
- 4 oz Prosecco or Champagne
- 2 oz sparkling water
- 1 Lemon Slice
- 1 Sprig of Mint
Pour Limoncello, Prosecco and sparkling water into a large wine glass over ice. Stir gently and garnish with a lemon slice and sprig of mint.
Tie a gift tag onto a bottle with a bit of twine. Limoncello makes a wonderful hostess gift. It’s the perfect thoughtful gift to bring to a holiday party or to any gathering for that matter.
Limoncello
Equipment
- Large airtight container
Ingredients
- 9-12 fresh lemons
- 1-1½ liters good quality vodka
- 6 cups water
- 3 cups sugar
Instructions
- Wash and dry lemons to remove any dirt.
- Using a vegetable peeler, peel just the skins off the lemons. Try not to include the white pith which will make the Limoncello bitter.
- Place lemon skins in a large jar and cover completely with vodka.
- Seal the jar. Let the lemon skins marinate in the vodka for 20 days in a cool, dry loction.
After 20 days have passed:
- Bring 6 cups water to a boil and add all the sugar.
- Stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove pan from heat and allow syrup to come to room temperature.
- Use a stainer to drain off vodka from the lemon skins.
- Add about a ½ cup water to the lemon skins to rinse them off and combine the water with the lemon marinated vodka.
- Discard skins.
- Add cooled simple sugar syrup to lemon vodka and stir to comibine.
- Decant into decorative bottles.
- To serve Limoncello, place small glasses in the freezer for about 30 minutes.
- Serve Limoncello ice cold in chilled glasses.
- Store bottles of Limoncello in a dry, cool, dark place.
Notes
Limoncello Spritz
-
- 2 oz Limoncello
-
- 4 oz Prosecco or Champagne
-
- 2 oz sparkling water
-
- 1 Lemon Slice
-
- 1 Sprig of Mint
Did You Make This?
Be sure to snap a pic and tag it #naturewayblog I love, love, love hearing from my readers! Please, don’t forget to leave a comment and a review below, and be sure to follow me on INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK, PINTEREST, TELEGRAM or TWITTER for all the latest happening here at Nature Way!
May I ask a small favor? If you enjoyed this blogpost would you be so kind and like the page? Just click the “like” button down at the very bottom, at the end of the post. It lets me know what you are enjoying the most. It also helps me focus my attention on creating content that will be most meaningful and beneficial to you, my readers. And don’t forget to subscribe:
When you sign up you’ll never miss out on all the latest that’s happening here at Nature Way. I promise to never spam you, ever! Cross my heart. Thank you and God bless!
Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”
John 6:35
Remember…Jesus ❤️’s you!