Quick Homemade Limoncello
- Very easy
- 25 min
Limoncello is the very popular liqueur made with the peel of citrus fruits from Campania, traditionally prepared with lemons typical of the Amalfi Coast: Sfusato Amalfitano or Ovale di Sorrento. The history of limoncello is steeped in many legends and anecdotes. Its invention is in fact disputed by Sorrento, Amalfi and Capri. The first to register the "Limoncello" trademark in 1988 was the entrepreneur Massimo Canale, and in Capri, many claim that the liqueur is linked to the history of this family; in fact, it seems that this liqueur originated in the early 1900s from a recipe of his grandmother. Initially a homemade preparation, limoncello has gained great popularity since the 80s, and today it is commercially produced on a large scale. So much so that it has become a traditional festive gift. In fact, a bottle of limoncello makes a nice present both at Christmas and Easter, perhaps accompanied by colorful Easter cookies.
The recipe for limoncello is simple, but it must be followed closely, and in just over a couple of months this fragrant yellow liqueur with a strong flavor can be enjoyed, most often as a digestive drink, but also to flavor desserts or fruit salads.
To make the limoncello, wash the lemons under running water 1, rub the peel with a clean sponge to remove any dirt, then dry the lemons with a cloth 2. Peel the lemons with a potato peeler, taking care to take only the yellow peel and not the bitter white part known as the pith 3.
Pour the alcohol 4 and lemon peels 5 into an airtight glass jar, close the lid 6 and leave the peels to steep for 30 days in a dark place away from heat sources.
After 30 days, remove the peels and prepare the syrup: pour the water 7 and sugar 8 into a pan, bring the syrup to a boil and once it has started to boil 9,
turn off the heat, pour the syrup into a pitcher 10 and let it cool completely. Then add the syrup to the lemon peel jar 11. Shake the jar to blend the syrup and alcohol, then leave it to rest 12 for a further 40 days, in the dark and away from heat sources.
Next, take the jar with the liqueur, shake it and pour the contents through a strainer (13-14), collecting the liqueur in a bottle using a funnel. Your homemade limoncello is ready to be enjoyed 15!