A beloved Italian liqueur that has gained worldwide fame, our Limoncello recipe is a perfect toast to the flavor of summer.
INGREDIENTS
1 bottle vodka 100-proof
10 lemons, washed and dried
1-2 cups granulated sugar
1-2 cups water
PREPARATION
Use a vegetable peeler to remove the peels from all the lemons. Try to remove only the outer yellow skin and as little of the pith as possible. Trim away any large pieces of pith with a paring knife, but don’t worry about trimming every last scrap.
Transfer the lemon peels to a 1-quart jar and cover with vodka. Screw on the lid.
Let the vodka and lemon peels infuse somewhere out of the way and out of direct sunlight for up to a month. The longer you let the vodka infuse, the more lemony your limoncello.
Line a strainer with a large coffee filter and set it over a 4-cup measuring cup. Strain the infused vodka through the filter. You may need to stir the vodka in the strainer if the flow stops.
Prepare a sugar syrup of at least 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar. Bring the water to a simmer and stir in the sugar to dissolve; allow to cool.
Pour the sugar syrup into the infused vodka. Stir gently to mix. Taste and add additional sugar syrup if desired.
Chill the limoncello in the fridge or freezer for at least 4 hours before drinking. Limoncello can be kept in the fridge for up to a month or the freezer for up to a year.
