Italian Limoncello Recipe

How do you drink Limoncello in Italy

In Italy, the limoncello is stored in the freezer, as well as the glasses where it will be served. Usually, it is served at the end of a lavish meal (preferably evening) either together with dessert or after.

It citrusy flavour cleanse the palate and the alcohol helps digestion. It is served freezing cold to smooth the strong taste of the alcohol.

This is how you recognize a good quality Limoncello. Because it contains a high percentage of alcohol, Limoncello does not solidify like ice, but it remains creamy. If a Limoncello solidifies in the freezer it means it is mostly made of sugar and water and does not have a good level of alcohol.

Ingredients for the Limoncello

You will need:

• 10/12 non-treated, unwaxed lemons
• 4 cups – 1 lt of 95% alcohol or vodka
• 2 lb – 900 gr of sugar
• 6 cups of water

Making this Italian Limoncello recipe is very easy. You first need to infuse the lemon zest in the alcohol for 10 days and then mix it with syrup.

Italian limoncello recipe: infuse the lemon zest

1. Peel the lemons with a potato peeler, as thin as possible. Try to take only the zest, not the pith, the white part of the lemon.
2. Cut them into small pieces so that they come out of the bottle easily when you filter the liquor
3. Insert them in a large bottle with a wide bottleneck
4. Pour the alcohol in the bottle and let the zest infuse for about 10 days
5. Try to shake the bottle at least every second day

Italian limoncello recipe: mix with syrup

1. To make the syrup, boil the sugar in the water for a few minutes until it is completely dissolved
2. Let it cool down completely
3. Filter the alcohol and discharge the lemon zest
4. Pour the alcohol into the syrup and mix well
5. Pour it in bottles and let it rest in a dry place

How to serve the Italian Limoncello

When you want to drink it, store the bottle in the freezer with the glasses you want to serve it in. They should be small glasses. All should be nice and cold Limoncello as well as the glasses.

As Limoncello has a very high level of alcohol, it will last for years….if you have any left after a year!

Tips for making the best Italian Limoncello

• Make sure the lemons are non-treated and unwaxed.
• Some types of lemon have a very bitter pith, try to use Amalfi or Sorrento lemons
• When you cut the zest try not to take the pith, the white part of the lemons
• Make sure the bottle has a large bottleneck otherwise it will be difficult to remove the lemon zest from the bottle
• In Italy, you can find 95% alcohol for liquors, but since it is difficult to find outside Italy you can use Vodka
• Serve the Limoncello cold and in cold glasses
• Bottle the Limoncello in fancy bottles to make edible gifts, your friends will love it

More Italian Homemade Liquors

If you like to make homemade liquor, here is a list of recipes you found/will found here:

1. Nocino
2. Homemade Orange Liqueur Curacao
3. and…much more to come