Homemade Italian Limoncello Recipe

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A traditional homemade Italian Limoncello is citrusy, sweet and strong. Keep it cold in the freezer, it is the perfect way to end the most lavish meal. A traditional homemade Limoncello is so high in alcohol, it never freezes. No wonder in Italy we call it digestive. Put it in a fancy bottle and you have a special edible gift for your friends.

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Limoncello, Lemoncello, Lemon Chello
How do you drink Limoncello in Italy
Ingredients
Step by step instructions with images
How to serve Limoncello
Top tips
Desserts you can serve with Limoncello
FAQ
No risk of botulism
Setting up a liqueur workshop
More homemade liqueurs recipes
📋Italian Limoncello recipe

Limoncello, Lemoncello, Lemon Chello

Limoncello is a traditional recipe from the south of Italy where lemons trees find their natural habitat. The authentic Italian name is Limoncello.

The southern coastal regions have the perfect micro-climate for citrus trees, that is why the best commercial limoncello is made in the Amalfi coast and in Sicily.

Although in Italy we rarely buy Limoncello, as we prefer to make it at home.

The difference in taste and consistency is remarkable, and it is so easy to make.

If you want to try another traditional Italian Limoncello recipe, you can check the recipe: homemade Italian Limoncello cream made with a milk syrup.

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 a 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

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 Limoncello from scratch is very easy, but you need to let it rest and infuse for several days before you can complete the recipe.

It will not be ready immediately so plan ahead.

Step by step instructions with images

Infuse the lemon zest

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.
Cut them into small pieces so that they come out of the bottle easily when you filter the liquor
Insert them in a large bottle with a wide bottleneck
Pour the alcohol in the bottle and let the zest infuse for about 10 days in a dark place
Try to shake the bottle at least every second day

Mix it with syrup

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

process shoot mixing limoncello with syrup

How to serve Limoncello

As Limoncello is very high in alcohol, it should be served frozen cold in cold small glasses. Both the Limoncello bottle and the shot glasses should be stored in the freezer.

A store bought Limoncello may solidify in the freezer because it tends to be more sugary than alcoholic.

A homemade or good quality Limoncello never solidifies when stored in the freezer because of its high alcohol content and it can be easily poured into the glasses from frozen.

Limoncello is so alcoholic that it will last for years, however, its flavor will be at its best after resting for 1 month. After 6 months, it will loose some of the aroma.

Top tips

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

Desserts you can serve with Limoncello

Here is a list of desserts you can serve with limoncello:

FAQ

How do you drink Limoncello in Italy?

In Italy we drink Limoncello at the end of our meals. It is served frozen cold in cold shot glasses. A good quality of Limoncello should have a high level of alcohol and does not solidify when frozen. If your frozen Limoncello is too solid to pour it means it is too high in sugar and low in alcohol. It is practically a Lemon sorbet.

What can I do with leftover lemons?

With the leftover lemons I make a lemon sorbet with Vodka. I like to serve it at the end of a seafood meal. If I am having a lavish dinner with 6 meal courses, and I am serving both seafood and meat, I serve the lemon sorbet to cleanse the palate from the seafood before moving into the meat course.

What can I do with the leftover lemon zests?

I usually freeze them and use them to flavor cakes and biscuits.

Does limoncello need to be refrigerated?

Limoncello does not need to be refrigerated as its high level of alcohol prevents any room temperature deterioration. However, as Limoncello should be served freezing cold, you should store it in the freezer if you plan to serve it.

Can you get botulism from homemade liqueurs?

See the answer below

No risk of botulism

Since a reader asked, I would like to reassure everyone who has doubts, this liqueur is not at risk of botulism. This recipe uses Alcohol 95% or vodka 50% of ethanol.

A study proves botulism cannot grow in Alcohol: ”The growth and neurotoxin production (botulism) was delayed by an ethanol concentration of 4% ethanol and completely inhibited by a concentration of 6%”.

Effect of Ethanol on the growth of Colstridium botulinum

Botulism concerns home canning… not fermentation or infusions of fruits and vegetables. Here is more information about botulism from the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service:

Clostridium Botulinum

Setting up a liqueur workshop

You can easily create your liqueur workshop with just a few items. They are not expensive and you can order them online from my Amazon shop: Homemade Liqueur Lab. Those are my favorite and specially selected tools to make the process smooth and easy:

Jars 67 ounce - 2 liters: I use large canning jars to infuse herbs or fruits in the alcohol. They are easily sealed and don't take much room in the cupboard. I usually brew different types of liqueurs at the same time so I need several jars. If you are an occasional liqueur maker, you can just use the bottle below.
1 gallon - 3-liters glass bottle: I use this bottle in the second part of the brewing process, once I add the syrup. It is a transparent glass bottle so I can check how the liqueur is progressing and if it needs a good shake. It is important that this bottle has a large neck so the residuals of the fruits, zests, spices, or herbs can be easily removed without any problem once the liqueur is ready to be bottled. Personally I have 2 of those large bottles.
Funnel with a wide and short stem: When you are pouring the liqueur from one bottle to another during the brewing process, you need to have a funnel with a wide and short stem so it doesn't get clog with the ingredients that are brewing in the alcohol.
Auto-stop funnel: However, once the liqueur is ready, filtered and all the solid particles have been removed, I like to use an auto-stop funnel with a floating system that stops the liquid from flowing once the bottled has been filled.

It is very difficult to gauge how much liquid can fit in a bottle and I often fill the funnel way too much. Instead of overflowing the bottle, the auto-stop funnel locks the stem automatically and the excess liquid remains in the funnel.

The funnel can be easily removed, transferred into another bottle using the handle that keeps the liquid inside the funnel and no liqueur is wasted.

Mix Nocino with syrup and pour into bottles

Fine Mesh Strainer: to remove all solids and particles from the liqueur once it is ready to be filtered.
Measuring mugs: it is very important to use the exact proportion of syrup vs alcohol. Measurements mugs are a must.
Ladle with spout: to easily pour the liquid into the funnels from a large bowl or pan. I always use the ladle with a spout to take the syrup from the pan where I boiled it into the funnel. If you don't have a pan with a spout, this is the easiest way to pour the syrup once it is cold.
Fancy vintage bottles: I love to have my own liqueur assortment into those vintage bottles. It gives my homemade liqueurs an extra wow factor.
Small glass bottles with lids: if you want to store the liqueurs in small bottles or if you want to give it as gifts to friends and family those small bottles are perfect. The lid seals and they can be easily carried. They even come with labels to write the name of the liqueur and the date.
Shot glass set and/or Small liqueur glasses: it is very important to serve the liqueur in small shot glasses so it can be slowly sipped and relished.
Good Grips Bottle Brush: to easily clean all the bottles after each use. Some liqueurs can be very sticky and stain easily like the walnut hull.
If you want to give your liqueur an extra festive look you can also use the Rose Ice Cube Stackable to make rose ices or the ice cube with light to make your liqueur shine at night.

homemade strawberry liqueur in a glass served with ice

More homemade liqueurs recipes

Homemade liqueurs are such a satisfying project, enjoy them after dinner with your partner on a special day, offer them at the end of a dinner party or package them in fancy bottles as an edible gift.

I already have some published and more will come. Just be ready when the fruits are in season to start your collection:

Check out the category: homemade liquors

You can also check out the web story: 9 Homemade Italian Liqueurs

For those of you who like the thrill of the forbidden fruit, try to make Concord Grape Wine Fragolino.

Banned in Europe for commercial use, you can only try it if you make it for personal consumption.

If you are making this Italian Limoncello Recipe, leave your comment below I would like to hear from you. You can find more delicious ideas if you FOLLOW ME on Facebook, YouTube, or sign up to my newsletter.

📋Italian Limoncello recipe

This homemade Italian limoncello recipe is how Italians end the most lavish meals: citrusy, sweet and strong. No wonder we also call it digestive. In a fancy bottle is a perfect edible gift.

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 2

⏲️Total Time 22

Servings: wine bottles

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Author: Laura Tobin

Ingredients (Commissions Earned)

11 non treated lemon
4 cups 95% alcohol or vodka

Syrup

2 lb caster sugar
6 cups fresh water

Equipment (Commissions Earned)

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