3 minute read
How to Make Limoncello
Words by Canaan Lendell / Photography by Megan Smith / Layout by Tori Smith
As spring showers settle into the languid heat of late summer, I turn to a uniquely Italian liqueur - limoncello. Equal parts pucker-inducing and syrupy sweet, the storied liqueur is an easy DIY project for the summer months. As legend tells it, Maria Antonia Farace would make the liqueur using lemons from her bountiful citrus gardens on the island of Azzurra. The recipe eventually ended up in the hands of her nephew, Max Channel, and then his son, Massimo Canale, who trademarked and started production under the name “Limoncello Di Capri.” It has since spread throughout the region, country, and world, becoming Italy’s second-most beloved liqueur behind only Campari. Luckily for us, it couldn’t be easier to make, with the bonus of giving you complete control over the final product.
It starts with the lemons, which should preferably be both organic and of an aromatic varietal. Your supermarket Eureka lemons will make a perfectly enjoyable limoncello, but Meyer, Sorrento, and Amalfi lemons provide additional depth for
an intensely aromatic experience. There’s no requirement to strictly use lemons, though; oranges, grapefruit, and more esoteric citrus like Buddha’s hand make intriguing and delicious variations.
The next step is the most important - removing the peel without a trace of pith. As we’ll be extracting all the essential oils and flavor compounds out of the peels, any bitterness will be acutely felt in the final product. The peels are then submerged in vodka or grain alcohol until they are bleached and brittle - a sign that their oils and flavor compounds have been extracted. Finally, the alcohol is strained and combined with sugar. Patience is rewarded here - the longer the final product sits, the more round, mellow, and complex your limoncello will become. As the essential oils mix with the sugars and alcohols, they create a host of compounds that separate the good limoncellos from the great ones. And you’re done! All that’s left to do is serve, straight from the freezer, as the perfect digestif to an al fresco meal.
RECIPE
500 ml 80 proof vodka (doesn’t need to be the best, but don’t use it if you wouldn’t drink it in other cocktails)
10 lemons
1 1/4 cup sugar, more or less to taste
Using a sharp knife or peeler, completely peel lemons, carefully removing as little pith as possible.
Combine peels and vodka in a sealed container and store them in a cool, dark place for a week.
Add sugar, stirring or shaking thoroughly to combine, and store in the freezer indefinitely.
Enjoy!
