DIY Limoncello

By RoketJSquerl

Ingredients

• 10 pesticide-free lemons
• 375 milliliters 80 or 100 proof vodka
• 1 3/4 cups water
• 1 1/4 cups sugar

Details

Servings 750
Preparation time 20mins
Cooking time 20mins
Adapted from seriouseats.com

Preparation

Step 1

Serious Heat

DIY vs. Buy: Should I Make My Own Limoncello?

While you can use any type of lemon you like, Meyer lemons will make a slightly darker (though more fragrant) limoncello. Smooth, thick skins are the best for zesting. Any white pith can turn your liqueur bitter, so the zest is the only part of the lemon skin used in this recipe. A microplane zester is the easiest tool for the job.

You can substitute 100- or 80-proof vodka for the high-proof neutral grain spirit. Using a spirit that is more than 151 proof will make for a harsh end result. Vodka will impart a little flavor of its own to the limoncello, so I've read that many people use a water filter pitcher (like Brita or Pur) to "purify" the vodka first. (The vodka "flavor" doesn't bother me, so I've never tried this myself.)

Makes about 750 milliliters

Place the zest in a sealable glass container, pour in the spirit, seal and shake. Let mixture steep in a cool, dark place for two weeks.

Once your steeping period is over, bring the water and sugar to a boil in a small sauce pan. Remove from heat and let this simple syrup cool.

Pour cooled simple syrup into lemon steeping mixture, and let this new mixture set for 24 hours.

Filter your limoncello twice: Place a coffee filter inside a funnel, then pour your steeped mixture through it into a bottle or bowl. Repeat.

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