Friday, June 01, 2007

Limoncello!!!!!

At last I get to post about this great lemon-centered recipe, which will be my primary entry for the 'Fresh Produce of the Month' event that I recently launched.
Limoncello... who doesn't know what it is? The exquisite lemon-tasting liqueur typically Italian.. It's one of the few liqueurs that I like and it's super expensive here. Still, it doesn't take much to make it. The major cost involved is the alcohol, which is extremely expensive at least in California..
Making limoncello seems like a hard task, because it takes a long time for it to be done. But mostly, it's just waiting time.. so just be patient, and start tomorrow!!!

Limoncello!
Ingredients
8 lemons
1 l (1 quart) alcohol ('everclear')
1 l water or whole milk (to make 'crema di limoncello')
1/2 kg (1 lb) sugar
Procedure
Peel the lemons using a very thin knife: you want to take only the yellow part of the skin. Cover the peels with the alcohol, seal the container, place it somewhere far from the sun, and forget about it for two weeks. After this waiting time, filter the peels out using a cotton cloth, or paper towel.
Here are all my peels, after the 2 weeks of infusion:
Bring to boil the water (or whole milk) and dissolve the sugar in it. Let it cool down. Add this syrup to the lemon/alcohol mixture. For this time, I made a very small amount of 'crema di limoncello', with milk instead of water, just to try. It was good, but I think I like limoncello better.
Let the limoncello or crema rest in the freezer for another week. After this time... enjoy!!!!!

Notes
1. I read some recipes that suggest less infusion time, but this is the original recipe given by my friend Maia, who's from Sicily, where limoncello was invented!
2. You see now those small nice limoncello glasses in the picture above. Make sure you have some of them when you serve the limoncello. We didn't have them the first time we served it. People were using regular glasses for limoncello. Was it for this reason, or just because they really loved it, the fact is that almost ALL the limoncello I made was finished!!!!! It was 1.5 liter or limoncello. I'm not going to say how many people were drinking it, but it wasn't many.. :) So.. your choice: small glasses, or drunk friends!!! :) :)
3. Remember, the deadline to send me your post for the Fresh Produce of the Month is Sunday, June 17th!

11 comments:

Lis said...

I can not wait to make this, Marta! I've always wanted to try it. I'm going to go buy the lemons and Everclear this afternoon! Thanks for sharing. =))

xoxo

Andrea said...

I love Limoncello. I was just in Milan and I forgot to buy some. What a shame!

I did see it the other day at my local supermarket. I think I'd prefer to just grab a bottle rather than make my own.

Do you drink it straight or with a mixer? I had it once poured over icecream and that was delicious!

Susan in Italy said...

wow, you make your own Limoncello, that's excellent!

chemcookit said...

Dear Lis, Andrea and Susan, thanks for your comments!
Andrea - usually you drink it straight. There are recipes for limoncello used to make desserts (creams in cakes, for example) or ice cream.. I'm sure it's delicious!

Nora B. said...

I love lemoncello but they are expensive here and I can't even find the creme one. This is a great recipe. When I get my hands on some organic lemons, I will definitely try this. Thank you!

Marie Dz said...

I just returned from my first trip to Italy with my husband and six friends. I started making limoncello several months before with a recipe from Giada DiLaurentis. Everyone likes mine the best! Must be because its fresh and always ice cold. I must say I use vodka instead of everclear (must be the Polish in me!)
I ALWAYS have some on hand because its a great gift to bring to a party instead of wine...

chemcookit said...

Hey Nora, thanks for stopping by! Please let me know if you get to try the recipe.

Hey Marie! I'm curious about the vodka - does it add a different twist to the lemoncello taste? Thanks for stopping by!

Rich said...

Dear Marta,

Thanks for the limoncello recipe.My cousin just came back from visiting our long lost family(100 years) in the mountains of Modena Province, Emilia-Romagna. After dinner they had espresso and zambuco as well as limoncello. I had never heard of it before.

I see you have a picture of the Piedmont in your blog. My great-grandparents were from Ozegna, Torino Province, Piedmont 30 k north of Torino.

Lalaine said...

I really can't handle alcohol...I get very red and very UNRULY with just a few sips.

But this one I am trying! Wonder if Trader Joe's carry everclear?

Anonymous said...

It's good to know I can do my own limoncello since it's hard to buy it in my country.

Do you know if there's any place in the US where I can buy Original Limoncello from Capri, Italy? I've been searching through the web but no success... :(

People from Italy do not send this drink. You know why?

chemcookit said...

Hi Rich!
Sorry for not replying earlier. I am indeed from Torino -- have you ever been to your grandparents' original town?

Hi Lalaine!
I don't think TJ carries everclear. You can for sure find it in some big beverage store, like Beverage and more, or its equivalent in other parts of the country.

Hey Habox!
Sorry to hear you can't find Limoncello in Mexico. However, now that you have the knowledge, I'm sure you'll be able to make your own delicious limoncello.

As for finding it in the US: Trader Joe's carries a pretty good one from Sorrento (possibly more famous than the one from Capri?). A bit too sweet in my opinion though.

Good luck with your homemade limoncello!