Limoncello
Limoncello is the perfect, refreshing ending to a meal, particularly after one heavy with flavors as many Italian meals are. It is said to aid in the digestion of the meal, so you are well-justified to enjoy a chilled glass after dinner.
On our first cruise to Italy, we were offered Limoncello one evening after dinner by our dining captain. I asked him if it was homemade or commercially produced, and when he indicated it was made on-board, I immediately ordered one. My mother, who was traveling with me, looked extremely puzzled.
She leaned over to me and in a not-so-quiet whisper, asked me why I was so excited about ordering lemon jello.
Once my laughter subsided, I explained what Limoncello was. She also ordered a glass and was subsequently hooked. We had Limoncello following virtually every dinner in Italy, and had great fun comparing them between the various trattorias. Upon our return to the States, my first order of business was to infuse a batch. Now, my freezer is never without a bottle standing at the ready.
6 lbs of lemons
2, 750 ml bottles of vodka
4 cups sugar
5 cups water
For the lemons, choose fruits which are bright yellow, with a smooth skin. Wash the lemons gently under hot water with a soft scrub brush to remove any waxy coating and dry. Strip the yellow zest of the lemons with a vegetable peeler, taking care not to dig into the bitter white pith that lies underneath the zest
Place the lemon zest in a glass container large enough to hold the two bottles of vodka and the zest. I like to use hermetically sealed glass jars with the hinged clamp lid, commonly known as French canning or storage jars, but any non-reactive container that can be tightly sealed will work. Pour in the vodka, seal tightly and give the whole thing a good shake or two, then set it on the counter or cupboard. You will start to see the vodka take on the lemon color in a couple of hours.
Once a week or so, give the jar a good shake to redistribute the zest for the best infusion. Allow the vodka and zest infuse for a month. Some people say it is good enough after two weeks, but I prefer to give it a month.
After a month, carefully drain the vodka through a sieve or colander lined with 6 to 8 layers of moistened cheesecloth. This isn't completely necessary, but it renders a crystal-clear limoncello in case there are small bits of zest floating around. Reserve the lemon zest and pour the vodka back into the (rinsed) infusion jar.
In a deep saucepan, place the reserved lemon zest, sugar and water. Place the pan over high heat and bring to a boil, stirring as you do so to dissolve the sugar. Once it reaches boiling, reduce the heat to maintain a low simmer for 15 minutes to reduce the mixture slightly to a simple syrup. Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely.
Strain the simple syrup through a sieve or colander to remove the zest strips and mix into the lemon-infused vodka to taste. Excess lemon simple syrup can be used in cocktails or iced tea as a sweetener.
Store the Limoncello in tightly sealed bottles or jars in the freezer or refrigerator. It is best served ice-cold.
Note: Add about 2/3 of the simple syrup to start and taste. If you prefer a sweeter Limoncello, add some or all of the remainder. Not so common, but still classic Italian, is Arancello made with orange zest instead of lemons.
Unlike commercially produced Limoncello, homemade cordials need to be refrigerated for storage to prevent spoilage. It's not a problem to infuse the vodka on the countertop, but once the simple syrup is introduced, the mixture is no longer anaerobic and bacteria can form.
Variations: Limoncello con Vaniglia - the vanilla notes are noticeably present but not overpowering in the aroma, on the tongue, and in the finish. Much more so in the nose than on the palate. A very smooth, round taste filled with sunshine and cream. The color is darkened only slightly from the inclusion of a split vanilla pod during steeping. I strained out the vanilla seeds with a fine mesh gold coffee filter and the resulting liqueur is quite clear and more golden than the plain lemon. I have a whole vanilla pod resting in the bottle so I don't get it confused with the plain variety.
Limoncello di Meyer Limone - Similar in color to the Limoncello con Vaniglia, more golden than yellow in the bottle, but negligible differences in color in the glass. Quite smooth to the palate and the Meyer lemons make it noticeably sweeter in taste than the regular Limoncello, in spite of having no difference in the amount of simple syrup added.
Arancello Dell'Arancia Sanguigna - This is quite the discovery. A deep, rich amber color in the bottle and the color of iced tea in the glass. Slightly more bitter than the limoncellos, but not in an unpleasant manner. Deep, rich orange flavor that reminds me of Cointreau or orange brandy. I used the Moro blood oranges when making this batch for the deep red color of the zest, and it really shows through in the final results.
On our first cruise to Italy, we were offered Limoncello one evening after dinner by our dining captain. I asked him if it was homemade or commercially produced, and when he indicated it was made on-board, I immediately ordered one. My mother, who was traveling with me, looked extremely puzzled.
She leaned over to me and in a not-so-quiet whisper, asked me why I was so excited about ordering lemon jello.
Once my laughter subsided, I explained what Limoncello was. She also ordered a glass and was subsequently hooked. We had Limoncello following virtually every dinner in Italy, and had great fun comparing them between the various trattorias. Upon our return to the States, my first order of business was to infuse a batch. Now, my freezer is never without a bottle standing at the ready.
6 lbs of lemons
2, 750 ml bottles of vodka
4 cups sugar
5 cups water
For the lemons, choose fruits which are bright yellow, with a smooth skin. Wash the lemons gently under hot water with a soft scrub brush to remove any waxy coating and dry. Strip the yellow zest of the lemons with a vegetable peeler, taking care not to dig into the bitter white pith that lies underneath the zest
Place the lemon zest in a glass container large enough to hold the two bottles of vodka and the zest. I like to use hermetically sealed glass jars with the hinged clamp lid, commonly known as French canning or storage jars, but any non-reactive container that can be tightly sealed will work. Pour in the vodka, seal tightly and give the whole thing a good shake or two, then set it on the counter or cupboard. You will start to see the vodka take on the lemon color in a couple of hours.
Once a week or so, give the jar a good shake to redistribute the zest for the best infusion. Allow the vodka and zest infuse for a month. Some people say it is good enough after two weeks, but I prefer to give it a month.
After a month, carefully drain the vodka through a sieve or colander lined with 6 to 8 layers of moistened cheesecloth. This isn't completely necessary, but it renders a crystal-clear limoncello in case there are small bits of zest floating around. Reserve the lemon zest and pour the vodka back into the (rinsed) infusion jar.
In a deep saucepan, place the reserved lemon zest, sugar and water. Place the pan over high heat and bring to a boil, stirring as you do so to dissolve the sugar. Once it reaches boiling, reduce the heat to maintain a low simmer for 15 minutes to reduce the mixture slightly to a simple syrup. Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely.
Strain the simple syrup through a sieve or colander to remove the zest strips and mix into the lemon-infused vodka to taste. Excess lemon simple syrup can be used in cocktails or iced tea as a sweetener.
Store the Limoncello in tightly sealed bottles or jars in the freezer or refrigerator. It is best served ice-cold.
Note: Add about 2/3 of the simple syrup to start and taste. If you prefer a sweeter Limoncello, add some or all of the remainder. Not so common, but still classic Italian, is Arancello made with orange zest instead of lemons.
Unlike commercially produced Limoncello, homemade cordials need to be refrigerated for storage to prevent spoilage. It's not a problem to infuse the vodka on the countertop, but once the simple syrup is introduced, the mixture is no longer anaerobic and bacteria can form.
Variations: Limoncello con Vaniglia - the vanilla notes are noticeably present but not overpowering in the aroma, on the tongue, and in the finish. Much more so in the nose than on the palate. A very smooth, round taste filled with sunshine and cream. The color is darkened only slightly from the inclusion of a split vanilla pod during steeping. I strained out the vanilla seeds with a fine mesh gold coffee filter and the resulting liqueur is quite clear and more golden than the plain lemon. I have a whole vanilla pod resting in the bottle so I don't get it confused with the plain variety.
Limoncello di Meyer Limone - Similar in color to the Limoncello con Vaniglia, more golden than yellow in the bottle, but negligible differences in color in the glass. Quite smooth to the palate and the Meyer lemons make it noticeably sweeter in taste than the regular Limoncello, in spite of having no difference in the amount of simple syrup added.
Arancello Dell'Arancia Sanguigna - This is quite the discovery. A deep, rich amber color in the bottle and the color of iced tea in the glass. Slightly more bitter than the limoncellos, but not in an unpleasant manner. Deep, rich orange flavor that reminds me of Cointreau or orange brandy. I used the Moro blood oranges when making this batch for the deep red color of the zest, and it really shows through in the final results.
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