Make limoncello yourself: Fill the Italian dream into bottles
Created: 06/07/2022, 11:14 am
By: Anne Tessin
Fancy a little Italy at home?
It's so easy to make limoncello yourself.
© CSP_fahrwasser/Imago
Limoncello tastes like a holiday in Italy, summer and dolce vita - and sometimes a little like dishwater.
Here's how to make the liqueur yourself so that it really tastes good.
A glass of limoncello after a meal is a popular choice when on holiday in Italy.
The fruity liqueur made from lemon peel tastes wonderfully sweet and yet fresh - but only if it is made with good ingredients and amore.
If this is not the case, it quickly becomes difficult, because then the fine droplets are more reminiscent of dishwater or, even worse, the smell of cheap toilet cleaner.
You don't have to experience that if you
just make limoncello yourself
, because it's not difficult at all and you know what's in it.
This is how your homemade limoncello tastes particularly delicious
You can make limoncello yourself
by soaking lemon peel in high-percentage alcohol to extract the essential oils.
This tasty alcohol is then infused with sugar syrup and your Italian summer liqueur is ready.
After that, you should exercise a little patience.
If you let the limoncello sit for a week or two after the second step, it will become particularly aromatic.
Of course, the products used are also important for the result.
Process
lemons in organic quality
, preferably from Italy, of course, because only here you can enjoy the peel without hesitation.
And then how is it drunk?
Limoncello is a summer drink and, unlike other liqueurs and fruit brandies, should always
be enjoyed straight from the fridge
, preferably with ice cubes.
Make limoncello yourself: You need these ingredients
for 1.5 liters
10 organic lemons
750 ml vodka or grain
750ml of water
500 grams of sugar
How to prepare the limoncello
Wash the lemons in hot water and rub them dry thoroughly.
Then use a vegetable peeler to peel the lemons thinly enough that there is no white skin on the peel.
The lemon's white skin, which sits between the yellow peel and the flesh, tastes slightly bitter.
Then place the lemon zest in a bottle or other sealable container and pour the vodka over it so that it floats in it.
Now let the lemon zest and vodka infusion steep for at least a week.
If you have a lot of patience, you can even leave the limoncello batch alone for four to six weeks.
During this time, the lemon peels give off their taste and color to the alcohol and become paler and paler in the process.
After the steeping time, boil the sugar in a pot with the water and let the whole thing boil while stirring until the sugar has completely dissolved.
Then allow the sugar syrup to cool completely.
Now pour the sugar syrup over the
limoncello
mixture, stir well and let the mixture steep again overnight.
The next day, pour your finished limoncello through a sieve into clean, hot rinsed bottles and seal them airtight.
In principle, the limoncello is now ready, but it tastes even better if you let it rest for a further two weeks.
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How long does homemade limoncello keep?
Unopened
homemade limoncello
doesn't actually have an expiration date and will easily last five years if stored in a dark, cool place.
The taste can change a bit over the years, but that doesn't mean it's bad.
Once the limoncello bottle is opened, you should store the lemon liqueur in the fridge and use it within about six months.
But your homemade limoncello will certainly not last that long.
Recipe tips with lemon juice
And what do you do with the peeled lemons?
Don't just throw them in the trash.
You can either squeeze them out and use the juice to bake this delicious lemon yoghurt cake.
Or you can make quick lemonade out of it.
Make limoncello yourself for limoncello spritz and tiramisu
Well chilled and pure on ice, limoncello tastes wonderful.
But the Italian lemon liqueur is also delicious mixed.
Combined with Prosecco and mineral water, it quickly becomes a
Limoncello Spritz
.
But the limoncello also refines tiramisu and other sweet delicacies with its fruity taste - and of course even more so in your homemade version!
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