How to make homemade limoncello ready in 3 days.
Some things need no introduction, and one of these is certainly limoncello, the famous liqueur originating from Amalfi, but now found everywhere.
At home or in the restaurant… there is no lunch or dinner that doesn’t end with the famous phrase: “Can I offer you limoncello?”
A phrase I often use myself, having been making it at home for years.
Before discovering that it takes 3 days to make excellent limoncello, I used the recipe that is somewhat common, which involves macerating lemon peels for 15/20 days.
But thanks to the scientific communicator Bressanini, we have understood that alcohol extracts the essential oils of the lemon in 3 days. Actually, he explains on his blog that even 2 days are fine.
Whether served cold or at room temperature, I find this liqueur very good and simple to make; it just requires, as always, excellent untreated lemons. I used those from Gargano, an area rich in citrus fruits where limoncello is at home.
And now that you know it takes only a few days to make it at home, you can prepare it in time for the holidays or when your stock runs out.
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- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 3 Days
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 600 ml
- Cooking methods: No cooking
- Cuisine: Italian Regional
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 43.74 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 5.99 (g) of which sugars 5.99 (g)
- Proteins 0.10 (g)
- Fat 0.00 (g) of which saturated 0.00 (g)of which unsaturated 0.00 (g)
- Fibers 0.32 (g)
- Sodium 0.73 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 20 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
For about 600 ml of limoncello
- 1.1 lbs lemons
- 220 ml pure alcohol (for desserts)
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 200 ml water
Tools
- Peeler
Preparation
– Wash the lemons well and, with the help of a peeler, take the yellow peel, avoiding the white part as much as possible; put the peels in a jar with an airtight seal, pour in the alcohol, close and store in the cupboard for 3 days, shaking it occasionally.
– After the time has passed, prepare the syrup by boiling the sugar in the water until it is completely dissolved; let it cool.
– With the help of a strainer and gauze, transfer the now yellow alcohol into the syrup, mix well and bottle.
– Wait a couple of days and taste. If you find it too strong, dilute with more water in small doses. And if you have time, enjoy it after a week of rest. Always cold.
With the leftover lemons, you can make an excellent granita
Notes:
– If you’re not in a hurry, let it “rest” for a week.
– Serve very cold.
Do you think 1 liter of water is good for 500 ml of alcohol?
It depends a lot on personal taste. I would stay around 800 ml… then you can always add more if needed.
