Limoncello is a sweet, tart, and refreshing Italian lemon liqueur. This is a great recipe from the sunny beach of Sorrento that is unparalleled. However, when you try to store a copy, there is just a sugary sweetness at the bottom of the glass and a complete lack of freshness, which the liqueur is so fond of. As a result, residents of southern Italy have learned how to cook limoncello at home and fine-tune the taste of the drink to their liking. In this article, we will learn how to prepare homemade limoncello liqueur properly.
TOP 4 recipes with pictures of making homemade limoncello liqueur at home. Secrets of Italian drink. recipes.
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Homemade Italian drinking advice and secrets
- Limoncello is traditionally made from the lemon peel of Femminello St. Teresa is more Sorrento lemons. They are characterized by rough, wrinkled skin and rich essential oils. Lemons are grown in the shade of chestnut trees, which protect young tree shoots from precipitation. The harvest is harvested in the Campania region, between Vico Equines and Massa Lubrense, or on the island of Capri. In our area, all kinds of lemons are used to make drinks. At the same time, remember that their color affects the color of the finished liqueur.
- To add a green tint to the alcohol, use 1 green peel for every 5 lemons. The color of the tincture will be “sunny” if 1 of the 6 lemons is replaced by orange.
- Selected citrus fruits are washed well and the rind is cut without the white albedo. This is easier to do with a potato peeler or a sharp vegetable knife.
- Lemon juice is soaked in alcohol for up to one month, then the fragrant infusion is mixed with sugar syrup and left for a while, then the wine is filtered.
- After remembering the classic action algorithm, you can continue to experiment with the drink, because there are many ways to create alcohol.
- The concentration of the drink changes due to different proportions of sugar and water. The sweeter the alcohol, the stronger it is. But sweet alcohol is surprisingly easier to drink. Limoncello is usually 20 to 37% ABV.
- For moderately strong alcohol (about 35%), use 120% water compared to alcohol and 80% sugar. Then the drink will prove to have a 30% sugar content. It will be a classic limoncello, with a strength of 35-38% and a sweet 300 g / l, as is generally believed in southern Italy.
- If the liqueur is too sweet, add mineral water to it before serving. At the same time, excessive production will decrease.
- Italians love to play with the taste of limoncello and add cinnamon sticks, ginger, and other spices to the drink.
- Italians recommend taking 30 g of lemon peel for every 100 ml of alcohol. Then a bright and fresh lemon taste will be ensured.
- Vodka, alcohol, and not even the most successful moonlight, previously refined in a filter, are suitable as an alcohol base for Italian liqueur.
- Alcohol tastes better if you use distilled water.
- The liqueur is served chilled, so the liqueur is refrigerated 1 hour before use. The lower the temperature, the richer the taste of limoncello. It is also best to cool the glasses in the freezer.
The liqueur is stored for 3 to 6 months. The older the drink, the tastier it will be.
Traditional Limoncello recipe with alcohol
Homemade Italian lemon liqueur recipe based on limoncello alcohol. It is very easy to prepare at home and you can easily adjust the taste as you wish.
- Caloric content per 100 g – 321 kcal.
- Dosage – 2.5 L
- Cooking time – 7 days
Ingredients:
- Large lemons – 10 pcs.
- Sugar – 800 g
- Grain alcohol 95, 6% – 1 l
- Pure water – 1-1, 2 l
Cooking Limoncello with alcohol according to the traditional recipe:
- Wash the lemons, pour boiling water over them to get rid of the wax, and rub them with a coarse cloth.
- Peel a squash, grate it and squeeze the juice.
- Put the rind in a jar, fill it with corn alcohol, cover it well and let soak in a dark and cool place for 20 days. During this time, the alcohol will turn yellow and the lemon rind will turn pale and brittle. Then strain the weight through a sieve into a clean container with a closed lid.
- Make a syrup. To do this, mix water and sugar in a saucepan, heat over medium heat, stirring constantly so that the sugar is completely dissolved. Then remove the syrup from the heat and cool it to room temperature.
- Pour the syrup into the citric acid and stir. The alcohol will be immediately cloudy, but it should be.
- Pour homemade limoncello into infertile bottles, seal with airtight lids and leave in a cool, dry place away from sunlight for 40 days.
- Then store the alcohol in the refrigerator.
Classic lemon liqueur Limoncello
Classic Limoncello is very popular in Italy and is easy to make at home. Sicilian lemon liqueur with a pleasant citrus flavor will be very popular with lovers of sweet alcoholic beverages.
Ingredients:
- Lemons – 10 pcs.
- Alcohol 96% – 500 ml (or 750 ml of quality vodka)
- Drinking water – 650 ml
- Sugar – 450 g (or 600 g if vodka is used)
Preparation of a classic Limoncello lemon liqueur:
- Wash the lemons, dry them and carefully remove the upper yellow part of the peel from the fruit without touching the white pulp, otherwise, the alcohol will turn bitter. The total weight of the bark should be about 120-150 g.
- Pour the bark with alcohol or vodka and close the container tightly with a lid.
- Leave the drink in a cool dark place for 7-10 days, shaking the container daily.
- After 7-10 days, prepare the sugar syrup. To do this, pour water into a saucepan, add sugar, and set on low heat. Boil the syrup and bring to a boil over medium heat for 5 minutes, removing the white foam. Then cool it down to room temperature.
- Sift the lemon zest through a sieve and squeeze the rind dry.
- Pour the cooled weight into the sugar bowl and stir.
- Pour limoncello into bottles and leave it in a cool place to improve the taste for 5-7 days. Then you can taste the lemon liqueur.
Homemade limoncello with vodka
You can mix a strong limoncello drink based on vodka with mineral water or sparkling wine by adding ice cubes. It can be used as a fragrant impregnation for baked goods: sleeves, rolls, biscuits.
Ingredients:
- Lemons – 5 pcs.
- Vodka – 0.5 l
- Sugar – 200 g
- Water – 80 ml
- Cinnamon – 1 stick
To make homemade limoncello with vodka:
- Wash the lemons, dry them, and peel the yellow top layer of the peel so that the rind turns out to be about 80 g.
- Pour vodka over the crusts, insert the cinnamon stick, close the lid, and store it in a cool place for 7 days. Shake the mixture every day.
- Prepare the syrup after 7 days. To do this, measure the required amount of sugar and add water. Place the container on low heat and cook until the sugar is completely dissolved.
- Sift the infused cinnamon crust through a sieve and pour the boiled syrup into the strain.
- Mix everything thoroughly, pours into a dish and cool well in the fridge, then serve the sunny drink on the table.
Limoncello made of moonlight
Limoncello Italian lemon liqueur on the moonlight. This is a simple recipe for a delicious drink, which consists of available ingredients. This produces a dessert drink with a mild taste and moderate alcohol.
Ingredients:
- Lemons – 12 pcs.
- Moonshine 40% – 1 l
- Granulated sugar – 0.9 kg
- Pure water – 0.6 l
- Making limoncello from moonlight:
- Rinse citrus fruit with a kitchen brush under cold water so that no wax or dirt is left on the surface.
- Then wipe the lemons with a paper towel and peel the yellow bark without touching the white layer.
- Put the finished rind in a glass jar and fill it with moonlight so that the alcohol completely covers the rind.
- Let the workpiece mix at room temperature in a dark place for 5 days. Shake the jar with the preparation 2-3 times a day.
- After a while, stretch the workpiece through cheesecloth and remove the used ingredients from the liquid. Squeeze the lemon rind well.
- When the dough is ready, boil the syrup from water and sugar for 5 minutes, until the sugar mixture darkens and thickens.
- Cool the sweet base to room temperature and pour it into the pan.
- Stir until completely dissolved, pour the drink into bottles, close well, and let stand for 2 weeks so that it gets a noticeable citrus aroma and lemon aftertaste.