LIMONCELLO

My wife and her sister made a trip for three weeks to Italy. She brought back to me a bottle of Limoncello, made in Sorrento. It has to be one of the best alcohol treats I ever tasted. My search for sources of it here in the USA, was fraught with problems. There are very few sources for this liqueur and all of them quite expensive.

There is a light, though at the end of the tunnel of my search. Limoncello can be prepared from easily acquired ingredients here in the USA. Limoncello is an infusion of lemon peel oils into alcohol that is then mixed with a sugar solution and then filtered. The internet abounds with recipes for this wonderful appellation. Various amounts of aging are recommended, as are "secret" ingredients and methods. I reviewed dozens of internet recipes and found most of them wanting. Whenever an alcohol percentage was quoted, it was almost invariably wrong. Actual alcohol percentage in the finished product varied from 13% to over 50%, that's 26 proof to over 100 proof (I can testify that the 100 proof stuff will take the lining right off your mouth). Commercially produced Limoncello manufactured in the Amalfi coast region of southern Italy appear to be around 26 to 37% alcohol by volume, so I formulated my version to be around 37% alcohol by volume. Production times of internet versions (all claiming to be authentic Italian Limoncello recipes) ranged from 7 days to 162 days, with the most often claimed is 80 days. Because of the method I chose to prepare the lemon peel, I find that 2 weeks is all that is needed. While developing my recipe, I taste compared my concoction with the authentic product brought to me from Italy by me wife. In this manner, I determined that the best sugar component is 2.32 cups per liter of liquid and 15 large lemons supply the needed oils. Forget the claim that Meyer lemons are best, in fact, Meyer lemons are usually scrawny little things that produce little zest. In fact. Meyer lemons are not true lemons at all but are descended from a cross between lemons and Mandarin oranges, completely different from Amalfi coast lemons. You will also find that Splenda is recommended as a substitute for sugar in the recipe. My advice, forget it. The result is nasty. I am a type I diabetic but l can tell you that there is no substitute for the real thing here.

Here's my version of Limoncello:

15 very large lemons, washed and dried.

1 750 ml bottle of Everclear grain alcohol (95%)

5 cups water

5.5 cups sugar

Using a "Microplane" zester, remove and save all the colored rind from the lemons, avoiding getting any white pith. If you do not have a microplane zester, get one or forget the whole thing.

Place the zest in a gallon glass lidded jar and add the Everclear. Replace the lid and allow to sit at least 14 days. After 14 days strain the infusion through a coffee filter. Bring the 5 cups water to a boil and stir in sugar until completely dissolved into a syrup. Allow to cool to room temperature. When cool, add the syrup to the infusion, mix well, and bottle. Keep in freezer and serve very cold in very small glasses.

The result of your ministrations:

Total volume 1.993 litre

% alcohol 37%

%water 63%

Here's how you imbibe:

How to enjoy Limoncello.

Limoncello is an "Aperitif", a French term for appetizer, taken before a

meal to stimulate the appetite or as an after dinner drink. Limoncello

should be served very cold, from the freezer, in a 1 ounce shot glass, and

sipped, allowing the sip to remain in the palate for up to a minute.

Limoncello has a soft entry and quickly fills the mouth with a crisp,

tangy and superbly delicious flavor. The relaxed, lingering finish is

balanced and a genuine pleasure. Salute!

WARNING!

1 shot of Limoncello contains approximately the same amount of alcohol

as one beer. However, because of the way in which it is consumed it will

enter the bloodstream very fast. Do not drive after drinking

Limoncello.

As stated above NEVER OPERATE A MOTOR VEHICLE AFTER IMBIBING LIMONCELLO! It has a delayed effect that can last several hours. You have been Warned!!!

Enjoy....

FOOTNOTE: For the REAL SMOOTHIE, try this: CREMA DE LIMONCELLO: (My own personal recipe) Add 1 jigger Limoncello to 2 jiggers 1/2 and 1/2 (CREAM, for you in Rio Linda). REAL SMOOOOOOOTH! This recipe ignores the vanilla bean thing, but unless you have a royal palate you won't miss it at all) NOTE!!! If you use this recipe please email me as to your results.

Alcohol % = 36.86%
	strength
Lemons	15
vodka	750 50%	0	ml
actual alcohol		0
everclear	750 95% 1	750	ml
actual alcohol		712.5	ml
Total alcohol		712.5	ml
water in alcohol		37.5	ml
water	cups 5	1182.94	ml
totalwater		1220.44	ml
sugar or	cups 4.5	1064.65	ml
time	steep days 7
time	age days 7
14