Homemade Limoncello! The same that I offer as chef at home in Tuscany

Last week I run a Facebook Live Streaming on how to make homemade limoncello.

There was a great success of my recipe on the arancello that I published some time ago here on the blog, but it was necessary to dedicate a chapter to Limoncello.

chef at home limoncello

Needless to say that my Facebook Live Streaming has been very successful.

For those ones who prefer to watch a video instead of reading a recipe: here’s the video of the full Facebook Live streaming, the complete recipe step by step of what we did that day.

Otherwise below you will find a written recipe. The doses and all the advice are necessary to make the homemade Limoncello exceptional! The recipe comes directly from my mom as on the other hand the one for the arancello and it has never ever been a failure.

I am a professional chef and a sommelier. I run cooking classes and private dinners throughout Tuscany at the holiday homes of foreign tourists. Well, I often offer a good glass of homemade limoncello at the end of each of our private dinners. It’s the best Italian digestif!

HOMEMADE LIMONCELLO

Follow the advice because there are several tips to follow.

you must leave the zests for no more than 7 days in alcohol. Well, you can also do it (if your lemons allow it), but take a look at the alcohol. Keeping the peels in infusion for too long causes the essential oils to come out, and this does not give you an excellent taste but it gives a slightly spicy tingling aroma which in my opinion it is not good.
another trick to be respected is to buy as many lemons as possible with a thick peel. Yes, they peel in fact much better and there is less risk that your limoncello will be bitter. But not only this. In fact, thick skin means often more “aroma”, “perfume”…”taste”
here in Italy, we use alcohol the alcohol at 95 degrees in the United States is impossible to find. Well, I found that limoncello comes very good with Everclear.
you can use the peeled lemons to make amazing marmalade; you can use “alcoholized” lemon zests to make potpourri for your closets and drawers.

This one I’m about to give you is really an amazing recipe and so treasure it: this homemade limoncello is something amazing.

Please make it and let me know.

Alla Salute!

limoncello chef at home

HOMEMADE LIMONCELLO (MY MOM’S FOOLPROOF RECIPE)

INGREDIENTS

8 🍋 LEMONS

1 Lt Everclear (here in Italy 1 Lt Alcohol 95%vol)

5 cups granulated Sugar

1 Lt Water

Tools: potato peeler https://amzn.to/2RGZJGA

Glass Jar with airtight closure https://amzn.to/3ba3pYj

INSTRUCTIONS

Peel the lemons (make sure you don’t get the white part)
Place the zests in a big jar and pour in the alcohol 95% or Everclear
Seal the jar and let it infuse for a max of 7 days in a dark place
On the sixth day make a simple syrup: pour the sugar in a pot with the water, let it dissolve, and boil for about 5 minutes
Let it cold
The day after, using a strainer, add the “lemon” alcohol to the syrup (so that lemons’ skins don’t go into the Limoncello)
Mix it well for a couple of minutes
Fill up some glass empty bottles
Limoncello is now ready! You can wait 7 days to refine it OR drink immediately.
Just drink it when is very cold, better if you put it in the freezer
Serve it in small glasses
Store in a dry and dark place the other bottles