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Limoncello

Source of Recipe

From "The Complete Autumn and Winter Cookbook" by America's Test Kitchen


Recipe Introduction

"Italians often end grand, leisurely meals with a small chilled glass of this refreshing, palate-cleansing liqueur. Making limoncello is a simple process in which strips of lemon zest are steeped in a neutral-tasting spirit to extract the zest's flavors and aromas. Traditionally this takes a month or longer, but we wanted speedier gratification—without compromising flavor—so we turned to the blender. Because alcohol is so efficient at extracting soluble compounds from flavoring agents, we found that processing the zest with vodka in the blender served both to extract these flavor compounds mechanically and to create more surface area on which the alcohol could act to extract flavors more quickly. After just one week, our processed zest yielded as much flavor as strips that had been steeped for a month. Over time, a fine sediment of innocuous pith residue may form on the surface of the liqueur; if you like, repeat straining the liqueur through cheesecloth, or simply shake it. You will need a quart-size glass jar with a tight-fitting lid for this recipe."

List of Ingredients

â—¦  40 (3-inch) strips lemon zest (4 large lemons)
â—¦  10 ounces vodka
â—¦  1 ½ cups sugar
â—¦  18 ounces water



Recipe

Process lemon zest and vodka in blender until finely ground, about 30 seconds. Transfer mixture to quart-size glass jar. Cover and store in cool, dark place for 1 week, shaking mixture once every other day.

Set fine-mesh strainer in medium bowl and line with triple layer of cheesecloth. Strain vodka mixture through prepared strainer, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids. Return infused vodka to clean jar.

Heat sugar and water in small saucepan over medium heat, whisking often, until sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes; do not boil. Let cool completely, about 30 minutes; add to jar with vodka mixture. Cover and gently shake to combine. Refrigerate to chill before serving. (Limoncello can be refrigerated for up to 1 year. Shake gently before using.)

Makes about 32 ounces



• Crema di Limoncello:
Substitute 16 ounces of half-and-half for 16 ounces of water.

• Arancello:
Substitute forty 3-inch strips of sour orange zest (4 oranges) for lemon zest. Sour oranges (also known as Seville, bigarade, bitter, or marmalade oranges) can be found in Latin American and Caribbean grocery stores. If you can't find sour oranges, substitute twenty 3-inch strips of sweet orange zest (such as navel), ten 3-inch strips of lemon zest, and eight 2-inch strips of lime zest for sour orange zest.