Yes, we finally have limoncello! (And also grapefruit liqueur…don’t forget about that one!)

If you have time, check out my previous post for Steps 2 and 3 (also within that post is the link to Step 1): Steps 2 and 3 to homemade limoncello

And nooowww (drumroll please) we are ready to unveil the goodness that is this my pride and joy this summer…

Bottle on the left is the grapefruit liqueur
Bottle on the right is the limoncello

Here are the steps I took to finalize this long, long process…

– I strained the liquid one last time
– I found appropriately sized bottles for storing the liqueur
– I placed the bottles in the freezer
– Approximately 3 hours later I got them out of the freezer and poured a shot of each. Yes, a shot of each…

(The only other thing I need to do is create a label for the bottles… still working on a snazzy name brand. “Lori’s Limoncello”? Seems to fall flat… any other ideas out there?)

But back to the tasting… I was pleasantly surprised at how smooth and fresh and sweet and PERFECT they were! (In fact I could barely tell the difference between the homemade and the store bought version I’ve been sipping on for the past several years!) All by themselves they are great to sip on… but I’ve also discovered that I LOVE the limoncello this way: Heatwave Lemonade

And I’m working on a grapefruit martini (well, not at this exact moment… after all, it’s not even 5:30 am… you know what I mean!) Stay tuned for more on that beverage…

enjoy your time in the kitchen…

We are one step (and 40 days) away from being able to enjoy this limoncello. This process takes about 3 months from beginning to start… I cannot wait!

To see what the first steps look like, go here: Steps 2 and 3 to homemade limoncello. Within that blog post will be a link to Step 1.

This is today’s finished product…

Here is where I picked up… I pulled the two containers of liqueur out of the dark and cool cabinet plus I need coffee filters, a funnel, a ladle, baker’s sugar, and distilled water.

Hours before I was ready to tackle this time-involved process I made the simple syrup. I chose “baker’s sugar” over granulated sugar simply because it is finer and dissolves quickly. The simple syrup must cool before it can be added to the liqueur.

To make simple syrup you simply add 2 parts sugar and 1 part water to a pot and turn on the heat. Once the sugar is dissolved and the liquid turns clear then it’s done. Give it a few stirs throughout this process… it’s that easy.

And when you’re ready to start the filtration process here is how it goes…

Remove the lemon rinds… they have served their purpose here. Lacking their bright yellow color at this point they still smell like lemon, but the taste has been left behind in the liqueur.

The liqueur now needs to be filtered of the “floaties”… yes, take a close look. It’s not pretty… but it will be much prettier later in this post.

Here we go… find a coffee filter, a funner and another container to strain the liquid into. You might be surprised how fast these filters clog with “floaties”. So be prepared to switch out the filter with nearly each ladle-full of liquid.

This process is time consuming, but necessary and well worth it.

Once it was time, I simply plopped the used filter into a bowl and placed a new one in the funnel.

Already you can see how much clearer the liquid is…

So let’s step back and take a look at the whole process here. And as you’ll see I’m filtering two liqueurs. While I’m at it I’m trying my hand at a grapefruit liqueur as well. (YUM!)

Similarly you’ll see that the grapefruit rinds have lost of lot of their color in the past 40 days. But they imparted some major flavor to the vodka. Wow…

And THIS is what the last ladle of limoncello looks like before it gets filtered. I’m happy to know it’s being filtered out.

Also this is what’s left behind in the last filter… blech! I’m glad it’s in the filter and not in the prized liqueur.

And here is where I’m going to skip some pics… the liqueur got filtered again. Yes, it got filtered a second time. The second time around the process went a bit faster… yay!

The last step is adding the cooled simple syrup to the liqueur and then adding it back to cook, dark cabinet.

I snuck a sip of the grapefruit liqueur … and if it’s any indication of what this is going to be like in 40 more days… well, holy moly!!! That will be the day!

In the meantime I’m counting the days…

enjoy your time in the kitchen…

Have YOU ever had limoncello? I first enjoyed this after a meal at a ristorante in a back-alley in Florence, Italy. The aperitif is said to clean the palate and leave the belly warm as you stroll through the streets at night…

Yes, it’s THAT romantic. And ever since then I’ve had a small bottle of Villa Massa limoncello in my freezer.

So, let’s try making it at home…

Here is where I started after researching dozens of recipes…

Step 1:

– Combine 750 ml bottle of vodka and 750 ml bottle of Everclear (tasteless grain alcohol) in a container with a lid, at least the size of a gallon.
– Add rinds from 15 large organic lemons (unwaxed, scrubbed clean with a vegetable brush). You will want to use the lemons with thick, bright skin that are mostly free of flaws/nicks.

Using a swivel peeler is the best (it will peel off just the skin)… but if you don’t have one of those you can use a knife. Just make sure to skim the white off the back of the skin with a knife…

Note on peeling lemons… if you are using a knife you will most likely need to remove the white pith on the back of it. You don’t want any of that white pith – it makes the drink bitter.

So, just keep peeling those lemons… one by one. And add the rinds to the alcohol. Below are the rinds from one lemon.

(It was at about this moment that I realized I needed a larger container. Hence, the different container in the next few pics.)

Yes, this is a labor of love… and believe me, it’s very worth it! Keep peeling…

And of course, once you’ve peeled the lemons you will want to juice them. I poured mine into ice cube trays and threw them in the freezer. Summer’s a comin’…

Where do I go from here?
What are the next steps?
How long does this process take?

Once I add the Everclear (tomorrow), I will transfer the fluids to a larger container (with a tight lid) and set it aside in a cool/dark place. Every two weeks I will gently stir the mixture. After 5-6 weeks I will test the lemon rinds.

How to test the rinds? Remove a rind and bend it in half… if it snaps apart like a crisp potato chip then it’s time to move to the next step. The lemon rinds will impart a most beautiful flavor without sourness or bitterness … just enough tartness to make it fabulous!

But it’s a slow process. So what’s the next step? After these 30-40 days there will be another 30-40 days in the process. Like I said, it’s a labor of love. I can’t wait to try this during the summer…

Follow along with me?

Stay tuned… you won’t regret it…

AND, I’m also making this with grapefruit…

Can’t wait… I can’t wait!

enjoy your time in the kitchen…