Close family friends brought this recipe back from Italy 50 years ago. Many homes in Italy keep a chilled bottle of homemade Limoncello in the fridge to serve as an after-dinner “digestivo”. It’s so easy to make, with a little patience you will never buy Limoncello from the store again. Salute! Note: waste-not, want-not. You can easily make delicious homemade Lemonade with the leftover peeled lemons.

Limoncello

Ingredients:

10 thick-skinned lemons
750 ml bottle 100 proof vodka
2 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups water

Steps:

Wash the lemons with hot water and a soft brush to remove any wax. Dry.
Carefully peel the lemons avoiding cutting into the bitter white pith. Alternatively, you can use a Microplane to zest the lemons. Put the lemon zest and ½ bottle of vodka in a jar and seal for 2 weeks. Note: if using a lemon peeler, break up the lemon peels so they are submerged in the vodka.
After 2 weeks:
Make a simple syrup: in a small saucepan, over medium heat, mix the water and sugar until the sugar is dissolved; let it cool and add it to the jar with the zest and the remainder of the vodka.
Let it sit in a dark, cool place for 6 weeks.
After 6 weeks:
Strain through several layers of cheesecloth into clean bottles and seal with a cap or tight-fitting cork.
Keep Limoncello in the fridge or freezer because it is best served cold.

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