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:

1. Wash the lemons with hot water and a soft brush to remove any wax. Dry.

2. 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:

3. 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.

4. Let it sit in a dark, cool place for 6 weeks.

   After 6 weeks:

5. Strain through several layers of cheesecloth into clean bottles and seal with a cap or tight-fitting cork.

6. Keep Limoncello in the fridge or freezer because it is best served cold.