Limoncello recipe

I thought we could celebrate the advent of this sunny spring weekend with Italy's most famous after dinner liqueur. I like mine tart, zesty, not too sugary, ice-cold and dreamy.

The homemade kind is always a million times better than the bottled, so here's the secret to lavish limoncello.

Ingredients will yield 2 quarts of limoncello

9-10 unwaxed large organic lemons - or enough to produce 300 g (10 oz lemon peels)
600 gr (2 ½ cups) sugar
1 lt (4 cups) 95% grade alcohol* (can be substituted with very good quality Russian vodka)
1.2 lt (1 quart + 1 cup) bottled water (not sparkling, I use Evian)

*Grain alcohol (Ethanol) is available at concentrations of 95% alcohol (190 proof) and 75.5% (151 proof). It is illegal to sell the 190-proof variety in some states of the U.S., including California, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington. In some of these states, the 151-proof variety may be sold. In Canada, it is not sold in Saskatchewan but is available in Alberta. The British, Australian and New Zealand retail policies are, like in Europe, quite lenient as far as ethanol is concerned.

Soak lemons in tap water and baking soda for 10 minutes. 

Rinse well several times and pat dry. Peel the lemons as closely as you can, using a curved paring knife to remove any white sponge-like pith, which is too bitter and can spoil the outcome. 

Use the peel for this recipe and save the lemons for granita, juice or other applications. For limoncello, all you need is the skin of the fruit.

Soak the lemon peels in a large tightly closed glass or ceramic carafe or tall jar with the alcohol to macerate for 7 days in a cool, dry place. The rinds will become brittle through this procedure, extracting all their fabulous essence into the spirit.

On the final day, in a large stewpot, bring the bottled water with the sugar to a boil. When the sugar is completely dissolved, cover and remove the pot from the stove and allow your syrup to cool to room temperature.

Strain the alcohol with a tight mesh gauze or double cheesecloth, discard the peels and pour the filtered alcohol in the syrup in one single, steady splash. This will ensure opacity to the blend. Proper limoncello should not be clear, rather cloudy and bright pale yellow in color.

Transfer the resulting liqueur in individual glass bottles (makes about 2 liters, or a half gallon). Close each firmly with a natural cork stopper and wait until completely cool before storing in the freezer. On each bottle proudly apply a handwritten label that reads "limoncello made by me." 

Serve chilled in small shot glasses and pat yourself on the back.