In addition to limoncello, the shop also sells honey, marmalade, pastries, and natural cosmetics made with lemons. The shop is impossible to miss with lemon products literally spilling out onto the cobblestones alongside the staircase leading to Amalfi’s cathedral façade. Making limoncello at home is easier than you think and it only requires a little time and 3 ingredients — lemon peel, high proof clear alcohol and sugar. (Water too, but we don’t count that.) That’s it! Make the simple syrup (sugar and water mixture). Let it cool then add it to the lemon infused alcohol.

Unless you are pretty familiar with your lemon variety, this means that you have to be a detective and taste-test every few days after a week has passed. I find that two weeks works well using Everclear and my Eureka lemons.Here’s a really useful tool to help you with that – Limoncello Alcohol Percentage Calculator. Simply type in the liquor quantity in milliliters, its proof divided by 2 and desired limoncello strength. So if you ever think I can just weight all the ingredients, ex. weight sugar, weight, water and weight lemons – please don’t. In Italy, the Limoncello is stored in the freezer, as well as the glasses where it will be served. Usually, it is served at the end of a lavish meal (preferably evening) either together with a dessert or after. So source it I did. For this recipe, I used 190 proof Everclear, which is 95% alcohol. This alcohol is great for extracting flavor, not delicious for drinking. But, we change that with the addition of sugar syrup at the end. All sweeteners like corn syrup, honey, maple syrup, blue agave syrup and even brown sugar will impact the taste of the final product, sometimes not in a pleasant way. So substitute with caution and only if you’re familiar with the alternative sweetener itself.

Furthermore, limoncello is usually heavily sweetened and a single bottle may contain as much as 300 grams (10.5 Oz) of sugar. A study proves botulism cannot grow in Alcohol: ”The growth and neurotoxin production (botulism) was delayed by an ethanol concentration of 4% ethanol and completely inhibited by a concentration of 6%”.In 1988, a businessman from Capri named Massimo Canale registered the first trademark with the word “limoncello,” using a recipe handed down from his great-great-grandmother and commercializing the drink outside of the region. It was an idea—and a product—that would prove wildly successful, as limoncello has transcended not only the region but all of Italy to be considered an international and world-class tradition. Different Lemons, Different Attributes Botulism concerns home canning… not fermentation or infusions of fruits and vegetables. Here is more information about botulism from the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service:

Limoncello is an infused spirit made by steeping lemon peels in grain alcohol for an extended period of time. The infusion is then sweetened with simple syrup. You can adjust the sweetness to your liking. What You’ll Need Lemons In most cases, limoncello is served in a shot glass or a small stemmed glass to avoid it from getting warm. While limoncello may finally be a young beverage, it didn’t take long for Italy to have embraced it with supposedly time-honoured traditions. Meanwhile, it limoncello is tasted at room temperature, it may taste remarkably cloying and overly sweet in a similar way to a warm Coca-Cola. Limoncello Alcohol Volume Percentage

What Next?

This off-the-beaten-path family agricultural enterprise is centered within the compound of an old convent. On the picturesque grounds, the third generation of the Pollio family cultivates olives, lemons, and fruit trees, lovingly making up homemade products from limoncello to chocolate and other digestivi made with walnuts and fennel. You can extract a little more flavor from lemon peels if you shake the bottle with infused lemon peels once a day. This step is optional if you’re using Everclear alcohol or other 190+ Proof alcohol but it’s super important when you make Limoncello with vodka. Step 1 – Peel the lemons using an angled peeler or Y-peeler. Make sure to remove all of the white pith.

So while this recipe may differ from what your Italian relatives might make in their kitchen, this gives you a foolproof way to make and bottle your own limoncello recipe — and perhaps pass it down to the next generation. Find done-for-you calculations and measurements of Limoncello ingredients when using different types of alcohol. All calculations below make 33-34% vol or 66-68 Proof Limoncello of moderate sweetness How To Make Limoncello With Everclear 151 Proof Alcohol (75.5% abv) Measuring mugs: it is very important to use the exact proportion of syrup vs alcohol. Measurements mugs are a must.

Where To Buy Italian Limoncello In The USA?

In Italy, certain prized agricultural products are strictly regulated. Lemons grown in certain designated regions of Capri and the Sorrentine peninsula fall under the legal protection afforded by an I.G.P. (Indicazione Geografica Protetta), a protected geographic area. Two consortia protect the two main lemons cultivated there based on their cultural, historical, and culinary importance. These certified areas are protected under laws of the European Union.