Limoncello. ‘The Elixir of the Gods.’ Tart, sweet, served bracingly cold; it’s the perfect liqueur for sipping after dinner. Add some Prosecco and berries like I recently did with this Limoncello Cooler and you’ve got an a gorgeous apertif. It’s well known the very best is made in Sicily but that should not stop you from making your own!
I love making liqueurs and it’s not about saving money; making your own allows you to not only control the quality of the end result but you can also determine taste based on the quantity of ingredients. Like something a bit less sweet? It’s in your hands. The added plus for me is that I love to offer guests a liqueur I’ve made and they’ve become so popular with my friends and family that holiday gift giving has been made much easier. I’ve done Limoncello, coffee, chocolate and cranberry liqueurs that I think I could bottle full-time if my friends had their say.
This Limoncello is made with plain Eureka lemons, the ones found most often in supermarkets. The Sorrento lemon with a zest high in lemon oils is preferred for making Limoncello in Italy but I’m happy with the results from the Eureka lemon; maybe the end result color is not quite the yellow from commercial brands, but the taste is what matters to me. The commercial brands of Limoncello I’ve purchased have included a dye for their coloring anyhow…so do that if you want but I’m good with a product that is not so yellow as long as the result is a bright, lemony flavor and this definitely measures up to that standard.
More important I believe for overall quality is using good organic produce. Since you will be steeping the peels for some time in vodka I strongly recommend using organic lemons that have not been doused with pesticides. The ones I used also had a thicker and yellower rind…all conducive to making a superior product.
You want peel, not pith!
Although Limoncello is made with the peels of lemon, it’s extremely important to not include any of the white pith that is next to the peel or it will impart a bitter taste. If there is any pith on a slice, scrape it off with a knife or spoon. I used a vegetable peeler and when necessary, a very sharp paring knife to scrape any pith from the peels. Some people prefer to grate the peels with a Microplane grater; though that does expose more of the peel to the vodka to extract the lemon essence I also think it’s more conducive to having some of that pith get included so I don’t recommend it.
Recipes for Limoncello are all over the map. Giada de Laurentis has a recipe that only takes 4 days, I’ve seen others that require the peels be steeped for months. I’m not sure how much lemon flavor will come from 4 days and I’m way too impatient to plan months in advance, so my favorite recipe takes 3-4 weeks (all depends on how impatient YOU are!).
I’ve also seen several recipes that call for Everclear which is 195 proof alcohol; it’s true that the aromatic elements are leached from the lemon peel by alcohol so it stands to reason that the higher the proof of the vodka, the better. But Everclear is a harsh ingredient and I simply don’t like it; add to that fact that some stores won’t carry it because of that high alcohol content so I want something that is a bit smoother and more readily available. Additionally the European recipes I’ve seen don’t use it and simply specify equal quantities of pure alcohol and water which is the equivalent of 100-proof vodka.So that’s what I use. Smirnoff 57 is 100-proof vodka; combining it with the others ingredients will result in a liqueur that is 60 proof which is what commercial varieties offer. If you can’t find 100 proof vodka, use the more common 80 proof and be sure to steep the peels for 4 weeks total to extract their flavor; your end result liqueur will then be 50-proof.
The high alcohol content is one reason Limoncello can be kept in the freezer without turning to a block of ice; the lower the alcohol content, the more ice formation you will see. If you do use 80-proof vodka; be sure to not overfill your bottles as you may see some ice crystals form; allowing some room for expansion will insure that you don’t have an explosion in your fridge!
Don’t limit yourself to just Limoncello; the same recipe can be used with limes, blood oranges, mandarins and more (next season I’m absolutely making Blood Orange Liqueur). Using grapefruit or their related fruits will result in something with a touch of bitterness, more akin to Campari or Aperol. Campari is just a bit too herbaceous for my tastes but I just love Aperol and the Aperol Spritz is a favorite cocktail so I need to put that on my own to do list.
By the way, the biggest expense I’ve found when it comes to making liqueurs for gifts are the bottles. I’ve begged for people to return them and some do but still, each year that I bottle up gifts, I’m flummoxed at how much I have to spend on bottles, often in the neighborhood of $8-10 each. Until now. Not only can I find smaller sizes than those available locally but the unit price for bottles at Specialty Bottles is so much lower. I bought 2 cases of these 8.5 oz bottle with a gold lid and these shrink bands for the top since I ship items over the holidays. Cost including shipping? About $2/bottle! I thought I would share this with you in case you want to start running your own brewing facility too!
Make this now…and be enjoying some with friends by the 4th of July…cheers!
It's such fun to make your own Limoncello!
Ingredients
- 12 organic lemons
- 1.75 liter bottle of 100-proof vodka, divided
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups sugar
Preparation
- Wash the lemons well with soapy water, rinse and dry.
- Remove the yellow part of the lemon peel with a sharp peeler being careful to avoid any of bitter white pith. If any pith remains on the back of a strip of peel, scrape it off with a sharp knife.
- Put the yellow peels in a jar or bottle, add half of the vodka and seal tightly. Leave the bottle to steep until the peels lose their color, at least 2 weeks.
- Combine one cup of the water all of the sugar in a saucepan and heat on medium high just until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, add one cup of ice cold water and let the mixture completely cool.
- Strain the vodka from the peels. I strain mine by wrapping some cheesecloth under a metal strainer and pouring through both; that will remove the large peels and any smaller particles. Once strained, add the remaining vodka and the syrup.
- Put the liqueur in bottles, seal tightly and store for at least 1 week before using.
- For drinking straight, store the Limoncello in the freezer.
Notes
Prep time does not include the time required to age the finished product.
{ 76 comments… read them below or add one }
can you make lemoncello from starfruit?
Limoncello and orangecello are made from the rinds of citrus; they extrapolate the oils for their flavor. I would think that with starfruit you would be better off to just make a fruit infused vodka; not totally unlike them but the fruit wouldn’t sit in the vodka for very long; maybe just a couple of days, before adding simple syrup. I’ve not done it so I’m sort of guessing myself; maybe a Google search would result in someone who has had the experience?
I am making this recipe and am confused if is ok to leave out of the fridge until time to use
(1 week before using).
Sorry for the delay; I’ve been packing and cleaning my home to put it up for sale…the blog has suffered a bit!
Sure…fine to keep out as long as it’s not a warm spot. I put mine in the garage while it’s brewing during the winter and in my cooler basement if I’m making a liqueur during the summer months. Hope you enjoy it!
I just made arancia rossa (blood orange) -cello today! I want to make limoncello too, but didn’t think that the recipe would only require 4 lemons as it did blood oranges. Glad to see this and thanks for the tips about the alcohol content. It’s good to know! Now to be patient for the weeks it takes until this is ready…
kelly @ kellybakes Most Recent Post: Salted Blood Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies with Almonds & Tips for Food Swapping
How funny…cause guess what I’m making next? If you guessed blood orange too! I want to buy every single one of them and juice them and have them all year long.
This is an elegant recipe which we shall surely attempt. Thank you for posting it on your equally elegant site.
Thank you for the great tip on the bottles as they will make lovely gifts!
You are most welcome Jo…it is a great resource and has saved me a ton of money in lieu of buying locally. I love making liqueurs for gifts and friends/family love receiving them but the bottle expense was killing me. :)
My parents are from Italy and for the past 4 xmas’ we’ve been going to Emilia-Romagna. The cuisine of this part of Italy is regarded as the finest in Italy by the Italians, but most Americans don’t know anything about this region or of the cuisine. Americans seem to think Italy is Tuacany. Tuscany is beautiful, but the region along the Adriatic coast has many of the same hilltowns with dramatic mountains that Tuscany has, but is not overrun with tourists (except europeans ).
Shh…don’t tell anyone else OK? It’s my dream to go to Italy but the idea of visiting and being surrounded with tourists has never been appealing so let’s keep it that way until I get there, OK? Sounds perfect and I’m perfectly jealous!
I don’t usually need the juice from 12 lemons at once, so I start a batch of limoncello and every time I need a lemon or two for a recipe I zest it first and add it to the batch. When I get enough zest I let it sit two weeks and I’m ready to go. Also, to keep the alcohol level up enough to avoid freezing I dissolve the sugar in vodka instead of water before adding it.
What a great idea…when I make I do end up freezing the juice; it’s a bit too much lemon curd at one time.
So happy to have found your blog. Limoncello is my favorite! A friend went to Italy a couple of years ago. She went to a restaurant where the owner served homemade Basilcello. She was so sad when she could not find it here. I used the basic recipe that you show, steeping the basil leaves for about 2 weeks. It turned out really well and now she looks forward to getting a bottle every Christmas. This year I made the recipe using cranberries. It is such a beautiful red, and given with the basilcello makes a great red and green christmas gift!
Ooh would love to try that Rebecca…how much basil did you use?
Your post is fantastic! I truly wish I had seen this before I made roughly a gallon of limoncello last Spring when my Meyer and Eureka trees were in overdrive, using the two bottles of Everclear I had tucked away to use for another project. You are soooo right about the harshness of Everclear! That batch has a very harsh burn to it, and it must be mixed with ice, seltzer, or iced tea to be drinkable…the flavor is amazing but the burn is incredible. I will definitely follow your advice and use 100-proof vodka for next year’s batch. Might also try making a small batch of mixed citrus liqueur using the fruit from my trees (lemon, grapefruit, tangerine/mandarin). What ratios of fruit (lemon to grapefruit to mandarin to lime) would you suggest, if it’s OK to ask? How did the blood orange liqueur turn out? It sounds lovely!
can’t wait to start making some of your liquors!
Thanks for your writeup on this.
I love making liquers, and though I enjoy drinking them,
the most fun is sharing them and seeing other peoples enjoyment
and amazement “you made this from stuff out of your garden?”
With limoncello, I find that I get plenty of extraction within a few days and 4days is enough to get flavour and colour without too much bitterness from the pith if you happen to have a bit in there.
it can depend a lot on alc% and temp, agitation (gentle mix every day).
one lime to every 6-10 lemons adds that little extra dimention to the final product as does a lemon leaf or two.
when the colour is almost bleached out of the lemon leaf,
it tells me to procede to the next step with sugar etc.
another favorite variation of mine, although not strictly Limoncello,
but moving more in flavour towards another famous yellow Italian liquer in tall slender bottle is roughly as follows…
add to the above recipe while macerting before adding sugar,
a couple of vanilla pods,
some coriander seeds,
dried liquorice root and
a bit of aniseed or star anise
and a small piece of cinnamon quill
a few cardamom seeds
leave sit till extracted (1-4weeks depending on alc strength )
add sugar, then age to mature.
the maturation is important no matter how smooth the base spirit as it takes time for the ‘elements’ to come together as one.
the flavours tend to ‘stand apart’ for a while as soon as it’s mixed.
if you want higher proof final product add straight sugar without water,
it just takes a few days to dissolve.
Nocino is delicious too.
In mid summer, or just before (when walnuts haven’t quite hardened their shells)
pick green walnuts and prick with a stainless steel pin or needle to allow alcohol to extract flavour
for 1litre of spirit (40%… though 50% is better)
12 walnuts
a cinnamon stick
5 cloves
1/2 a nutmeg
Rind of 1 lemon
1cup of sugar
leave for a month, and adjust sugar to your taste if you want.
strain and bottle
home made grape spirit is good,
make it strong and clean.
or find someone who makes it.
grain or cane spirit is good to , depends where/what cimate you live
and what raw materials are available for making it…
where it’s legal to do so of course ;-)
I’ve heard of Nocino…now I just have to get out and get some walnuts don’t I? Thanks for all of the information!
What do you think about storing/steeping in mason jars (classy, huh?) Wondering how airtight the container should be. If metal lids are an issue, I have lots of older jars with glass lids, although not sure if new rubber rings are available for a truly airtight seal. What say you?
I’ve done that Susan without a problem; as a matter of fact I’ve got some cranberry liqueur from Christmas in them. Although keeping them closed is important, the fact is that it’s the alcohol that prohibits spoilage, not a hot water bath or a tight lid like most things put into canning jars. I do keep mine stored in the fridge though once I open one.
I am so excited to try this, and I love the idea of preparing these items for gifts!!
My only warning? It will be hard to give them something ongoing that will measure up! I do a cranberry liqueur that’s on the blog too…now I just alternate. :)
We have friends here in France who make this. So delish! So Italian!
And the best part? So easy! Not easy waiting but worth it.
Do you know where I can get the labels for homemade limoncello?
Recipe looks good(:
Definitely gonna try this with blood oranges! Thanks for sharing :)
“Spice it Up”
I would so do them NOW if they were available…but then I love them so much next year I’m juicing dozens and freezing the juice so I’m not limited to the short season of getting them fresh. Won’t they make a gorgeous liqueur?
Barb: What an informative and great post on this homemade limoncello. Luv it! I will definitely be trying this. I like the recipes you have on your site too that use limoncello! :) Adorable glasses you’ve used to present them.
Thanks Cristina and thanks for stopping by; nice to see your face…err, camera. :)
This looks fabulous Barbara!! I love limoncello but have yet to make my own. Also your suggestion of a mandarin version is timely as I have an abundance of mandarins at the moment.
Would love to try manadarin…you HAVE to let me know if you do!
Just awesome – i can’t wait to make my own!
It is awesome! You have to let me know if you do make it, promise?
Can’t wait to try it!
Aren’t you the lucky one? I’ll have sparkling lemon soda available too if you want to keep the booze portion limited; you know, for the Little Dipper.
I’ve been dying to make limoncello and now I have a recipe! I can’t imagine how wonderful it is homemade! I’m drunk just looking at it!
Someone mentioned in the comments that they felt the Limoncello from Italy was better but I’m not sure how I could ever agree…but then we know how making our own anything elevates the experience in a different way, right? I think this tastes great…and so far so does everyone I’ve gifted some too…do it, make it! :)
must try this at least once and see if it works Love mine in the freezer Makes it extra special
Of course it works! I will be ‘testing’ some again soon. Probably another reason to not store and test for 3 months. I would have nothing left after 3 months of ‘testing.’
Wow Limoncello! If anything can get me to make my own it would be this! Beautiful… and I agree that 4 days is nuts but months would drive me crazy. A month would work and how I love using Limoncello in desserts! And I love the idea of making this with other citrus fruits.
Soon I will have to do a room addition just for my bottles of liqueurs…I’m a bit obsesses. DEFINITELY make blood orange liqueur when they become available at the end of the year but before then? Limecello has to be done, stat! The thing about the timing is this…I’m not finishing off the bottle overnight…it will continue to age once I’ve started on it, right? I’ve got about 2 liters of liqueur…that will actually take me quite some time to get through so I’ll know if there is a significant change in timing and I’m betting not enough to wait for 2 additional LONG months!
As the ingredient you are extracting from the rind is the lemon essential oil, do you think you could skip the steeping process entirely and simply just add pure (organic) lemon essential oil for an instant result?
Well I suppose you could but I see these issues: First, your result would have no color at all; though my photo of the limoncello in the glass was not indicative, you can see in the bottle of it that it’s definitely got the expected yellow color. No biggie really. More importantly, part of that steeping process also mellows out the alcohol. Not giving the limoncello any time to breathe and meld with the lemon essence would most likely result in a harsher tasting product. More aging is better than less. Last…there is always something better about using fresh ingredients in my opinion; I’m wondering if the extracted liquid would come close to the effort using real lemons?
If you decide to try it; please let me know. Would be interesting to know what you think of the results.
It’s an interesting experiment, one that I will try and subject my friends to blind tastings for comparison. In theory:
a) starting with a good quality vodka would mean it wouldn’t be harsh and therefore wouldn’t need aging;
b) the EO would disperse fully and immediately into the vodka, so aging shouldn’t be required for full flavour dispersal or potential;
c) using an EO would mean that you could *exactly* replicate the results with the same batch/bottle of EO, rather than having varied results depending on steeping time, size of lemons, species of lemons etc;
d) you could tweak the taste to suit on the fly, drop by drop, getting immediate feedback, rather than waiting 2 weeks only to record the results for adjustments in later batches
The insane ramblings of an aromatherapy junkie at work :o)
I love it…and now you MUST let me know when you get results, OK? Using a better vodka will absolutely help!
I can’t wait to make this! Looks and sounds so delicious! So easy I don’t know why I have never made it before!
I think a lot of folks have no idea how easy it is to make your own liqueurs. Be sure to check out my site for cranberry liqueur for the holidays; it is also so good and so gorgeous!
You are so right…home made lemoncello is so much better. I also make French 44 and Nocino, which is made from green walnuts; almost time to make that soon.
I’ve never heard of that Mary; how interesting…would love to know if you post something about it.
I have been making this since visiting the Amalafi coast several years ago. I first bought several bottles from Capri and positano , then I noticed all the bartenders were making their own and started collecting their recipes. I returned home and started making my own. My recipe is VERY similar to yours and I do use the 100proof vodka. Everyone I have given it to loves it, and since I live in Florida I use Meyer lemons ,the best. For bottles, I save any small wine bottles and beg and borrow them friends. I do keep several fifths in the freezer and go from there. Love your site and all you do, many thanks,M
Mari…so good to know I have a compadre! And ever better to know you’ve had the real deal and this version works too. What differences are there between our recipes?
I love limoncello too. A couple of years ago I made a big batch that I didn’t quite finish off. I wonder what 2 year old buddha hand citron vodka tastes like? I bet it just might be pretty good. Yours looks so refreshing. I can’t wait to try one of those Prosecco coolers sometime.
Bring it to Girls Nite In and we can ‘test’ it for you. I’ll be making Limoncello coolers that night…it won’t be long!
Okay so now I need to get some 100-proof vodka. I’ve got a few French recipes that call for eau de vie and never thought you could find anything that strong here. First thing I’m making is this limoncello!
I’ve found both Smirnoff and another brand called Wolfschmidt which is a tiny bit cheaper. Both have worked equally well. I’ve had someone comment I really should make it with Everclear but I would guess it would have to mellow MUCH longer to be drinkable. Beyond that, it’s not available everywhere; one fellow I talked to said they refuse to carry it and I think I’ve read that some states won’t even allow it so that sealed the deal for me. Good luck; let me know how it turns out for you Sylvie.
I can’t wait to try this. This weekend! Thank you for sharing this, I really appreciate it!
You’re most welcome Sarah…enjoy!
Homemade Limoncello is such a fantastic idea Barb and its pretty simple to put together too! In my world, any recipe that calls for almost 2 bottles of vodka should be tried immediately. ;)
I think that calls for a Limoncello muffin don’t you think? I do use it with pound cake and cheesecake; why not muffins?!!
Love the photos! Try making it once with everclear. I bet you never go back to vodka ;)
I think with Everclear the wait time would have to substantially increase to make it palatable Julie…it might extract more of the lemon goodness but it’s so harsh that I prefer using a lower proof when I make mine. Beyond that? It’s not that readily available; I’ve talked to some liquor store owners who won’t carry it due to the high alcohol content and it’s popularity with kids so I thought it best to share my process that doesn’t make procuring of ingredients difficult!
yum; love limoncello.
I love this recipe! Just take a look on these pictures, they are amazing. Thanks for sharing this one, will have to try it out. Keep up with excellent work. :)
Thanks so much Danijela; I hope you do try it!
I have been waiting on this post since the moment you brought it up in a previous recipe! Although you know that I am not much of drinker, I adore Limoncello and can’t wait to make a huge bottle of this for summer! Gorgeous photos, Barb!
I made that Limoncello cooler two weeks ago using Prosecco but since have also had it with just lemon sparkling water Jamie. It is the lightest and prettiest drink…perfect for ‘not much of a drinker’ like you. I love this stuff; I’ve always loved Limoncello but have to tell you I think this is the best…so fresh and it shows!
Barb, this is just lovely. I’ve never made my own liqueur before and I’ve been wanting too. After reading this and how easy it all sounds, I officially declare I will be making my own Limoncello! And soon :) Wonderful post
Thanks so much Kate…they are really so simple I’m only upset I didn’t start making them decades ago. But maybe just as well…I would by now have no room at the inn for anything but bottles of my latest concoction I suppose huh?
This has got to be the *go-to* post for making your own limoncello! Thank you for writing this, for your beautiful photographs and for your enlightening preparation tips.
Awww…love that Paula, such a sweet compliment. I’ve done the tasting and the testing and this one, for the time involved is not definitely my ‘go to’ for sure.
You’ve inspired me to try this – I love limoncello! Time for summer cocktails. Your photos are stunning, too.
Thanks so much Hannah and yes, hoping I got in done in time for readers to get it done…there is NOTHING quite like a freezer cold Limoncello on a hot evening; promise.
My MIL makes limoncello and keeps it chilled int he freezer. SO good! I really need to get on it and make some myself!
Yes ma’am you do…it’s so easy…get to it girl!
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