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Home-made limoncello is easy and inviting
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Recently we sampled a limoncello liqueur that we can only describe as magnificent.
Our cousin had traveled to Italy to bring back her family’s own recipe, which she used to make up this lemon concoction. She served it actually in lovely little limoncello glasses as an after-dinner aperitivo. And because she keeps it in her freezer, there were tiny slivers of ice floating in the aromatic citrus-ey liquid. We were hooked. We had to try making it ourselves.
Limoncello is, of course, available in most liquor stores and in shops in Federal Hill. And this sweet-tart liqueur is fine indeed. Most Americans seem to refer to it by the name ‘limoncello,’ but in northern Italy, the common designation is ‘limoncino.’ Jill used 100-proof vodka to make her own limoncello. The original recipes, however, often call for whole-grain alcohol, which is distilled to 151-proof, to a maximum of 190-proof.
So back to the kitchen, and fifteen lemons later, we’re on our way. We invite you to continue with us as we travel our limoncello-making journey. We began six days ago by peeling what seemed like one hundred lemons. It was easier than we’d thought, thankfully, to pare just the outer coating off the lemons without digging into the white pulp. We then squeezed the juice from the peeled lemons, and froze it in ice-cube trays for future use.
The brew is sitting on the counter, and we await the next step in this venture. Ciao. 
Jill’s Family Limoncello
15 large lemons
2 750ML bottles 100-proof vodka
4 cups sugar
5 cups water
Wash lemons carefully and pat dry. Remove zest from lemons with a peeler or paring knife, taking care to take off only the outer skin, and not the white pulp.
Place zest pieces in a large glass container. Add contents of one bottle of vodka, close jar, and let mixture marinate for 10 days.
After 10 days, combine sugar and water in saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat until mixture forms a clear syrup. Allow to cool completely. Add syrup to zest mixture in jar, then add second bottle of vodka. Reseal jar and let marinate another 10 days.
At end of the second 10-day period, strain mixture, removing zest. Bottle limoncello into smaller jars and store in freezer. Makes about 60 servings. Serving size: about 1-1/2 ounces.
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