Do-it-yourself Christmas gifts - Homemade Limoncello

November 8, 7:19 PMBudget Living ExaminerCarol Hilker

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A cool homemade or do-it-yourself Christmas gift is homemade Limoncello

Do-it-yourself Christmas gifts- Homemade Limoncello

Every Christmas, even with all the Black Friday and pre-Black Friday sales, many of us still come up short, finding ourselves being creative when developing Christmas gift ideas for 2009.  The best way to save money and get into the season of giving is to start a do-it-yourself Christmas tradition.

Do-it-yourself Christmas gifts not only save you money, but also bring a sense of accomplishment.  Do-it-yourself Christmas gifts can be as simple as making someone a holiday pie and wrapping it sharply in a hat box or as intricate as making someone a homemade quilt or gingerbread house.

The best do-it-yourself Christmas gift idea for this 2009 holiday season is to make a few batches of homemade limoncello.  (Little known fact about limoncello - remember when Danny DeVito showed up on ;The View', "incoherent" and "still drunk from the night before" - that was limoncello that he and Clooney were tipping back).

Besides being Danny DeVito's drink of choice when he rode through Manhattan with his head out of a limo, homemade limoncello  makes a wonderful holiday or hostess gift.   Traditionally, limoncello is used to grab the flavor of lemon without the bitterness that makes our lips pucker.  Besides being a cocktail, it's used on salads and for marinades, adds a kick to fresh fruit and ice cream, and can bring a nice flavor to just about anything.

When to Start Limoncello

The trick to a good limoncello is time.  This limoncello Recipe is best started by the second week of November and finished as close to the holidays as possible, making it the perfect do-it-yourself Christmas gift idea for 2009.  Limoncello is also a great do-it-yourself gift idea for last-minute or surprise gift givers (it wont look like you forgot or re-gifted if it's homemade by you).

They call me Limoncello

Unlike many other liqueurs, limoncello is easy and inexpensive to produce, requiring only sugar, water, lemon zest, alcohol, and time to mature. Limoncello is made by extracting the essential oils from the lemon zest by soaking it in high proof neutral spirits, then diluting the result with simple syrup. Homemade limoncello often has a stronger, more pronounced lemon flavor than brands sold in stores.

Different varieties of lemon are used to produce different flavors. The variety of lemon used is usually dictated by region. Various alcohols can be used to give distinct flavors. A higher proof alcohol maximizes extraction of the lemon flavor, whereas darker alcohols add complexity of flavor. Higher quality sugars used in the infusion process can create a sweeter liqueur

The liquor  was born at the beginning of 1900, in a small boarding house of the Sicilian island Azzurra, where a woman named Maria Antonia Farace took care of an extensive garden of lemons and oranges. Her nephew opened a bar with the specialty being his grandma's lemon liquor recipe and it became the town staple.   

In 1988, the son Massimo Canale started a small handmade production of limoncello, registering the trademark. However, this does not cancel out that  Sorrento and Amalfi have some legends and stories on the production of the traditional yellow liquor.

This unique do-it yourself Christmas gift  includes the zest of one small orange, in honor of Maria Antonia Farace, and should be bottled with a pretty ribbon and/or gift tag.

Limoncello Preparation Tips

Use organic citrus if possible - if organic is not available or is too expensive, non-organic citrus can be prepped by soaking them in water for a half hour or so before starting the process.  Additionally, under-ripe fruit will produce the highest flavor.  

Limoncello Recipe

Makes 7-9 bottles of limoncello


    12 lemons (thick skinned, preferably Meyers)
    1 small orange (thick skinned) (if you don't like oranges, you can substitute 1 lime)
    2 (750 ml) bottles 100% proof vodka, divided - the cheaper the better
    2 cups water
    2 cups granulated sugar

Directions

1. Remove yellow part of lemon peel either with micro-plane or sharp peeler. If any pith remains on the back of a strip of peel, scrape it off.                     
2. Place peels in a large jar with screw-top lid or sealed with clamps and cover with one bottle of vodka.
3. Leave mixture to mellow for 2 weeks in a dark place.
4. After mixture sets, combine sugar and water in a small saucepan, bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar has dissolved.
5. Allow the syrup to cool to room temperature (This is very important- if the sugar syrup is still warm the limoncello will result cloudy instead of limpid).
6. Using a coffee filter or fine sieve, strain the vodka from the peels and mix it with the remaining bottle of vodka and the syrup. Put the liqueur in bottles, seal tightly (cork or screw-top lid) and let the components marry, in a dark place, for at least 10 days before using.
7. For drinking straight, store the Limoncello in the freezer.

Love infusing things with vodka, try a 100 proof turkey...

Sources:  Wikipedia

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