Limoncello
The classic Italian digestive liqueur is made from the humble lemon, like the big jewelled beauties that come from the southern shores of Italy in places like Amalfi, Campania. There is nothing like enjoying a petite glass with a small brioche on a table over looking the seaside late in the afternoon after wandering the streets and narrow alleyways of Amalfi. Possibly an extremely touristy thing to do, but certainly it was memorable. I remember two types I sampled that time in the town of Amalfi, a sticky sweet liqueur and a kind of rocket fuel variety that were both distinctively lemon in flavour and as golden as a sunflower.
This particular recipe is like the later, and deserves to be enjoyed after a meal, for digestive purposes. The Italians are clever connisseurs of cuisine knowing the art to finishing a meal relies on a wonderful digestivo to complete the event, a wise tradition. Or if you are in the mood for something a little more mood altering have it at 5pm while standing at a window gazing out to the sea.
Ingredients:
6 large Lemons (or double for small) unsprayed off the neighbours tree
1 Litre of Vodka or Pure Alcohol
1 Cup of Sugar
600ml Water
Juice of 1 large lemon or 2 small
One large glass mason jar with a lid or a few recycled jam jars…
Method:
First soak the lemons in a bowl of water for approximately 40 minutes. Dry the lemons gently and peel off the skin carefully leaving the white in tact (the pith will change the flavour of the limoncello if added in). I like to use a potato peeler to do this, that way you just get the skin and not the pith. You can also use a paring knife for cutting the strips of lemon.
Add 2 cups of vodka to a large jar and the lemon peel, stir and seal with the lid. Sit for 6 -14 days, giving the jar a nice little shake once a day.
On the final day, create the sugar syrup by adding the sugar and water to a saucepan and gently cook up to a boil until the sugar dissolves, put aside and let cool.
Pour into a clean jug using a sieve on top to separate the alcohol and peel. Add the lemon juice, cooled sugar syrup and the remaining vodka.
Seal with a lid and leave to stand in dark place for another 12-20 days.
When it is time, you can pour this mixture into a carafe or a recycled bottle (best to sterilise first, although the alcohol will likely kill any nasties anyway) and lastly, sip, taste, enjoy and read some poetry if in the mood….
Enjoy…
