Growing up, every gathering at my grandfather's house involved full spreads of Italian food and seasonal libations. I remember polenta poured onto ten-foot tables, antipasti plates stacked high with marinated squid and salty olives, and different types homemade pasta. While most dishes, like pasta (hold the clam sauce, please), truly appealed to my youthful tastes, others required a more sophisticated palate. Pan-fried smelt … no thank you. Stinky cheeses … I'll pass. And distilled beverages that tasted like, well, Bactine … maybe next time.
Around Easter, my family broke lent's fast with traditional limoncello, an Italian after-dinner aperitif infused with the flavors of springtime. Of course I didn't appreciate this drink poured from a frosty bottle into slender, squat glasses. And instead of shooting it back (like I would've in my college days) the adults slowly sipped this cordial alongside their stovetop espresso.
Old Country Traditions
Limoncello, and most digestivi, dates back to the middle ages. These strong and often bitter drinks soothed the stomach after a heavy meal. Italian monks grew and infused herbs, concocting digestifs to ward off diseases like cholera. And Italian fisherman sipped limoncello each morning to stave a cold. Families of the Amalfi Coast served this light and sweet digestif to guests when lemons were in season. It's incomparable flavor, due to the large fresh Italian lemons with thick flesh, became a fashionable drink and an Italian custom.
Today, Italians serve ice-cold limoncello after meals to give thanks, similar to the ancient monks. And the artisanal distillers still source their lemons directly from farmers and process them only after scrupulous selection.
A Maturing Palate
Despite my humble upbringing, the exposure to fine foods eventually paid off. My grownup tastes have since taken a liking to salty fish, aged cheese, and strong limoncello drinks. But instead of hunting down a bottle of the imported variety, like the kind my grandfather served, I prefer to make my own concoction with local distilled vodkas and only the best organic lemons.
Since limoncello is made from the zest, or peel, of the lemon, selecting fresh, pesticide-free fruit is important. Organic, in-season lemons yield a sweet tasting liquor with an almost fluorescent hue. And while traditionally enjoyed after meals, limoncello makes a perfect anytime drink (and much more pleasant than its bitter counterparts, Campari or Aperol). Savor it mixed with club soda or Pellegrino, or infused in desserts and sorbets.
Spring Limoncello
If I'm lucky, I'll craft my seasonal potion with fresh California lemons sent to me from my friend's backyard. But since citrus fruits aren't native to my mountain region, I'm confined organic varieties found at my local grocer.
On the alcohol front, however, I'm much more privileged. Local organic rye and potato vodkas create the base for my homemade digestif.
Louise says
Reserve the peel. Make a heavier syrup (more sugar) and gently cook peel in syrup. Remove & then dip in melted dark chocolate. Chill. So delicious. Works well with orange peel from making Gran Marnier.
Lara says
My family has been moons this for decades and it just what you do after making wine, use the grape skins to make grappa and then we make lemoncello....
We use honey and coconut sugar now and the flavour is soooo smooth and the perfect sweetness ... We also use strawberries or rhubarb instead of lemon peels sometimes too.
Lara says
*making this
JEANMARIE says
I'll definitely be trying this!
Arche Nebra says
It would be optimum in the USA not to use sugar made from GMO sugar beets, also. Thanks for the recipe!
Jersan T says
The sugar molecules from GMO or non-GMO sugar beets are chemically identical. So I am unsure as to why "it would be optimum" to use one or the other.
cassandra says
GMO crops often use glycophosphate (recently classified as a probable human carcinogen), why use organic lemons and use GMO sugar? Also, supporting this industry is not environmentally responsible. Here is an article and a few reports produced by UCS to check out on the subject http://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_agriculture/our-failing-food-system/genetic-engineering/genetic-engineering-benefits.html#.VT6F4s5cJH1
Julia Erlikh says
Do you use white sugar for this?
WendyK says
I've been making Limoncello for years, I usually bottle it in beautifully bottles for gifts to family and friends.
I made it with Meyer lemons this Spring, which was wonderful. I usually use close to 18-20 lemons, making sure to get all the white pith off of the zest. I use high quality vodka, sometimes several types, if you want a nice smooth tasting liqueur. A lot lot of recipes do call for "Everclear", although I would never use it, if you want the end result to be high quality. I let the zest "rest" in the vodka for at least 6 weeks, sometimes longer. An Italian Nonna told me 40 days to macerate in the vodka, and another 40 days to rest after the sugar syrup is added-- and then it's always kept in the freezer and enjoyed cold.
I would never use anything but pure sugar, since any other sweetener will effect the end result. And, the amount and level of "sweetness" with the sugar syrup can always be modified to taste.
Carmen Martinez says
I can't have sugar but living in So. California, I have an abundance of lemons at my disposal. Can this be made with alternative sweeteners, like xylitol/etc? I've never had lemoncello to see what the level of sweetness should be, so I'm curious...
Erin says
I am going to Italy in a few weeks and can hardly wait to drink the lemoncello there 🙂
It just so happens that in my town there is someone making and selling organic lemoncello, limecello & arancello
http://www.organicello.com/
I just came back from Arizona not too long ago and brought back a whole slew of lemons from my mother-in-laws lemon trees in her back yard.... maybe I"ll make some of my own lemoncello.
Marilyn says
Can this be made with honey instead of sugar? I do understand that sugar is not "bad," but I do not tolerate it, and I do tolerate honey.
Dana says
My liquer cookbook says honey made be substituted but will make the liquers look cloudy.
Marilyn says
I can handle cloudy!
MayaG says
I dehydrate my peels rather than throwing them away. I do that and then grind them up into a powder and use them in so many things that can use a hit of bright lemon flavor.
Susan says
What a great idea! Thanks for sharing it.
mel paradis says
great article. limoncello is not my favorite drink as it can be a little sweet, but it was just what the doctor ordered in the middle of a hike in cinque terre. about 2 miles in a lemon grower had a shack right on the trail where he sold lemon aid and limoncello. we had both. yummy stuff. as for aperol, just add a bit to some prosecco with an orange slice (or white wine and club soda) and the bitterness goes away for a perfect afternoon cocktail:)
Elena says
I'm wondering why it won't keep at room temperature for months? If I make a big batch like Meghan, above, does it all need to store in the fridge or freezer?
Meghan @ Cake 'n Knife says
We love making limoncello!! We try to make one huge batch every year and it's become our own little tradition. I still remember tasting it for the first time in Rome... Love your post!
kath oneill says
Hi was wondering what sort of sugar is used, would rapadura be ok