Homemade Limoncello Liqueur
Homemade Limoncello Liqueur is a delightful Italian after-dinner drink that is a breeze to make.
Whip up a batch of this limoncello recipe for gifts! With minimal ingredients and some patience, this lemon liqueur will be ready to pour!!
Why You Must Make
- It only takes THREE ingredients! And a little patience as the lemon peel infuses into the alcohol.
- It makes a wonderful holiday or hostess gift!
- It’s the perfect after-dinner digestif or apéritif when serving Italian food (or any cuisine!).
My first sip of limoncello was during a gourmet dinner at the home of the principal of my boys’ parochial school. We were escorted by limo and wined and dined through the night.
When I thought the meal was over, a citrusy drink was poured into cordial glasses at each place setting. Thank goodness I had a full stomach as I sipped on the delicious, yet potent digestif.
Ingredient Notes
- Lemons – Standard, organic lemons work best. Scrub to remove any waxy coating and pesticides. Meyer lemons can be used, but you’ll need more since they are smaller and the lemon taste may not be as intense as they are sweeter.
- Vodka – Use a smooth vodka. Everclear can also be used.
- Sugar – White granulated sugar
- Boiling Water – Used to dissolve the sugar to make the simple syrup.
An Easy Homemade Holiday Gift
Limoncello is a classic Italian after-dinner drink. Made from lemon zest steeped in vodka, it’s very simple to put together. The latest batch I made was a holiday gift for the gals in my fabulous book club.
When sipping this lovely lemon liqueur after an Italian dinner out with some friends this summer, I promised to show them how to brew this elegant digestif. We all gathered with our lemons and vodka and started peeling. Taking the peels off of 8 lemons was definitely the hardest part of this recipe!
How to Make
- First, collect your supplies. 8 organic lemons are needed. Or use standard lemons and wash well. PRO-Tip: Organic citrus minimizes the chance of any chemicals like pesticides on the peel.
- PRO-Tip: When you peel your lemons, try not to get any of the white pith. It can make your limoncello bitter. Valerie Bertinelli’s recipe does not call for peel, but the zest. I haven’t tested this, but with zesting, it’s easier to avoid the pith.
- Purchase your vodka. Don’t buy cheap stuff. PRO-Tip: Your vodka doesn’t need to be top-of-the-line, but a better quality will make a smoother limoncello liqueur.
- Allow at least 3 days to make this recipe. The mixture must steep for a few days for the lemon flavor to infuse. Waiting a week will infuse the most flavor.
- After the lemon peel has steeped in the vodka, it’s time to add some sweetness.
- Homemade simple syrup is added. Simple syrup is a basic recipe where sugar is cooked with an equal amount of water until it’s dissolved. It must be cooled completely before adding to the alcohol mixture.
- Finally, the limoncello must be refrigerated overnight, then strained, and placed in a clean container or containers to store.
- For longevity, store in the freezer for up to a year.
I sent my girlfriends home with their jars of peel and vodka to steep. It’s such an easy process and this limoncello recipe makes a perfect hostess or holiday gift. It can be made early and stashed away till needed! I hope you’ll treat yourself to a batch of the best limoncello!
Frequently Asked Questions
It is both sweet and tart with an intense lemon flavor.
Everclear (or another rectified spirit) or Vodka are used to make limoncello. The higher the proof, the better the lemon flavor is extracted from the peel. A rectified spirit is a highly concentrated purified ethanol.
Limoncello typically contains 25-30% alcohol.
Italians use Amalfi lemons which are grown along the west coast of Italy. Standard lemons, available in the U.S., work well, too. Buy organic if possible or else wash thoroughly to remove any pesticides.
It’s most delicious when served icy cold right from the freezer. Use a small glass, stemmed preferred, for sipping. Using a stemmed glass prevents the heat of your hands from warming the liqueur. It’s typically served straight up, without ice.
There are also a few delicious limoncello cocktails including the Lemon Drop or Lemon Martini (serve with a sugar rim!), Limoncello with Prosecco, or Limoncello with Gin and Club Soda.
Limoncello should be used within 7 days unless it’s refrigerated. If kept chilled, it’s good for a month. If frozen, limoncello will stay fresh for up to a year.
It’s not unusual for limoncello to become cloudy after the simple syrup is added. It’s due to a chemical reaction called the Ouzo Effect or spontaneous emulsification. A milky emulsification is formed when water (the simple syrup) is added to a certain type of solvent like ethanol (alcohol).
You May Also Like
- Use some of your homemade limoncello liqueur to make these Limoncello Cupcakes!
- Homemade Kahlua or Bailey’s Irish Cream are also fun homemade holiday gifts.
- If you start the process in June, you can make Homemade Vanilla Extract in time to give away at Christmas.
Homemade Limoncello Liqueur
How to make an Italian liqueur at home!
Ingredients
- 8 lemons, organic is prefered.
- 750 ml vodka
- 2 1/4 cups sugar
- 2 1/4 cups boiling water
Instructions
- Peel strips of zest from lemon taking care to remove only the yellow portion. Combine zest and vodka in an airtight container. Let stand at room temperature 2-7 days.
- Add sugar to boiling water and stir till sugar dissolves. Cool completely. Stir into vodka mixture. Refrigerate in an airtight container overnight.
- Pour liquid through a sieve and into airtight bottles. Discard zest.
- Can be kept in freezer for up to a year.
Notes
If you don't use organic lemons, make sure to scrub the lemons to make sure all traces of pesticides are removed.
Total time doesn't account for resting or refrigerating times. Adapted from Martha Stewart.
Calories are for the whole bottle, not for individual servings.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
22Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 162Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 2mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 1gSugar: 21gProtein: 0g
Thatskinnychickcanbake.com occasionally offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site. This information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although thatskinnychickcanbake.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased can change the nutritional information in any given recipe. Also, many recipes on thatskinnychickcanbake.com recommend toppings, which may or may not be listed as optional and nutritional information for these added toppings is not listed. Other factors may change the nutritional information such as when the salt amount is listed “to taste,” it is not calculated into the recipe as the amount will vary. Also, different online calculators can provide different results. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information obtained is accurate.
11 Comments on “Homemade Limoncello Liqueur”
Love this! After the process of steeping for a week is it drinkable or should we wait ?
Hi, Jann,
After the steeping time you choose (though I always think longer is better), add the sugar syrup and refrigerate overnight. Then you can drink! Basically, once you’re done with step 3, it’s drinkable. Enjoy!
This could be a fun project for me in summer :-))
It turned out really good! My husband loved it too!
I’ve never tried limoncello, but I want to try this! Just wondered – are all 8 lemons completely peeled & used? A little confused about how much zest is needed. Thank you!
Hi, Janet,
You just use the lemon peels to steep in the alcohol. You can juice the leftover lemons to use for another recipe. Hope that helps!
I learned how to make this from Alice Waters sister, Laura Maser. A very similar recipe, only she uses meyer lemons.
Oooh, sounds like a delicious alternative, Ann! Lucky you learning from Alice Waters’ sister!!!
Great job on the linky party last week! It was very hard to choose from everyone. Come by again and link up to this week’s theme: Chocolate! Hope to see you there.
http://cupcakeapothecary.blogspot.com/2011/05/themed-bakers-sunday-3.html
Alyssa
P.S. I’m going to have to make this at my next party!
“This is fair bound blue ribbon winner.”
From one of my limoncello makers!! 🙂