Homemade Limoncello {Part Two}

Homemade limoncello is easy and delicious!

Back in August I started making limoncello and now it’s finally time to complete step two. I know it seems to take a long time to make this luscious lemon concoction but as the saying goes “good things come to those who wait.” So while yes, you will wait, you will be rewarded with a delicious liquor before Christmas.

In step one of limoncello making we combined the skins of 15 lemons and one full bottle of 190 proof grain alcohol and 80 proof vodka. After letting that sit for over 40 days the oil in the lemon skins has infused with the alcohol and made a very fragrant (not tasty…just yet) lemon alcohol. You know you are ready to move to step two when scoop out a peel and can snap it in half like a potato chip. If the peel is still flexible and can bend with out breaking put the lid back on the jar and try again in another week.

After you have decided it is time to move on to step two the first thing you will do is make a sugar syrup with 4 1/2 cups sugar and 3 cups distilled water or filtered water. Do not use mineral water. After is has boiled for 5 minutes let is sit and cool to room temperature.

As the sugar syrup is cooling it is time to start taking the lemon peels out of the alcohol. Try to be as careful as possibly not to break the peels into a lot of small pieces. This will make it easier and less messy when you filter your liquor.

After all or most of the peels have been successfully removed it is time to start filtering the limoncello. To do this you will need another clean glass gallon jar, a large funnel and #4 coffee filters.

To strain slowly start pouring liquid from the first glass into the filtered funnel that is sitting on top of gallon glass jar two.  Do not fill to high because filters will clog quickly.  This process will take a little bit of time.  Fill funnel about half full, wait for it to be mostly empty and pour more liquid in.  When filters clog simply remove from funnel and replace with new filter.

Halfway through the filtering process I took pictures  show how much clearer the infusion became.

After the infusion is filtered into the second glass jar it is time to clean and wash the original jar.  After the jar has been cleaned you have to filter the infusion back into the original jar. The process is the same. Use a large funnel and a #4 coffee filters.

After the infusion has been transferred back to the original glass it is time to incorporate the cooled sugar syrup.

After the sugar syrup has been added it is time to stir the infusion and tightly put on the lid.  Return to a cool dry place for another 40 days to start the mellowing out process that combines the alcohol infusion with the sugar syrup to create Limoncello.

Ok ladies and gentleman this is step two of the Limoncello process.  In 40 or so the limoncello will be ready.  If you are interested in making your own limoncello please refer to my first post – homemade limoncello {part one} so you can get started correctly.

Homemade Limoncello {Part 2}

Yield: about 1 gallon

Prep Time: 1 min

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 1 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients:

A very clean and dry gallon glass jar or pitcher
Large supply of unbleached #4 cone coffee filter
Large funnel
Slotted spoon or pasta server
4-1/2 cups white sugar
3 cups distilled water

Source:Slow Travel Italy

Directions:

Day one

Dissolve sugar in water and bring to boil over high heat. Boil for 5 minutes.

Set syrup aside to cool. It must be room temp before adding to infusion.

Use a slotted spoon or pasta server gently scoop lemon peels from the infusion and discard. Try to avoid creating small pieces that will make straining more difficult, try not to break peels as you remove them.

Using the larger funnel and #4 coffee filters, slowly strain infusion through filters into large pitcher. This is a messy process. The filters will clog quickly and you will have to change them frequently.

Rinse and dry original gallon jar.

Repeat straining process, transferring infusion from pitcher to original gallon jar by straining again through #4 coffee filters.

Return filtered infusion to jar and add COOLED syrup.

Return to cool dry place for 40 days to begin mellowing process that combines alcohol infusion with syrup to create the limoncello.

After the 40 days the limoncello will be ready to drink. Keep stored in a cool dark place or the freezer. I bottled mine for a few friends and kept a small jar in the freezer.