With the economy tightening up, many of us are turning to homemade gifts as a way to stretch our dollars. Homemade gifts have the added benefits of being extremely personal, customizable and heartfelt.
This homemade limoncello makes for a great gift or addition to your home bar. Friends, family and hosts alike will appreciate the effort and you don’t need to tell them how easy it was to make!
The key with this homemade limoncello is to allow yourself 3 weeks from the starting point until you want to be able to use it or give it as a gift. This will allow the appropriate time for infusion and aging.
Supply List:
- 8-10 organic lemons
- 1 750ml bottle of 80-100 proof vodka (100 proof is ideal) or Everclear
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 cups water
- Microplane/zester
- 32oz glass jar with air tight seal like this one or these
- Cheesecloth or nut milk bag (I use these and find them to be easiest)
- Glass swing top bottles for gifting. I like these: Mini, Medium, Large, XL
Instructions:
1- Gently wash and pat dry your lemons. Avoid rubbing them as to not remove the oils, which give flavor to the limoncello. Using a microplane/zester, remove the zest (outermost skin- the most yellow part), Place the zest in your glass jar. Add the entire bottle of vodka, then close the jar and place it in a cool dark place for two weeks. Shake the jar daily to help with the extraction of the lemon zest.
Don’t throw away your zested lemons! You can juice them and freeze the juice in ice cube trays for tea or cocktails. You can also throw the whole zested lemons in a freezer bag and freeze them to revisit later.
2- After two weeks, it’s time to finish your homemade limoncello. In a saucepan, make simple syrup by combining the water and sugar. Bring to a gentle boil and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and allow the syrup to cool completely.
3- Strain the lemon zest and alcohol infusion through your cheesecloth or nut milk bag. Discard the solids.
4- Combine your strained lemon infusion with the simple syrup. Start by mixing in about half of the syrup then taste and adjust to your personal preference. If you want your limoncello to be much sweeter, you can always make and add more syrup. I have found the ratio in this recipe to be the perfect balance for my taste.
5- If you are planning to give this homemade limoncello for gifts, then it is time to bottle. Store the bottles in a cool dark place for one week to allow the flavors to meld. After a week, your bottles are ready to gift! Consider decorating them with a beautiful chiffon silk ribbon or a handwritten tag for a special touch.
Enjoy!
Give this homemade limoncello a Christmas or holiday gift or a hostess gift. Or, simply impress your friends by making a fabulous lemondrop martini with your own homemade limoncello! Store in a cool dark place and move to the freezer at least 4 hours before use to chill. Or, simply store it in the freezer so it’s ready any time! This also makes a great apertif for sipping after dinner.