Homemade Limoncello - Quick & Easy Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How is limoncello made from scratch? ›

Limoncello is made by steeping lemon zest (peels) in highly concentrated ethanol or vodka until oil is released, then mixing the resulting yellow liquid with simple syrup. Its alcohol content varies — especially among homemade varieties — but is usually measured somewhere in the 25-30% range.

If you have the option, 100 proof vodka or even higher-proof grain alcohol is the very best to use for making limoncello. This will extract more and better lemon flavor from the peels, and makes a smoother, less cloying limoncello.

Variation: Adding Lemon Juice

This will make the finished beverage more cloudy, while at the same time adding a sour note to the sweet, boozy lemon liqueur. The more juice you add, the more sour the finished liquid will become. We couldn't decide which method we liked better—so we did both!

A bottle at the liquor store will run $20 to $35. Making your own costs even more: Traditional homemade limoncello recipes, like our favorite from The New York Times (arkansasonline.com/215limoncello/) take weeks to make and can cost you $45 or more depending on your preferred vodka.

Sfoodie pointed out that the ban dated back to “a Prohibition-era law banned bars from creating infusions, allowing the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control to ticket barkeeps for serving sangria, limoncello, and fruit-flavored tequilas — basically any drink where a bar has altered the alcohol content ...

The high alcohol content of limoncello generally inhibits the growth of bacteria, making them unlikely to flourish. However, improper storage or contamination during the manufacturing process can potentially lead to the growth of bacteria. It is therefore important to follow proper hygiene and storage practices.

Limoncello has about a 30% alcohol content so while it may jump start your digestive enzymes, it will also get you DRUNK.

The alcohol content of most commercially available brands of limoncello is between 24% to 32% (48-64 proof).

Sorrento & Sfusato lemons

Limoncello may not be a protected term, but true limoncello liqueurs are only made using the peel of one of two varieties of lemon, Sfusato and Sorrento.

The most important thing is to have as little pith [ the white stuff under the lemon peel ] as possible. Too much will make your limoncello bitter – drinkable but bitter. You can use a zester, vegetable peeler or an intensely sharp knife.

What does limoncello do to your body? ›

When bitters were more commonly used as a medicinal treatment, they often were to aid in issues with stomach pains or other digestive issues. Lemon oil is a carminative, which is why limoncello is categorized as a digestif liqueur—it aids in digestion, especially after diving into a big meal (see more on this below).

Homemade limoncello doesn't last as long as its store-bought counterpart. Stored in an airtight container, it should last in the refrigerator for up to three months or in the freezer for up to one year.

1) A one gallon glass jar with a screw-on lid: You can get on at Amazon through that link or Home Goods is a good place to get these locally for a reasonable price. You can get smaller ones for smaller batches but I wouldn't recommend it unless space is really THAT tight for you.

Can Limoncello Go Bad or Expire? You should generally try to consume limoncello within 2 years of creating or opening it. Limoncello only contains 4 ingredients, 2 of which are preservatives. So, it will never “go bad” like milk would but it does lose its lemon scent and flavor over time.

These, it turns out, are technically illegal in California, as are homemade bitters, tinctures, and liqueurs like limoncello.

This is why we've made sure to include something for all, while still considering the most important things that make a good limoncello: sweet (but not too sweet) with an intensely citrus flavour, leaving the tongue fresh and clean.

A Limoncello spritz is sure to whisk you away to the south of Italy, where Italians sip on the bright, sweet, and tart Limoncello liqueur as an aperitif or after-dinner drink. Add in Prosecco, club soda, and a few citrus slices and you have a festive sparkling co*cktail.

“High proof” in this context is an alcoholic beverage containing more than 60 percent alcohol by volume (or 120 proof).