The newest project...

Hi everybody, it's Paul.  I thought you all might be interested in my latest project, and maybe even want to follow along on your own.

Currently there are lots of beautiful Sorrento lemons at our local fruit/veggie stand, and I've decided to honor some of them by making the very best thing that can be made with lemons.  This is undoubtedly what all lemons hope and aspire to be a part of someday...it's their highest purpose.  You're probably wondering what the heck I'm talking about.  Lemon chicken?  Lemon pancakes?  Lemon asparagus risotto?

No, my friends.  Think of something even more delicious, something positively....INTOXICATING....

Yes, I'm talking about limoncello, of course.  Everyone's favorite citrus liqueur, the cold, sweet glass of Amalfi sunshine with a serious kick.  It's very simple to make, actually, it just takes a bit of time.  If you'd like to make some too, here's what you'll need for the first step:


1. Alcohol.  Pure alcohol - 95%, I'm using 2 liters.  Everclear is a popular brand...it may be a bit tough for you Californians to get, but you can find it in Nevada or Mexico so if you or some friends are going....

2. Lemons.  Lots of them, I used 22 large ones in fact.  Non-waxed is ESSENTIAL, and organic is best if you can find them.  I wouldn't worry about trying to find actual Sorrento or Amalfi lemons, just get the freshest, thickest-skinned ones you can find, probably at a local farmer's market.

3. A large glass jar with a wide mouth and a tight-fitting screw on lid. I used 2 jars, but really all you need at this point is one, although another one will come in handy when you're filtering.

In a future step we'll also use some sugar and a filter, but these aren't necessary right now.  Pretty simple, right?  So let's get started!

Step 1.  Thoroughly wash and dry your lemons and the jar.  You don't have to sterilize the jar like you would if making beer, but clean is good.  And make sure to get all the dirt off your lemons' peel, because that's the part you'll be using.  I used the scrubby side of a dish sponge which worked well and didn't cut into the peel.

Step 2.  Get nice and comfortable.  Someplace you don't mind sitting for the better part of an hour or so.

Step 3.  Peel your lemons.  Here's the thing though - you MUST only get the yellow, outermost layer.  Just below the yellow layer is the pith, which is bitter and will ruin your 'cello.  I would recommend using a standard fruit/veggie peeler, it doesn't take that long.  If you have a Microplane it works well too, it just makes tiny shavings so you'll have a little tougher job when it's time to filter.


I don't know what got into me, but I didn't do any of the above.  Instead of taking one of the easy, sensible, and probably just-as-good routes described above, I decided to peel the lemons by hand with a paring knife. I was able to cut my peels thicker that way than I could get with the peeler, it's true.  I thought that the thicker peels might get me a little more lemon oil extracted in the end, and make my limoncello just that more delicious.  But it took a LONG time, and until I got in a little Zen-peeling-groove, was not easy to do without getting the pith.  And I don't even know if it did any good - so I would say, unless you're willing to sacrifice a sore hand and quite a bit of time for your 'cello, just use a peeler.


Step 4.  Put the alcohol and peels in your jar, close the lid, and place it in a cool dark place.  Even though you'll be able to see the alcohol turning yellow almost right away, we're going to let that mixture sit for about a month.  The peels, I've been told, will turn as brittle as potato chips.  Every few days, you want to check in on your jar and give it a nice shake or two, to mix things up a bit.


Step 5.  Figure out what you're going to do with all those lemons.  Freezing the juice works well, I hear...Emily decided to make granita with ours, which I think she'll be posting about in a day or two...

And that's it for now!  I hope some of you decide to join along by making your own limoncello, leave a comment and let us know if you do.