LIMONCELLO
My wife and her sister made a trip for
three weeks to
Limoncello is an
infusion of lemon peel oils into alcohol that is then
mixed with a sugar solution and then filtered. The internet abounds with recipes for this wonderful
appellation. Various amounts of aging are recommended, as are "secret"
ingredients and methods. I reviewed dozens of internet recipes and found most
of them wanting. Whenever an alcohol
percentage was quoted, it was almost invariably wrong. Actual alcohol
percentage in the finished product varied from 13% to over 50%, that's 26 proof
to over 100 proof (I can testify that the
100 proof stuff will take the lining right off your mouth). Commercially
produced Limoncello manufactured in the Amalfi coast region of southern Italy
appear to be around 26 to 37% alcohol by volume, so I formulated my version to
be around 35% alcohol by volume. Production times of internet versions
(all claiming to be authentic Italian
Limoncello recipes) ranged from 7 days to 162 days, with the most often claimed
is 80 days. Because of the method I chose to prepare the lemon peel, I
find that 2 weeks is all that is needed, (but I have let the maceration process work for as long as a year).
While developing
my recipe, I taste compared my concoction with the authentic product brought to me from
The actual
calculations involved in determining the result of measured amounts of
ingredients can be a little confusing.
For example, when you add one cup of granulated sugar to 1 cup of water
and warm it until the sugar is dissolved, you do not have 2 cups of syrup. This is due to two things, first the air
space between the sugar crystals is removed, AND the water and sugar molecules
arrange themselves into a smaller volume than one would expect. Generally, 1 cup of sugar dissolved into 1 cup
of water will yield 1.583 cups of liquid, with the water acting as a solvent. Additionally, water and ethanol (Ethyl
alcohol) experience the same thing when combined, with a cup of each resulting
in approximately 1.92 cups of liquid with an alcohol percentage by volume of
52% rather than the expected 50%. Going
further, since the ethanol product being used also contains some water, the
amount of water available to act as a solvent will be more than the recipe
calls for. All of this has been taken
into account in arriving at the given results.
Here's my version of Limoncello:
15 very large lemons,
washed and dried.
1 750 ML bottle of
190 Proof clear grain alcohol (Herein referred to as “The Ethanol Product)
(95%) {An additional amount of approximately 185 ml will be needed to compensate
for filtering losses, so buy an extra bottle.}
3.5 cups water (828
ml)
3.5 cups sugar (828
ml)
Using a "microplane"
zester, remove and save all the colored rind from the lemons, avoiding getting any white pith. If you do
not have a microplane zester,
get one or forget the whole thing.
Place the zest in a
gallon glass lidded jar and add the 750 ml bottle of Ethanol product (Save the
empty bottle for later). Replace the lid and allow to
sit in a dark place. When
macerated for at least 14 days, strain the mixture, first with a fine mesh
strainer, then with paper coffee filters until the tincture is clear of
particles (This may take up to five passes to achieve clarity.) Return the tincture to the empty bottle. At this time, using the extra bottle of
Ethanol product you purchased, add to
the bottle of tincture until the fluid just reaches the neck, restoring 750 ml
of fluid to the Tincture bottle. This is
important to the production of a consistent result from the recipe. Be sure to thoroughly wash the lidded gallon
glass jar, as you will need it later. Bring
the water to a boil and stir in the sugar until completely dissolved. Allow to
cool. When completely cool, add to the
lidded gallon glass jar and combine with the 750ml of lemon tincture. Tightly replace the lid and shake the jar
until both liquids are completely blended, and set aside. Later you will need to transfer the
Limoncello to a clean spouted pitcher for bottling.
Bottles should be of
clear glass, with self-sealing plastic screw on caps. Prepare the bottles by submerging
them in water in a large pot and boil for ten minutes to sterilize. Also
sterilize the caps. Remove the bottles and drain and when empty replace the
caps to maintain sterility. Fill the
bottles using a funnel and cap immediately.
Store Limoncello in your freezer until served. Serve very
cold in very small glasses such as shot glasses which have also been in the
freezer.
The results:
Total volume……………………………..2 Liters (Approximately 8 ˝ cups)
Alcohol by volume……………………….35.499%
Alcohol by weight…………….………….26.38%
Alcohol per 1 ˝ ounce shot glass……..11.61 Grams
Carbohydrates per 1 ˝ ounce shot glass…14.45 Grams
How to enjoy
Limoncello:
Limoncello is an
"Aperitif", a French term for appetizer, taken before a meal to stimulate the appetite or as an after dinner
drink. Limoncello should be served very cold, from the freezer, in a shot
glass, and sipped, allowing the
sip to remain in the palate for up to a minute. Limoncello has a soft entry and
quickly fills the mouth with a crisp, tangy and superbly delicious flavor. The
relaxed, lingering finish is balanced and a genuine pleasure. Salute!
WARNING!
1 shot of Limoncello
contains 83% of the amount of alcohol as one beer. However, because of the way
in which it is consumed it will enter the bloodstream
very fast. Do not drive after drinking Limoncello.
As stated above
NEVER OPERATE A MOTOR VEHICLE AFTER IMBIBING LIMONCELLO! It has
a delayed effect that can last several
hours. You have been Warned!!!
Enjoy....