Limoncello e Pepe Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

Can you use cheap vodka for limoncello? ›

This will extract more and better lemon flavor from the peels, and makes a smoother, less cloying limoncello. This said, 80 proof vodka is also fine to use — it's also easier to find and less expensive than 100 proof. If you use 80 proof vodka, you won't need to add as much sugar syrup after infusing the vodka.

Limoncello is a sweet syrupy liqueur. It's best to store the bottle in the freezer and pour it directly into a glass. Ideally, the glass will also be chilled. The perfect glass is either short-stemmed or a shot glass, this helps to keep the drink cool.

Most limoncello is bottled between 28 percent and 32 percent alcohol by volume (ABV, 56 to 64 proof). It is possible to make your own limoncello using high-proof neutral grain alcohol (Everclear and vodka are popular choices).

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.

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.

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.

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.

The best limoncello is made with grain alcohol, but if you're like me (in the US) where it's not readily available to buy, use an inexpensive non-potato vodka, like Svedka, Smirnoff or similar. Avoid using high-end vodkas — they're a waste of money when making homemade limoncello!

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

Limoncello liqueur has a concentrated zesty freshness which enlivens co*cktails, parring well with flavours such as basil, honey, agave and tea. With: Citrus vodka, limoncello, lemon juice and sugar syrup. We say: Lemon, lemon and lemon, but well-balanced, refreshing and tasty.

Do you refrigerate limoncello? ›

Does one store it in the refrigerator or freezer? Limoncello does not require refrigeration for long-term storage. However, as is the tradition along the Amalfi Coast, we highly recommend chilling Fiore Limoncello either in the refrigerator or preferably in the freezer for several hours prior to serving.

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The term limoncello derives from a term of endearment for the word lemon. For some, it referred to a smaller type of lemons, such as lime. In 1691, they used the word limoncello to mean the “cedar water”. Some of them considered it a kind of lemonade, used for therapeutic purposes.

Limoncello can also be stored in the freezer, since it won't freeze solid. Limoncello doesn't have to be chilled. Because it has a high alcohol and sugar content, it is safe to drink at room temperature. However, chilling it is standard.

Well, yes and no — while both drinks are made from essentially the same ingredients, they have different names. And like most things Italian, it's a regional thing. In the North, around the Portofino/Cinque Terre region (close to Lucca), it's Limoncino. In the South, around Naples/Sorrento, it's Limoncello.

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.

Each of these starting solutions is completely transparent; limoncello itself, however, is 'turbid', with a cloudy, opaque appearance. Turbid systems pervade everyday life: other examples include ice crystals in clouds, fat droplets in milk, and algae in a pond.