Limoncello is a familiar fixture of the culinary traditions of the south of Italy and those who have holidayed in the area will have fond memories of the liqueur being brought out after dinner as a digestivo when dining out, though this practice has since been adopted in many other places throughout Italy. Served chilled, it is made of water, lemon zest, rectified spirit, and sugar, and has an alcohol content that varies between 25-30%. In addition to limoncello itself being served up in restaurants, one can regularly find limoncello flavoured ice-creams, cakes, treats, and more on menus and in gelaterie and bakeries all over the country and all sorts of limoncello merchandise from fridge magnets to tea towels abound in souvenir shops throughout the south of Italy. Bottles of limoncello are also often packed carefully between clothes to bring home as perfect gifts for friends, family, and the neighbour who agreed to feed your dog while you were away. If you have enjoyed a vacation in Italy, you are, no doubt, very familiar with the beverage!
While the origins of the drink are not known exactly and subject to much debate, limoncello is thought to be around one hundred years old and is most famously produced in the region around the Gulf of Naples, the Sorrentine Peninsula, the Amalfi Coast, and islands of Procida, Ischia, and Capri but is also made in Calabria, Abruzzo, Basilicata, Apulia, Sicily, Sardinia, Liguria, Menton in France, and the Maltese island of Gozo. Basically, limoncello is made anywhere in Italy where lemon groves abound and where the breeze often carries a distinctive citrus note. The second most popular liqueur in Italy after Campari, limoncello has become increasingly popular abroad in recent years.
If you have found a villa in Sorrento or a vacation rental on the Amalfi Coast and you just can't wait for your next vacation in Italy, then why not try out this recipe for limoncello at home and sip it while you look forward to doing the same from a pretty restaurant overlooking the coast in the place where limoncello was born?
Ingredients:
15 lemons
4 cups of sugar
1.5l of 100 proof vodka
5 cups of water
Makes around 45 servings.
Preparation time takes between 20 to 80 days (so, you won't be sipping it overly soon, unfortunately but it will be worth the wait!)
Cooking time takes around 30 minutes.
1. Ensure to wash thoroughly and zest all of the lemons.
2. In a large enough glass jar, add half of the vodka and the lemon zest. Cover and leave to sit at room temperature for at least 10 days, or 40 days if storing in a cool, dark place.
3. In a large saucepan, combine the sugar and water and cook for around five to seven minutes and until thickened into a syrup.
4. Allow to cool and then add to the limoncello mixture.
5. Add the other half of the vodka and leave the whole mixture to rest for another 10 to 40 days.
6. Once you have left it long enough to rest, then strain out any particles and bottle.
7. Store in the freezer until you wish to serve the limoncello.
8. Enjoy!
So, if you have been looking forward to spending some time in the beautiful south of Italy once more or visiting for the first time, consider browsing our villas in Sicily, villas in Apulia, villas in Calabria, villas in Sardinia, and making your own batch of limoncello to bring the zesty flavours of Italy into your own home as you count down the days until your next trip!
If you have found a villa in Sorrento or a vacation rental on the Amalfi Coast and you just can't wait for your next vacation in Italy, then why not try out this recipe for limoncello at home and sip it while you look forward to doing the same from a pretty restaurant overlooking the coast in the place where limoncello was born?
Ingredients:
15 lemons
4 cups of sugar
1.5l of 100 proof vodka
5 cups of water
Makes around 45 servings.
Preparation time takes between 20 to 80 days (so, you won't be sipping it overly soon, unfortunately but it will be worth the wait!)
Cooking time takes around 30 minutes.
1. Ensure to wash thoroughly and zest all of the lemons.
2. In a large enough glass jar, add half of the vodka and the lemon zest. Cover and leave to sit at room temperature for at least 10 days, or 40 days if storing in a cool, dark place.
3. In a large saucepan, combine the sugar and water and cook for around five to seven minutes and until thickened into a syrup.
4. Allow to cool and then add to the limoncello mixture.
5. Add the other half of the vodka and leave the whole mixture to rest for another 10 to 40 days.
6. Once you have left it long enough to rest, then strain out any particles and bottle.
7. Store in the freezer until you wish to serve the limoncello.
8. Enjoy!
So, if you have been looking forward to spending some time in the beautiful south of Italy once more or visiting for the first time, consider browsing our villas in Sicily, villas in Apulia, villas in Calabria, villas in Sardinia, and making your own batch of limoncello to bring the zesty flavours of Italy into your own home as you count down the days until your next trip!