Limoncello (Lemoncello) the Italian way


 
Hey Ken Walsh,

Any update on the completed rhubarbcello? I missed the chance to get some really nice fruit in the peak of the season, but first wanted your feedback too.

Yes, it is a shame to let good citrus go to waste. At a minimum, their juice can be readily saved for all kinds of uses later. Besides making marmalades, I have also found that substituting other citrus to replace key limes in pie can be awesome - Rangpur lime pie is unbelievably good.

Bill in Bay
 
Hi Bill,
The stuff is fantastic!!!! It has that nice rhubarb tang but not so much that you are reaching for the sugar. I think it will best served with a little soda water.
 
I am on my fourth or fifth batch of lemoncello, and have had great success. I haven't tried any variation due to the fact that I'm a bit of a purist, and only had the lemon variety while traveling in Italy. But it is now a signature item for me and requested at all family occasions.

However the reason for my post is to ask a question about the sweetening process. Has anyone tried either all or portions of honey or raw sugar? From my experience with cooking and in particular BBQ, I know that both of these can impart a certain complexity and depth of flavor. Wondering if anyone has experimented? Thanks for any input.
 
I forgot that I had about a third of a batch left, a batch that also happened to be a little too strong and just a bit more bitter than I would have liked, so I did some experimenting. (I don't make mine too sweet, and in Tennessee we also have PGA, so it's pretty stout!)

I mixed 3/4 cup hot water and 3/4 cup honey and dissolved it. Then cooled it and added it to the cello. Wow! It really added a nice density to the sweetness and really smoothed it out. Only down side is that it is a brown tinted mixture so the limoncello is now an off-yellow, slightly golden color, not the vibrant yellow it was. I also noticed this morning that there is a bit of cloudiness that rises to the top after sitting in the freezer, but swilling it around mixes it right back in.

I don't know if it's for everyone, but I think I'll be trying it again. It adds that bit of complexity that I think will leave people wondering what makes it so good!
 
finished my limecello yesterday, overall I'm pleased but I was surprised that my finished product is a brighter yellow than any batch I've made from lemons. Also while I can tell its lime I'd be willing to be that if I didn't mention it to people they'd think it was lemon. Its good but not nearly as good as the lemon is straight. It will be mostly used for mixers as opposed to the limoncello which I drink straight.
 
I'm so excited because I just bottled my first batches! I decided to try a lemon batch and a grapefruit. Here's what I did:
1) 10 lemons, zested w/ microplane; 4 large grapefruit, the same.
2) Added 1 liter of Everclear to each batch
3) I agreed with Kevin that it probably did not need to steep any longer than it took to extract the color and flavor from the zest, but after 4 days, both batches still had color in the zest. I ended up letting them sit for 13 days, shaking once every other day or so.
4) I was concerned for a while because when I opened them to smell after 1 week, I couldn't detect any lemon or grapefruit smell, just the Everclear - no need to worry, the flavors were in there.
5) Dissolved 5 1/2 C cane sugar in 6 C water (for each batch), let cool, and mixed in strained alcohol
6) Bottled into nice stopper bottles found at IKEA
7) Took a tiny taste.

First impression - wow! Both batches have a strong alcohol finish tonight, but the citrus flavors are definitely there for both. The grapefruit is really interesting. I can see why some would find the lemon medicinal. They are both very sweet, but I like sweet, so that's ok with me. I'm excited to see how they mellow. My current plan is to let them mellow until Halloween (11 days) and then pop them in the freezer that morning to be ready for a group tasting at our party.

What I would change: so far, the only change I would make is using Ruby Reds for my grapefruit - it's very good as is right now, but I think it could be outstanding w/ Ruby Reds.

Next: I am thinking about trying cranberries - has anyone done it? Tips? Ideas?

Thanks for this awesome thread!!!
 
Welcome to the board. It's nice to see another woman join. There are too few here.

I have not mada a version with cranberries. Good idea. Were I to do so, I think I would try 2.5 bags, picked over and cleaned, and I would mash them a bit first before maceration.
 
Welcome to the board. It's nice to see another woman join. There are too few here.

I have not mada a version with cranberries. Good idea. Were I to do so, I think I would try 2.5 bags, picked over and cleaned, and I would mash them a bit first before maceration.
Click to expand...

Laura- I second Kevin's welcome to the board. The VWBB has probably shortened my learning curve by 50% or more.

Kevin- Do you think that heating the whole cranberries in water until they popped, then using the cooled mash for the infusion would be helpful? Uncooked cranberries are so very hard that I wonder how easy it would be for the Everclear to infuse the berries.
 
Hmm. I think that might well be a good plan. I'm thinking minimal water - just enough to create a good steam environment (keep the pot covered, and shake it as the berries pop, as one would for popcorn) - and mashing would then be overkill, in all likelihood.

Removing the lid at the end to allow some of the excess water to evaporate would probably be a good idea - as would using a nonstick pot to begin with. Then, the berries and their juices could be transferred to a bowl (or whatever container is being used for maceration) to cool. Anything still in the pot could be rinsed to loosen using the Everclear (once somewhat cooled) and this added to the berries along with the rest of the Everclear.
 
I just finished making a cranberry cello to give to some friends a Christmas presents, I followed the standard recipe, substituting two bags of fresh cranberries for the lemon zest. I put the cranberries in a sauce pan with a little water, heated them until they popped, then put them into a container for the infusion. Final product is tart and sweet. I have attached some photos.

Raw Product
Heat until berries pop
Final Product
 
An assist please.

I put a 375ml bottle of Everclear 190 with about 4 or 5 zested lemons.

How much water/sugar do I use? I tried to break it down but can seem to figure it out.

If 1l of spirit uses 3 pints, 500ml uses 1.5 pints, should I use 1 pint of water and how much sugar?

Thanks.
 
for 1 L... "3 pints of warm water and dissolve two and a half pounds of sugar"

For .375 L...
3 pints x .375 = 1.125 pints (or 2.25 cups) of water
2.5 pounds x .375 = 0.9375 pounds sugar
 
If you look diligently enough at a very well stocked liquor store (or depot), you should be able to find some Everclear that clocks in at approx. 198 proof.
 
No, you won't. Maximum allowed proof for retail sales is determined at the state level. Everclear is made in 151 and 190 proof varieties (it can't be made higher). Several states restrict proof to 151.

I haven't noticed much of a difference in the finished results between the two. You can, if you wish, start by adding less syrup, mix, taste, then add more syrup, water or sugar, to taste.
 
Hello all, love the site, love this thread. I'm embarrassed to say that I've lurked this thread for about two years now, but just recently decided to finally take the plunge and make some 'cello on my own.

It may seem like a long-winded post to get to my final question, but I'm a perfectionist and like to get things done right.
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I purchased twelve regular, store-bought lemons and washed/scrubbed them with a brush in warm water to remove any wax. I took a vegetable peeler and got all 12 lemons peeled, being as careful as possible to not get any of the white pith (however some pith was inevitable IMO. I then combined my peels in a 750ml
(standard size) bottle of Ever Clear in a plastic sun
tea pitcher. My Ever Clear and lemon peels sat together in a dark closet for two weeks.

After two weeks I strained the lemon peel from the
Ever Clear and set out to make my sugar water. I
combined 4.5 cups of water with 1 3/4 cups sugar and allowed to cool before mixing.

I let the sugar water sit with the lemoned Ever Clear for another week, then bottled and let the bottles sit in the freezer for a week. This now leads to my question...

After opening one of the bottles for consumption (which was a nice yellow-color and thick consistency) I put the bottle back into the freezer only to find later that my 'cello had since frozen. However, my other unopemed bottles did not freeze.

Is this normal? Did I use too much water? I admit my math isn't the greatest so I may have calculated incorrectly. I also noticed a slight bitter aftertaste, which I admit has gotten better with ti
e (probably the "mellowing" process you have all spoke of). Might I have used too many lemons?

Any insight would be much appreciated. I've had a blast making it so far and have a second batch of peels brewing now. I hope to get some suggestions on what I need to tweak for this next batch.

Thanks!!
 
Originally posted by K Kruger:
No, you won't. Maximum allowed proof for retail sales is determined at the state level. Everclear is made in 151 and 190 proof varieties (it can't be made higher). Several states restrict proof to 151.

I haven't noticed much of a difference in the finished results between the two. You can, if you wish, start by adding less syrup, mix, taste, then add more syrup, water or sugar, to taste.
Click to expand...

Thanks Kevin, I'll give it a try.
 
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