Limoncello (Lemoncello) the Italian way
- Thread starter Mike Marlow
- Start date
K Kruger
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
Maybe, and sometimes it is just the lemons.
It is possible that the water ratio was to high for the amount of alcohol in the Everclear you used. You'd have to try it again. I tend to store mine out of the freezer and simply ice it when I use it (I only occasionally freeze) so I don't run into that situation.
Bill Hrubik
New member
After a long wait, I am coming back to the dialogue. Ken Walsh, I have finally had the opportunity to work on the rhubarb (or I have seen it referred to as "rabarbarcello", as it may be referred to in Eastern Europe).
I have used your guidelines in the process, and first, I guess I did not realize that as opposed to citrus cellos, this takes a much larger mass of fruit. When you said 4 lbs to a bottle of Everclear, I did not visualize this. I. e., it means the Everclear does not even totally immerse that much fruit. So, I have been turning the mix in its gallon glass jug more than once a day. I think I also need to move to the finishing steps quicker than I have done when dealing with citrus zests. Maybe the ethanol preserves the raw fruit anyway, but as you said, in two days I already see the rich pink color in the liquid and the fragrance is good, so why wait longer?
Anyway, I am in the process and am curious as to your final impressions of what you did. Also, did you try the blueberry version, as you mentioned?
Bill in Bay
I have used your guidelines in the process, and first, I guess I did not realize that as opposed to citrus cellos, this takes a much larger mass of fruit. When you said 4 lbs to a bottle of Everclear, I did not visualize this. I. e., it means the Everclear does not even totally immerse that much fruit. So, I have been turning the mix in its gallon glass jug more than once a day. I think I also need to move to the finishing steps quicker than I have done when dealing with citrus zests. Maybe the ethanol preserves the raw fruit anyway, but as you said, in two days I already see the rich pink color in the liquid and the fragrance is good, so why wait longer?
Anyway, I am in the process and am curious as to your final impressions of what you did. Also, did you try the blueberry version, as you mentioned?
Bill in Bay
Hi Bill,
I did not get a chance to try the blueberry version.
I think the rhubarb version is fantastic. I went up to the Arctic last year for a caribou hunt and took a bottle with me. On the last day of the hunt we had a wild game meal of all the local fauna,fish and flora and I shared the liqour with the camp. It was an overwhelming success. It is a fantastic post meal dessert drink.
Ken
I did not get a chance to try the blueberry version.
I think the rhubarb version is fantastic. I went up to the Arctic last year for a caribou hunt and took a bottle with me. On the last day of the hunt we had a wild game meal of all the local fauna,fish and flora and I shared the liqour with the camp. It was an overwhelming success. It is a fantastic post meal dessert drink.
Ken
Bill Hrubik
New member
Ken,
Somehow I can readily picture the "rabarbarcello" complementing your arctic menu. I agree that it is a very fine aperitif, and I think I learned much by doing it, in contrast with the citrus cellos. It ends up being a nicely balanced refreshment, according to your recipe, just the right amount of sweet, of tart, of bitter (which is like the good citrus ones), and of course the pink color is perfect too. The unique rhubarb flavor comes through just right.
As I said, production of this one can be finished in a week and no more, and I wonder if it would not be good to try to extract it too long? The one thing I might have guessed is that it ends up not as high-proof as the citrus cellos, since it pulls in some water from the rhubarb. This stuff will freeze solid in the freezer, and I am almost tempted to spike it with a little more Everclear (next time I would add less final water, I think)?
I do think rhubarb is one underrated fruit/vegetable, or whatever label you want to apply to it! A fresh pie, as my wife makes, is one of the finest treats I can imagine (along the line of rangpur lime pie, as an offset to key lime).
I am so glad you shared your idea, Ken!
Bill in Bay
Somehow I can readily picture the "rabarbarcello" complementing your arctic menu. I agree that it is a very fine aperitif, and I think I learned much by doing it, in contrast with the citrus cellos. It ends up being a nicely balanced refreshment, according to your recipe, just the right amount of sweet, of tart, of bitter (which is like the good citrus ones), and of course the pink color is perfect too. The unique rhubarb flavor comes through just right.
As I said, production of this one can be finished in a week and no more, and I wonder if it would not be good to try to extract it too long? The one thing I might have guessed is that it ends up not as high-proof as the citrus cellos, since it pulls in some water from the rhubarb. This stuff will freeze solid in the freezer, and I am almost tempted to spike it with a little more Everclear (next time I would add less final water, I think)?
I do think rhubarb is one underrated fruit/vegetable, or whatever label you want to apply to it! A fresh pie, as my wife makes, is one of the finest treats I can imagine (along the line of rangpur lime pie, as an offset to key lime).
I am so glad you shared your idea, Ken!
Bill in Bay
I FINALLY got some everclear when visiting my son in Kentucky. I made grapefruitcello, limoncello, and apple pie shots. Jeez, two 1.75L bottles of grain alcohol don't go as far as they used to!!!!
I used Kevin's version of simple syrup and proportions and (as usual) all turned out excellent.
Thanks for all the help and inspiration provided by this thread.
Ron
and here are the cellos bottled with some bottles picked-up at World Market...
I
I used Kevin's version of simple syrup and proportions and (as usual) all turned out excellent.
Thanks for all the help and inspiration provided by this thread.
Ron
and here are the cellos bottled with some bottles picked-up at World Market...
I
I have some rhubarbcello currently in production. I started with 1.75 liters of Everclear and all the rhubarb I had left in my rhubarb patch...about four pounds. After soaking for a week, the color was nice and pink and the rhubarb looked like celery, so there was nothing left to get out of it. The mix didn't smell like anything but alcohol, so I figured I didn't have enough rhubarb. I did, however, eat a piece of the chopped rhubarb... what a mistake. It verified there was no rhubarb flavoring left in the vegetable, but now I'm blind in one eye and can't see out of the other
.
So I went to the store and bought 4 more pounds of rhubarb. One thing I did do when removing the old rhubarb was to put it in cheesecloth and mash it with my vertical sausage stuffer. I got two whole cups of alcohol back from it to add to the new mix.
Anybody got any thoughts about adding some strawberries to it? After the rhubarb is out in another few days, I'm going to pour out about 750ml and try adding strawberries for a few days. Any guidance/suggestions appreciated.
Thanks.
Ron
So I went to the store and bought 4 more pounds of rhubarb. One thing I did do when removing the old rhubarb was to put it in cheesecloth and mash it with my vertical sausage stuffer. I got two whole cups of alcohol back from it to add to the new mix.
Anybody got any thoughts about adding some strawberries to it? After the rhubarb is out in another few days, I'm going to pour out about 750ml and try adding strawberries for a few days. Any guidance/suggestions appreciated.
Thanks.
Ron
K Kruger
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
Hmm. When fruit is mixed with rhubarb it's usually 2 parts fruit to 1 part rhubarb, so as to add sufficient sweetness to rhubarb's tartness. Since you're adding a simple syrup there wouldn't be the need to go with that much, but you could for flavor. Me, I'm thinking that maintaining some of the distinct tartness - just softening it with fruit and syrup a bit - would be the way to go. To that end I'd look to replace some of the sugar in the syrup with a purée of ripe strawberries.
Your thoughts?
Your thoughts?
Rhubarbcello remains a work in progress. I'm somewhat impatient, so I only let it mellow for two days after adding syrup (to a very small batch). I tried batch one with 50-50 mix with simple syrup. It was too sweet for me.
I'm sure it would be too sweet for Kevin. Curiously, this partially froze in the freezer... so the original water in the rhubarb is fairly significant. When I made lemoncello with the same concentration of simple syrup it never froze. This is consistent with what was reported upthread.
Batch two was 2 parts rhubarb/alcohol with 1 part simple syrup and it was a little too tart (and strong). To this I added 2 large pureed (sp?) strawberries to 3 oz of the mix and got an OMG! from my lovely wife. It is simply excellent. Excellent and chewy.
So.... tonight I sliced up a pound of strawberries and am soaking/macerating them in 750ml of everclear. Hopefully in a 4 or 5 days it will be red, strained, and mixed with some combination of rhubarb/alcohol and simple syrup. Am shooting to offset the tartness of the rhubarb with strawberry (cello?) and adding enough simple syrup to replicate the taste of the puree mix but not the consistency.
Ideas welcome.
Ron
I'm sure it would be too sweet for Kevin. Curiously, this partially froze in the freezer... so the original water in the rhubarb is fairly significant. When I made lemoncello with the same concentration of simple syrup it never froze. This is consistent with what was reported upthread.
Batch two was 2 parts rhubarb/alcohol with 1 part simple syrup and it was a little too tart (and strong). To this I added 2 large pureed (sp?) strawberries to 3 oz of the mix and got an OMG! from my lovely wife. It is simply excellent. Excellent and chewy.
So.... tonight I sliced up a pound of strawberries and am soaking/macerating them in 750ml of everclear. Hopefully in a 4 or 5 days it will be red, strained, and mixed with some combination of rhubarb/alcohol and simple syrup. Am shooting to offset the tartness of the rhubarb with strawberry (cello?) and adding enough simple syrup to replicate the taste of the puree mix but not the consistency.
Ideas welcome.
Ron
Sorry to have hijacked this thread. I zested 22 lemons yesterday and put in 1.75 l of everclear, so technically I am still doing lemoncello.
On the strawberry-rhubarb front I have ended up with over a gallon of strawberry-rhubarb goodness that will be Christmas presents if I can stay out of it that long.
To recap:
8 pounds (more or less) of chopped rhubarb in 1.75 l of 190 proof alcohol. 4 pounds at a time for 4 days each. Sausage Stuffer and cheescloth pressed and reclaimed about a half liter of alcohol each time.
Simple syrup was 1 pound of sugar in 1 liter of water.
I soaked 1 pound of cut strawberries in another 750 ml bottle of everclear. After soaking overnight, the everclear was pink and the strawberries were white, so it extracted the flavor very quickly.
I mixed 2 parts rhubarb/alcohol with one part simple syrup (plus a little) and one part strawberry/alcohol and it tasted pretty good immediately after mixing...although very strong. I subsequently added one part water and it is really good.
I used up about .25 liters of Rhubarb/alcohol with various tests so final mix is 1.5L Rhubarb/alcohol, .75L strawberry/alcohol, 1L simple syrup, and .75L water.
Of course the concentration of the simple syrup could have been less up front (obviating the need for extra water) but the iterative process to get to the end caused all these steps. Personally, I like that it initially came out too sweet and too strong because it is easily corrected by simply diluting it. If you get to where it doesn't have enough flavor, it's harder to fix.
Now I have a bunch of it. Woohoo!
Ron
On the strawberry-rhubarb front I have ended up with over a gallon of strawberry-rhubarb goodness that will be Christmas presents if I can stay out of it that long.
To recap:
8 pounds (more or less) of chopped rhubarb in 1.75 l of 190 proof alcohol. 4 pounds at a time for 4 days each. Sausage Stuffer and cheescloth pressed and reclaimed about a half liter of alcohol each time.
Simple syrup was 1 pound of sugar in 1 liter of water.
I soaked 1 pound of cut strawberries in another 750 ml bottle of everclear. After soaking overnight, the everclear was pink and the strawberries were white, so it extracted the flavor very quickly.
I mixed 2 parts rhubarb/alcohol with one part simple syrup (plus a little) and one part strawberry/alcohol and it tasted pretty good immediately after mixing...although very strong. I subsequently added one part water and it is really good.
I used up about .25 liters of Rhubarb/alcohol with various tests so final mix is 1.5L Rhubarb/alcohol, .75L strawberry/alcohol, 1L simple syrup, and .75L water.
Of course the concentration of the simple syrup could have been less up front (obviating the need for extra water) but the iterative process to get to the end caused all these steps. Personally, I like that it initially came out too sweet and too strong because it is easily corrected by simply diluting it. If you get to where it doesn't have enough flavor, it's harder to fix.
Now I have a bunch of it. Woohoo!
Ron
after reading through all of these posts, i discovered the following:
http://limoncelloquest.com/
seems to do a few things differently:
- actually prefers the 150 proof grain? (i have not yet found an explanation why
- filters the grain prior to infusing (and did tests to show this makes a huge difference!)
- infuses for 30+ days (not the 4-5 like some say is sufficient due to the zest becoming pale...
any ideas? in all the posts here, i seem to have found unanimous support of 190 proof grain and no mention of filtering???
http://limoncelloquest.com/
seems to do a few things differently:
- actually prefers the 150 proof grain? (i have not yet found an explanation why
- filters the grain prior to infusing (and did tests to show this makes a huge difference!)
- infuses for 30+ days (not the 4-5 like some say is sufficient due to the zest becoming pale...
any ideas? in all the posts here, i seem to have found unanimous support of 190 proof grain and no mention of filtering???
K Kruger
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
Hmm. I prefer 190 but will use 156 if that's all I can get.
I have never filtered the alcohol. I'm not getting where the difference would really come from but I'll try that some time. He makes a point of filtering the product after blending - several times. Not something I do nor like very much. I strain out the zest but do not like it further filtered.
I'm the one who wrote about shortening the infusion time, not due to the zest becoming pale (though that happens with some fruits - not with all though as some zest, like that from calamondins et al., retain the their color) but because I don't see a point in infusing that long. Still don't.
Alcohol is an efficient flavor extractor. In my own tests I've not found a substantial difference between infusing for the lengthy times most recipes call for and a shorter infusion time. If one is using vodka the infusion time needs to be longer and the alcohol content is much lower; the time for lower alcohol grain is shorter than for vodka but longer than the time for full-proof grain alcohol. It certainly doesn't hurt to infuse a long time and if one doesn't care (or forgets about it, or is traveling and not around to continue the process - I've done both), fine. But a long upfront process is not necessary imo. Try it both ways and see what you think.
I have never filtered the alcohol. I'm not getting where the difference would really come from but I'll try that some time. He makes a point of filtering the product after blending - several times. Not something I do nor like very much. I strain out the zest but do not like it further filtered.
I'm the one who wrote about shortening the infusion time, not due to the zest becoming pale (though that happens with some fruits - not with all though as some zest, like that from calamondins et al., retain the their color) but because I don't see a point in infusing that long. Still don't.
Alcohol is an efficient flavor extractor. In my own tests I've not found a substantial difference between infusing for the lengthy times most recipes call for and a shorter infusion time. If one is using vodka the infusion time needs to be longer and the alcohol content is much lower; the time for lower alcohol grain is shorter than for vodka but longer than the time for full-proof grain alcohol. It certainly doesn't hurt to infuse a long time and if one doesn't care (or forgets about it, or is traveling and not around to continue the process - I've done both), fine. But a long upfront process is not necessary imo. Try it both ways and see what you think.
Kevin,
i completely agree with your logic, and was puzzled with the quest's suggestion to make the process so much more complicated...
also, what is the value (in your mind) of storing for extended time after adding simple syrup? if the only point is to dilute and sweeten, than happens immediately. is there something happening chemically that benefits from extended time?
i completely agree with your logic, and was puzzled with the quest's suggestion to make the process so much more complicated...
also, what is the value (in your mind) of storing for extended time after adding simple syrup? if the only point is to dilute and sweeten, than happens immediately. is there something happening chemically that benefits from extended time?
K Kruger
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
I think the quest was considered a good way to start a blog...?
I do think it's worth trying different methods on occasion (and I might try filtering the grain alcohol just to see if it removes any preliminary harshness). Not sure I'd find it necessary to go the route the blogger went (it's seems rather apparent to me from the get-go that zesting with a Microplane gives one the best scenario for efficient extraction without the bitterness of pith inclusion, and that peeling without removing the pith is a major PITA - so why bother?) but it made for a paragraph of narrative.
Storing after the syrup addition allows for some mellowing over time. The alcohol softens. (If filtering the alcohol before extraction could help here I'm all for it.) But one needn't wait - I don't. Though the 'cello is smoother after some mellowing time has passed, especially if sipped straight, one can soften the finish by either adding a splash of water to the glass, serving it over ice (so that a little ice melts and adds water to the 'cello), or shaking or stirring it with cracked ice then straining into a glass for service (safe effect).
I do think it's worth trying different methods on occasion (and I might try filtering the grain alcohol just to see if it removes any preliminary harshness). Not sure I'd find it necessary to go the route the blogger went (it's seems rather apparent to me from the get-go that zesting with a Microplane gives one the best scenario for efficient extraction without the bitterness of pith inclusion, and that peeling without removing the pith is a major PITA - so why bother?) but it made for a paragraph of narrative.
Storing after the syrup addition allows for some mellowing over time. The alcohol softens. (If filtering the alcohol before extraction could help here I'm all for it.) But one needn't wait - I don't. Though the 'cello is smoother after some mellowing time has passed, especially if sipped straight, one can soften the finish by either adding a splash of water to the glass, serving it over ice (so that a little ice melts and adds water to the 'cello), or shaking or stirring it with cracked ice then straining into a glass for service (safe effect).
Few things I have noticed making Limoncello
Having done about 15 gallons of Lemmon and 3 or 5 of Orange I have noticed a little extra zest does not hurt the recipe. If you use 10 or 12 Lemons per liter , One is not necessarily better than the other.
One day I had my Dad help me peel lemons and I was trying to tell him not to take any of the white (we were using peelers) Anyway he insisted it would not matter in the long run. Of course I insisted it would and after trying unsuccessfully to get him to take less white I decided to see how bitter this obviously ruined batch was going to turn out. After eating a good amount of the supposedly bitter pith I found it really has no flavor and it was not bitter at all.
As it turns out the end product was wonderful with not even a hint of bitterns. Now I’m not saying to use the actual pith but the little pith on the peels we used made no difference. This may vary from fruit to fruit as well.. I say taste it to be sure
Like Mike and others figured out, we have also modified the base recipe to use less sugar and we enjoy it more.
The extraction does take time but not as long as posted in some recipes. It seems once it gets to a certain point it will not benefit much from a longer soak. However the finished product does get better and more mellow once it ages a bit. Sometimes this process is fairly quick as well.
Just some opinions and observations.
-Joe
Having done about 15 gallons of Lemmon and 3 or 5 of Orange I have noticed a little extra zest does not hurt the recipe. If you use 10 or 12 Lemons per liter , One is not necessarily better than the other.
One day I had my Dad help me peel lemons and I was trying to tell him not to take any of the white (we were using peelers) Anyway he insisted it would not matter in the long run. Of course I insisted it would and after trying unsuccessfully to get him to take less white I decided to see how bitter this obviously ruined batch was going to turn out. After eating a good amount of the supposedly bitter pith I found it really has no flavor and it was not bitter at all.
As it turns out the end product was wonderful with not even a hint of bitterns. Now I’m not saying to use the actual pith but the little pith on the peels we used made no difference. This may vary from fruit to fruit as well.. I say taste it to be sure
Like Mike and others figured out, we have also modified the base recipe to use less sugar and we enjoy it more.
The extraction does take time but not as long as posted in some recipes. It seems once it gets to a certain point it will not benefit much from a longer soak. However the finished product does get better and more mellow once it ages a bit. Sometimes this process is fairly quick as well.
Just some opinions and observations.
-Joe
Question for you folks making your own. I've been following this post for a while and have been thinking of actually making some limoncello after seeing meyer lemons at the local Whole Foods.
Can't get grain alcohol in PA without a permit, but pretty sure you can get Everclear in MD?? How about DE or VA?
Can't get grain alcohol in PA without a permit, but pretty sure you can get Everclear in MD?? How about DE or VA?
K Kruger
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
Everclear 190 is legally sold in Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
The 151-proof variety is legally available for sale in California, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Washington, West Virginia, and some other states.
The 151-proof variety is legally available for sale in California, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Washington, West Virginia, and some other states.