Limoncello is a liqueur from Campania region, in particular from the Amalfi coast, made with lemon peels with an alcohol content of about 30%. It is a sweet liqueur, with a characteristic gold color, which is obtained by macerating lemon peel in pure alcohol with the addition of sugar syrup. The preparation requires an infusion time of about one month. It is consumed at the end of meals as a digestive but can also be used to dump and flavor sweets and ice creams. Its preparation is simple but the best results are obtained with high quality lemons. In Italy the best lemons are from the area of Sorrento, Amalfi, Salerno and of course the Sicilian ones. The history of limoncello is not completely clear and its invention is in fact disputed between the inhabitants of Amalfi, Sorrento and Capri. The "Limoncello" brand was registered in Capri in 1998 by the entrepreneur Massimo Canale and many believe that the invention of this famous liqueur is linked to the Canale family: the limoncello would have been born in the early twentieth century from a grandmother's recipe in a small guesthouse on the Blue Island, where Signora Maria Antonia Farace took care of a luxuriant garden of lemons and oranges. This liqueur is today produced industrially but born as a home-made product.
INGREDIENTS
6 lemons
350 ml pure alcohol 95% 190 proof
500 gr sugar
600 ml water
PREPARATION
Wash 6 lemons and peel them with a potato peeler, removing only the yellow part and leaving the white part as it gives a bitter taste to the liqueur. Place the lemon peel in a hermetically sealed glass jar and macerate in 350 ml of pure alcohol for 15 days in the refrigerator. Remember to Shake the jar every day. After the infusion time, filter the liquid with a colander and add the syrup. To prepare the syrup, put the water (600ml) and the sugar (500g) in a pan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly until the sugar is completely dissolved. Keep the place cool and in the dark for at least 30 days before enjoying it.
HOW TO SERVE LIMONCELLO.
The limoncello must be served cold and stored in the freezer. The glasses to serve it are small, tall, narrow cylinders and should be chilled in the freezer before pouring the liqueur into them.
