Limoncello… this quintessentially Italian, sweet, aromatic liqueur is incredibly easy to make at home. Who would have thought?

All you need is:

1 liter of food grade alcohol (if you can’t get this then strong vodka like Smirnoff blue label may work but it won’t be the same)

5 or 6 organic lemons (sfusato amalfitano are the best variety)

400g of white sugar 

Method 

1. Using a potato peeler, remove the zest from the lemons in strips making sure to avoid picking up too much pith which makes the liqueur bitter

2. Place the peels in a container large enough to hold the liter of alcohol. Pour the alcohol over the peels and seal (cling film will do fine if your container has no lid)

3. Wait. One week to ten days or until the peels turn pale and brittle.

4. Heat up one liter of water and dissolve the sugar.

5. Discard the lemon peels and conserve the alcohol (which will by now be bright yellow, no comments on what it looks like at this stage please)

6. Mix the alcohol and the warm sugar water (don’t let it cook entirely or you will lose the characteristic cloudiness)

7. Decant into bottles

When it has cooled, it is best served ice cold – I store mine in the freezer!

With love, from Italy