Limoncello

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Show: Everyday ItalianEpisode: Summers in Capri

Rated: 4 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (64)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(64)

Cook Time:
10 min
Level:
Easy
Yield:
7 cups

Times:

Prep: 30 min
Inactive Prep: 100 hr 0 min
Cook: 10 min
Total:: 100 hr 40 min

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10 lemons

1 (750-ml) bottle vodka

3 1/2 cups water

2 1/2 cups sugar

Using a vegetable peeler, remove the peel from the lemons in long strips (reserve the lemons for another use). Using a small sharp knife, trim away the white pith from the lemon peels; discard the pith. Place the lemon peels in a 2-quart pitcher. Pour the vodka over the peels and cover with plastic wrap. Steep the lemon peels in the vodka for 4 days at room temperature.

Stir the water and sugar in a large saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Cool completely. Pour the sugar syrup over the vodka mixture. Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight. Strain the limoncello through a mesh strainer. Discard the peels. Transfer the limoncello to bottles. Seal the bottles and refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours and up to 1 month.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Limoncello
clairene Maryann laurel, MD 10-20-2009
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This was decent
Rated: 3 stars out of 5

I tried this and it isn't near as thick and smooth as Limoncello I had from Italy. That one was almost, creamy, but not. This... isn't what I was wanting in a good Limoncello recipe. And for previous poster Roxanne, Im pretty sure many people post suggestions to what they did to improve the recipe. That is why many people DO post reviews so that they can help out other users. And Im pretty sure there are hundreds and thousands of absolutely fabulous chefs out there that don't "have their own show". I might try this again with some of the suggestions but most likely this won't be making it to the holiday gift baskets I make for gifts.Read more
recipe Limoncello
ROXANNE Cordova, TN 09-15-2009
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Recipe
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Null, You are so annoying! The rating system is for the actual recipe! You do this all the time. We could care less what... you make at home. If you were so good, you would have your own show! Others, Please take note. Read more
recipe Limoncello
Barbara Miami, FL 07-17-2009
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LOVE THIS STUFF1
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I had Limoncello for the first time in Florence, Italy, and loved it! Then in Pisa, Italy, I found a dishtowel with the... recipe for Limoncello printed on it, but it was in Italian. Someone there told me that Giada had a recipe on this website. So I came home and tried it. Everyone that has had it loves it, and I am now on my second batch. It is much better than the brand I bought at my local liquor store. I think this will be a great gift for anyone. I have read some of the reviews about the different kinds of vodka that were used, but I used one of the least expensive ones, and it tastes just great! I did increase the number of lemons to 12, as that was what I had on hand. And peeling with a vegetable peeler was a snap. Thanks, Giada! Read more
recipe Limoncello
null null, null 02-13-2009
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A poor recipe for a wonderful drink
Rated: 2 stars out of 5

If you think this is good, you'll love the real thing..... 1. Organic lemons make a big difference in quality! ... Pre-filtering the alcohol will also help. 2. To speed extraction, and GREATLY ease zesting, pick up a microplane grater! (looks like a thousand tiny razor blades). In one good stroke, it takes off the perfect amount of zest without the bitter pith! Two strokes stretches it further, but still tolerable. A microplane will make it almost impossible to over-zest, and it's FAST! 3. Start with 75% to 95% alcohol (150-190 proof) and water it down to the same strength later. Using too weak will not extract all of the good flavors and will leave it flat at best, and at worst it's akin to overbrewing coffee with too much water or at lower temp. What a waste. 4. Maybe the biggest problem is that it's not aged nearly long enough to smooooth and mellow! One month and it might still taste like lemon nail polish remover, especially with non-organic lemons. We're talking a minimum of twice the aging, preferably 3 times as long, divided between infusing witih zest and aging with the syrup. 5. Until you nail the perfect balance for you, make it a bit overly strong with too little sugar. You can always add syrup or water after aging. =) 6. I sometimes add half to one full vanilla bean, split and scraped with the seeds tossed in of course. It can be a very subtle way to smooth and enhance the flavor Hope this helps!Read more
recipe Limoncello
Taunia Loves Park, IL 08-27-2008
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Revised recipe - turned out great!
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

My boyfriend and I made this limoncello with a few adjustments.... We used the following: 13 lemons (rind peeled with a... vegetable peeler, which worked great) 1 (750 ml) bottle vodka (Tangueray Sterling) 2 1/4 cups water 1 1/4 cups sugar we then followed Giada's directions. It turned out fabulously!! Not too sweet or too tart and incredibly smooth. We're already making a double batch to share with friends and to have some more for ourselves! Enjoy!Read more
recipe Limoncello
Anonymous 06-06-2008
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Decent
Rated: 3 stars out of 5

I used slightly less sugar than the recipe calls for and the taste was alright. I don't think I will make this again as the... liquer store offers a good Limoncello cheaper than I can make it.Read more