Limoncello Recipe (made with sous vide!) – A Nerd Cooks (2024)

FAQs

Is it better to use vodka or Everclear for limoncello? ›

I find that two weeks works well using Everclear and my Eureka lemons. A lower proof vodka will mean that you may need an additional week or more to reach maximum lemon flavor. Don't worry about how much time your bottle is sitting out infusing, the high proof liquor will prevent mold from growing.

It's also common to clarify limoncello to make it less cloudy, though even this method retains limoncello's signature yellow color. Most limoncello is bottled between 28 percent and 32 percent alcohol by volume (ABV, 56 to 64 proof).

Wash the lemons thoroughly in warm water, and rinse well. Remove the zest (only the zest - the yellow part) from the lemons. Try not to get any of the white pith that's under the yellow zest, because the pith makes the limoncello taste bitter.

As limoncello has a relatively high ABV, you can indeed get drunk off limoncello. It is for this reason that we encourage you to take care and drink responsibly.

Variation: Adding Lemon Juice

This will make the finished beverage more cloudy, while at the same time adding a sour note to the sweet, boozy lemon liqueur. The more juice you add, the more sour the finished liquid will become. We couldn't decide which method we liked better—so we did both!

How Long to Infuse? Infuse your lemon peels and vodka for at least 4 days or up to a month. Most of the lemon flavor is extracted in those first few days, but you'll also get a stronger, bolder flavor the longer you let it sit.

Sorrento & Sfusato lemons

Limoncello may not be a protected term, but true limoncello liqueurs are only made using the peel of one of two varieties of lemon, Sfusato and Sorrento.

Don't oversteep!

My Recipes tell us that in doing so, the oil trapped in the skins of the lemons will slowly release, infusing the alcohol with the fruit's flavor and vibrant color! After this successful steeping process is when simple syrup is added to the maker's liking to sweeten up the bottle.

Lemons: This homemade limoncello recipe starts with 10 fresh lemons. Vodka: You don't have to use expensive vodka, but avoid using the super cheap stuff for the best results. Sugar: Three cups of white sugar ensures a perfectly sweet-tart drink.

Although it's often served in a shot glass, people generally drink it in two or three sips. Check the bottle before buying it. The best-tasting Italian Limoncellos come from the Amalfi coast of Italy and use the sfusato Amalfitano lemon.

What size glass do you serve limoncello in? ›

Serve limoncello in a shot glass or cordial glass. Because of the beautiful lemon-yellow color of limoncello, we prefer to pour it into a clear or crystal glass. Chill your glass in advance by filling it with ice right before serving or storing glasses in the freezer.

If you have extra rinds on your hands from preserving lemons and you've already made vats of limoncello, you can cut those rinds into smaller pieces and stuff them into your jars of preserved lemons for bonus pieces. But enough about the preserved lemons. Today, limoncello enjoys its day in the spotlight.

Generally lighter than its counterparts, limoncello isn't sour or bitter. It's tangy and refreshing. It's also balanced between acidity and sweetness; while the best limoncellos don't burn your throat, neither are they sickly sweet.

Add yellow food coloring one drop at a time. 3-4 drops for the entire batch should be adequate. After your Limoncello is done. Store in airtight bottles in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

I've found though that vodka has a flavor of its own that is imparted and I'm not a big fan of that. However, it is much better than nothing so the next best thing is 100 proof, mid-grade vodka. If you must, use the 80 proof but more potent liquor is better.

Everclear tastes more like ethanol than vodka does, simply because that is what it is. If you want to compare their qualities, dilute the Everclear to 40% ABV with distilled water and then compare the taste. Without dilution it will taste much hotter and more peppery because it has so much higher % alcohol.

Limoncello: tangy, refreshing, and perfectly balanced

Generally lighter than its counterparts, limoncello isn't sour or bitter. It's tangy and refreshing. It's also balanced between acidity and sweetness; while the best limoncellos don't burn your throat, neither are they sickly sweet.

They are produced by essentially the same processes, basically distilling grain spirit in column stills. Vodka begins life just like Everclear, distilled to more than 95% alcohol, but water is added at bottling to bring it down to 40%-50%, depending on brand. They just don't add water to Everclear when it's bottled.