Amalfi coast

2 September 2014

Welcome friends. The image above is from a trip along the Amalfi coast. This is the harbor at Sorrento. Sorrento is a little town just south of Naples and it was brimming with british tourists when I was there. There are many stores that sell fancy little bottles of limoncello to the tourists, but it has a medicinal taste and I didn't enjoy it. I expressed my disappointment to some of the hotel staff and they recommended a little candy shop by the train station. The limoncello I purchased there was much better, and the girl working in the shop told me that they used lemons from the grove across the street to make it. I hadn't even noticed the picturesque little lemon grove until she pointed it out.

It has been a tough year for making limoncello. As I noted in part 1, you need to find lemons with peels that have few or no blemishes. Usually this is not a problem, but this year I've had a hard time finding lemons that are not blemished. I must look like a crazy person in the produce section... picking up a lemon and eyeing the skin before returning it to the pile and picking up another lemon, and then another, and then another. Several times I just gave up. There were too many blemishes on the lemons. Eventually I found enough acceptable lemons.

If you've followed my recipe in part 1, you will have enough infused alcohol to make about four 750ml bottles. Of course it is ideal to wait 12 weeks after the last peel is added before making the limoncello. I make a test batch at the end of the summer. It is a ritual that I have. When I was trying to figure out the recipe, I would make some and take it to a few of my coworkers to taste. I think that I was making a bottle or two every month. I've been making this recipe for years, but I still like to test it out while it is easy to get more lemons to peel. This came in handy last year, when I tried a local organic vodka and I didn't like the result.

Limoncello is typically served cold and in small servings at the end of the meal. You can serve it after a dessert or with some fruit. Last week at the farmer's market they had little pints with assorted plums and apricots. I love plums, but they have such a short season.

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Limoncello, Part 2

Limoncello and fruit

Ingredients

makes 1 bottle

  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 1/2 lemon, juice only
  • 1 empty swing top bottle (750mL)
  • 2 coffee filters or cheesecloth
  • 2 cups infused lemon alcohol

Directions

combine the water, sugar and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Stir the contents a few times to loosen the sugar from the bottom of the pan before adjusting the burner to medium heat. Stir the mixture occasionally and bring to a gentle boil. Boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.

boil enough water to sterilize the bottle you are using. I like to use 750mL bottles with swing-top closures. Place the bottle in the sink and fill it with the boiling water. Allow to cool completely and then pour out the water.

strain the lemon infusion using coffee filters or cheesecloth. I use coffee filters with a single cup plastic cone. I dampen each filter with water before I use it.

place the syrup in a blender. Use a medium setting and pour in about half of the infusion in a slow stream with the blender running. Blend for 30 seconds and then repeat with the remaining alcohol. Pour this into the sanitized bottle and allow it to rest for a few days. It will mellow as it ages. Serve cold as an after dinner drink.