Garden Gloves and a Cocktail

When Life gives you lemons ....... Make Limoncello !

I like looking at this stuff in the bottle just as much as I like to drink it.   When  I open the freezer and see the bottle of  thick, frosty, lemony elixir, with the vanilla bean specs sticking to  the sides of the bottle,  it brings back the excitement of the neighborhood ice cream truck … but instead of a bomb pop …. this is a  "Let's get Bombed" pop …it's a pretty stiff drink !  …. but enjoyed as intended, as an after dinner "digestif",  it's practically good for you !  (that's my story, and I'm sticking to it).

           di·ges·tif 

        (noun) : alcoholic drink, drunk after a meal, supposedly to aid in digestion of food

There are many recipes for limoncello. I enjoy the milk based Crema de Limoncello the best.  Limoncello should always be served cold, preferablly right out of the freezer in small cordial glasses.  It can also be mixed with tonic water to lighten it up a little.

Plan 2 weeks in advance, you need to make your vanilla sugar first ( takes 2 weeks) and ferment the lemon zest in Everclear ( takes 1 week).

Do yourself a favor, have a recipe for your favorite lemon meringue pie ready, you'll have 10 Meyers lemons to use after zesting the rinds  :)

The key ingredient in Limoncello, is of course, lemons !  Fermented lemons.  Because the rind is what you'll be using,  please make sure to use organic lemons in your recipe. 

I purchase swingtop bottles from www.specialtybottle.com. I always double the recipe above, to yield five , 34 oz bottles, of Limoncello (a few for my freezer, a few to share !). 

This is fun to serve to dinner guests, a great presentation to pull your homemade frosty treat from the freezer … and it makes a great hostess gift !

Crema de Limoncello

Ingredients

• 10 Meyer lemons  (*make sur they are organic.  I suppose you could just use ordinary lemons, but Meyers are known for their strong fragrance).
• 1 (750 ml) bottle Everclear  (some use Vodka, but it does give it an "off" flavor, you really should use Everclear because it's flavorless)
• 8 1/2 cups of milk  ( NOT CREAM, cream will curdle)
• 5 c sugar
• 1/2 vanilla sugar  (make your own bu putting a split vanilla bean in a mason jar of sugar and let it sit for at least 2 weeks  … don't get crafty and substitute vanilla extract, it's just not the same).

Instructions

1)   Make your vanilla sugar, as referernced above, let sit 2 weeks

2)  Using a fine grater, zest lemons.  Place zest in jar with Everclear and leave at room temperature for 1 week. 

3)  After lemon zest ferments one week, strain into jar or large bottle or container.

4) In saucepan over medium heat, warm the milk, being so so  so careful not to scald it !

5) Add the vanilla sugar and cook, stirring freqently, until disolved.

6) Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
7) In a large pitcher, combine the milk mixture with Everclear lemon mixture, and funnel into bottles.
8)  Store in the freezer for up to 6 months