Homemade Limoncello from Amalfi lemons

"In recent years, I've been fine-tuning the perfect recipe for homemade Limoncello. I always have a chilled bottle on hand, because what's cozier than topping off a dinner party with a small glass of lemon liqueur? With this recipe, you'll never have to reach for supermarket Limoncello again – which is often of regrettable quality." Saluti! - Bo

Let's get started!

1. Amalfi lemons are unsprayed and pesticide-free, but I still always rinse them thoroughly first. After that, you can start peeling them with a vegetable peeler. Make sure to peel as little white pith as possible, as this will give a bitter taste. The yellow peel contains all the essential oils that give Limoncello its fresh flavor.
2. I use an olive oil barrel, as I always make a large batch, but most people use one or more canning jars that can be sealed tightly. Fill the canning jar with 1 liter of pure alcohol (96%) and put the lemon peels in. Tip: put the lemon peels in a laundry bag or produce bag, so you can easily retrieve them all at once later.
3. Place the canning jar in a dark and cool place for at least three weeks to 'macerate'. Simply put, this means letting the flavor infuse. If you shake it occasionally, you'll speed up this process.
4. After the canning jar has sat for three weeks, you can start making the syrup. Put a pot with 1.6 liters of water on the stove and let it boil first. Then add 600 grams of white candy sugar or raw cane sugar and let it dissolve in the water. These sugars have longer crystallization times than table sugar and are purer. Raw cane sugar will give your Limoncello a slightly darker yellow color. Then, let the pot cool, covered, to room temperature (this can take a few hours).
5. Now you'll remove the lemon peels from the alcohol solution. Make sure all small pieces of peel and impurities are strained out of the alcohol. Pour the alcohol solution through a sieve or let it run through a cheesecloth.
6. Then slowly pour the filtered alcohol solution into the syrup. The mixture will now become cloudy; this is called the ouzo effect. The lemon oil that was initially dissolved in the alcohol now becomes 'separated' again and floats through the water.
7. Your homemade Limoncello is now ready! Just pour it into a nice bottle and then it can go into the freezer to chill. Saluti!

Tip

You've worked hard for this delicious Limoncello, and it's a digestif, so take small sips rather than downing it like a shot. Enjoy!