Homemade Limoncello Fresh Lemons (Print)

Craft a vibrant lemon liqueur using fresh organic lemons and simple infusion techniques.

# Ingredients:

→ Lemons

01 - 8 large unwaxed organic lemons

→ Alcohol

02 - 25 fl oz 95% pure grain alcohol or 100-proof vodka

→ Syrup

03 - 2.5 cups water
04 - 1.75 cups granulated sugar

# Directions:

01 - Wash lemons thoroughly under hot water, scrubbing to remove residue or wax. Pat dry completely with a clean towel.
02 - Using a vegetable peeler, carefully remove the yellow zest from lemons, avoiding the bitter white pith underneath.
03 - Place lemon zest in a large clean glass jar. Pour in alcohol, ensuring zest is fully submerged. Seal jar tightly.
04 - Store jar in cool, dark place for 10 to 30 days. Shake gently every 2 days. Longer infusion develops stronger lemon flavor.
05 - In a saucepan, combine water and sugar. Heat gently over medium heat, stirring constantly until sugar dissolves completely. Cool to room temperature.
06 - Strain lemon-infused alcohol through fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth into a clean container. Discard spent zest.
07 - Mix strained lemon-infused alcohol with cooled syrup, stirring thoroughly to blend completely.
08 - Pour limoncello into sterilized bottles and seal tightly with airtight caps. Allow to rest for minimum 7 days before serving for optimal flavor development.
09 - Chill limoncello in freezer. Serve well-chilled in small glasses as a digestif.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes impossibly fancy but requires almost no active cooking time—mostly just shaking and waiting.
  • A single batch becomes multiple gifts, and watching someone's face light up when they taste homemade limoncello never gets old.
  • The house smells like a lemon grove for weeks, and that alone is worth the counter space.
02 -
  • Organic, unwaxed lemons are not optional—commercial wax dissolves into your liqueur and creates a murky, unpleasant taste that no amount of straining fixes.
  • Patience with the infusion is real; rushing it or using warm storage makes the flavor muddy instead of crystalline bright.
03 -
  • Sterilize your bottles by running them through the dishwasher or boiling them—a single bacteria or bit of residue will cloud your entire batch and waste your patience.
  • The freezer is essential for serving because the cold actually brings out brightness; warm limoncello tastes flat and one-dimensional in comparison.
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