Thread: Limoncello di Capri

On Tue, 03 Aug 2010 13:57:08 -0600, "gloria.p" <[email protected]>
wrote:

>
> Limoncello di Capri
>
> Take the zest, yellow part only) from ~8 lemons and soak in 1 liter
> Everclear for 4 days at room temp.

Do you zest them with a vegetable peeler or do you get fancy?
>
> On the 4th day, mix 1 kg (2.2 lb.) sugar with 1 liter water. Simmer
> until sugar is completely dissolved, Cool to room temperature. Combine
> with Everclear/lemon mixture and mix well. Let sit 5-10 minutes, then
> strain out the lemon zest. Keep refrigerated or frozen, serve cold. It
> ages well.
>
> Other citrus fruits may be substituted for lemons. Clementines are
> wonderful, grapefruit is way too bitter.
>
> Recipe may be easily scaled up or down as desired.

TY, snipped and saved. Everclear used to be illegal here, but I don't
think it is anymore.

--

Forget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.

sf wrote:
> On Tue, 03 Aug 2010 13:57:08 -0600, "gloria.p" <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
>> Limoncello di Capri
>>
>> Take the zest, yellow part only) from ~8 lemons and soak in 1 liter
>> Everclear for 4 days at room temp.
>
> Do you zest them with a vegetable peeler or do you get fancy?

My Italian friend who gave me my recipe said to peel not zest. He
was aghast at the thought of using a microplane.

>> On the 4th day, mix 1 kg (2.2 lb.) sugar with 1 liter water. Simmer
>> until sugar is completely dissolved, Cool to room temperature. Combine
>> with Everclear/lemon mixture and mix well. Let sit 5-10 minutes, then
>> strain out the lemon zest. Keep refrigerated or frozen, serve cold. It
>> ages well.
>>
>> Other citrus fruits may be substituted for lemons. Clementines are
>> wonderful, grapefruit is way too bitter.
>>
>> Recipe may be easily scaled up or down as desired.
>
> TY, snipped and saved. Everclear used to be illegal here, but I don't
> think it is anymore.
>

Your in California? I think you can only get the 151 version not the
190.

-Tracy

Tracy wrote:
>
>
> sf wrote:
>> On Tue, 03 Aug 2010 13:57:08 -0600, "gloria.p" <[email protected]>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Limoncello di Capri
>>>
>>> Take the zest, yellow part only) from ~8 lemons and soak in 1 liter
>>> Everclear for 4 days at room temp.
>>
>> Do you zest them with a vegetable peeler or do you get fancy?
>
> My Italian friend who gave me my recipe said to peel not zest. He was
> aghast at the thought of using a microplane.


I microplaned. It was easier to avoid any of the white bitter pith
that way. It also opens up more of the oil cells in the rind as
you plane fine shavings.

gloria p

On Aug 3, 3:57*pm, "gloria.p" <gpues...@comcast.net> wrote:
> Limoncello di Capri
>
> Take the zest, yellow part only) from ~8 lemons and soak in 1 liter
> Everclear for 4 days at room temp.
>
> On the 4th day, mix 1 kg (2.2 lb.) sugar with 1 liter water. *Simmer
> until sugar is completely dissolved, Cool to room temperature. Combine
> with Everclear/lemon mixture and mix well. *Let sit 5-10 minutes, then
> strain out the lemon zest. *Keep refrigerated or frozen, serve cold. *It
> ages well.
>
> Other citrus fruits may be substituted for lemons. *Clementines are
> wonderful, grapefruit is way too bitter.
>
> Recipe may be easily scaled up or down as desired.
>
> gloria p

Sounds lethal! I've always heard of it being made with vodka.

That being said, I've been enjoying limoncello a lot this summer as a
spritzer - just add soda water, ice and mint leaves. Refreshing! (and
it may tame the strength of this recipe. )

Kris

On Tue, 03 Aug 2010 16:27:08 -0400, Tracy <[email protected]> wrote:

>
>
> sf wrote:
> > On Tue, 03 Aug 2010 13:57:08 -0600, "gloria.p" <[email protected]>
> > wrote:
> >
> >> Limoncello di Capri
> >>
> >> Take the zest, yellow part only) from ~8 lemons and soak in 1 liter
> >> Everclear for 4 days at room temp.
> >
> > Do you zest them with a vegetable peeler or do you get fancy?
>
> My Italian friend who gave me my recipe said to peel not zest. He
> was aghast at the thought of using a microplane.
>
Uh oh. Now we need to have a peel vs. zest conversation!

<snip>
> >
>
> Your in California?

Yes.

> I think you can only get the 151 version not the 190.

The less potent one is what we should be using for limoncello anyway,
isn't it?

--

Forget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.

Tracy <[email protected]> wrote:

>My Italian friend who gave me my recipe said to peel not zest. He
>was aghast at the thought of using a microplane.

You do not need to munge up the peel to make limoncello -- the
alcohol does all the work for you, extracting the lemon oil.


Steve

gloria.p wrote:
> Tracy wrote:
>>
>>
>> sf wrote:
>>> On Tue, 03 Aug 2010 13:57:08 -0600, "gloria.p" <[email protected]>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Limoncello di Capri
>>>>
>>>> Take the zest, yellow part only) from ~8 lemons and soak in 1 liter
>>>> Everclear for 4 days at room temp.
>>>
>>> Do you zest them with a vegetable peeler or do you get fancy?
>>
>> My Italian friend who gave me my recipe said to peel not zest. He was
>> aghast at the thought of using a microplane.
>
>
> I microplaned. It was easier to avoid any of the white bitter pith
> that way. It also opens up more of the oil cells in the rind as
> you plane fine shavings.
>
> gloria p
>
>
>

To each his own I guess. We were introduced to limoncello a few
years ago by this friend. He got the recipe from his grandmother.
When I said, "can I use a microplane?" he said, "no, no, no.My
grandmother would have a heart attack." So, that's how I make it, by
peeling. I've really gotten very good at it and I have never had a
bitter batch.

If you like what you make then that is all that matters.

Tracy

sf wrote:
> On Tue, 03 Aug 2010 16:27:08 -0400, Tracy <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>
>> sf wrote:
>>> On Tue, 03 Aug 2010 13:57:08 -0600, "gloria.p" <[email protected]>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Limoncello di Capri
>>>>
>>>> Take the zest, yellow part only) from ~8 lemons and soak in 1 liter
>>>> Everclear for 4 days at room temp.
>>> Do you zest them with a vegetable peeler or do you get fancy?
>> My Italian friend who gave me my recipe said to peel not zest. He
>> was aghast at the thought of using a microplane.
>>
> Uh oh. Now we need to have a peel vs. zest conversation!
>
> <snip>
>> Your in California?
>
> Yes.
>
>> I think you can only get the 151 version not the 190.
>
> The less potent one is what we should be using for limoncello anyway,
> isn't it?
>

I've always used the 190. 151 would probably be ok. I just won't
make it with regular vodka. It wouldn't have the same kick.

Tracy

Steve Pope wrote:
> Tracy <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> My Italian friend who gave me my recipe said to peel not zest. He
>> was aghast at the thought of using a microplane.
>
> You do not need to munge up the peel to make limoncello -- the
> alcohol does all the work for you, extracting the lemon oil.
>
>
> Steve

What do you mean by munge? Is peeling munging or is microplaning
munging?

Tracy

Tracy <[email protected]> wrote:

>Steve Pope wrote:

>> Tracy <[email protected]> wrote:

>> You do not need to munge up the peel to make limoncello -- the
>> alcohol does all the work for you, extracting the lemon oil.

>What do you mean by munge? Is peeling munging or is microplaning
>munging?

Yes. Munge -- mechanically cutting, shredding, microplaning, etc.

Is this not an official cooking term? :-)

Steve

On 8/3/2010 14:27, Tracy wrote:
> My Italian friend who gave me my recipe said to peel not zest. He was
> aghast at the thought of using a microplane.


I use the peels too and not just the zest. If bitterness comes through,
the addition of that substantial sugar syrup will help to calm a lot of
it. Whatever bitterness remains is a nice counterpoint to the sugar,
lemon and alcohol heat of the finished product.

On Aug 3, 3:57*pm, "gloria.p" <gpues...@comcast.net> wrote:
> Limoncello di Capri
>
> Take the zest, yellow part only) from ~8 lemons and soak in 1 liter
> Everclear for 4 days at room temp.
>
> On the 4th day, mix 1 kg (2.2 lb.) sugar with 1 liter water. *Simmer
> until sugar is completely dissolved, Cool to room temperature. Combine
> with Everclear/lemon mixture and mix well. *Let sit 5-10 minutes, then
> strain out the lemon zest. *Keep refrigerated or frozen, serve cold. *It
> ages well.
>
> Other citrus fruits may be substituted for lemons. *Clementines are
> wonderful, grapefruit is way too bitter.
>
> Recipe may be easily scaled up or down as desired.
>
> gloria p

Can you spell this out for me. What the heck is Everclear and when is
the juice of the lemons added. Would love to make this for
Sunday...........Should I start Friday? thx. e.

On Tue, 03 Aug 2010 13:41:08 -0700, sf <[email protected]> wrote:

>The less potent one is what we should be using for limoncello anyway,
>isn't it?

No, you need the most potent. It helps extract the oils from the
lemon peels. Plus you need that to help keep it freezing solid when
you put it in the freezer.

You dilute it down later on...

Christine
--
http://nightstirrings.blogspot.com

On Tue, 3 Aug 2010 16:05:24 -0700 (PDT), "[email protected]"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Can you spell this out for me. What the heck is Everclear and when is
>the juice of the lemons added. Would love to make this for
>Sunday...........Should I start Friday? thx. e.

You need to start a couple of weeks ahead. It takes a week or so to
extract the lemon oils from the peels... Sometimes a bit longer. Then
it needs really a bit of time to age a bit, at least in my opinion.

Christine
--
http://nightstirrings.blogspot.com

[email protected] wrote:
> On Aug 3, 3:57 pm, "gloria.p" <gpues...@comcast.net> wrote:
>> Limoncello di Capri
>>
>> Take the zest, yellow part only) from ~8 lemons and soak in 1 liter
>> Everclear for 4 days at room temp.
>>
>> On the 4th day, mix 1 kg (2.2 lb.) sugar with 1 liter water. Simmer
>> until sugar is completely dissolved, Cool to room temperature. Combine
>> with Everclear/lemon mixture and mix well. Let sit 5-10 minutes, then
>> strain out the lemon zest. Keep refrigerated or frozen, serve cold. It
>> ages well.
>>
>> Other citrus fruits may be substituted for lemons. Clementines are
>> wonderful, grapefruit is way too bitter.
>>
>> Recipe may be easily scaled up or down as desired.
>>
>> gloria p
>
> Can you spell this out for me. What the heck is Everclear and when is
> the juice of the lemons added. Would love to make this for
> Sunday...........Should I start Friday? thx. e.


Everclear is grain alcohol.
As far as I remember, you don;'t use the lemon kuice at all.
I'd start today or tomorrow for Sunday. It gets better as it ages.

gloria p

gloria.p <[email protected]> wrote:

>Everclear is grain alcohol.

Best case scenario, yes.


S.

Tracy wrote:

> I've always used the 190. 151 would probably be ok. I just won't make it
> with regular vodka. It wouldn't have the same kick.
>
> Tracy

I've made two batches as a trial, on with Everclear and one with my
standard 100 proof vodka. That Everclear batch was *harsh!*

[email protected] wrote:

> Can you spell this out for me. What the heck is Everclear and when is
> the juice of the lemons added. Would love to make this for
> Sunday...........Should I start Friday? thx. e.

You don't use the juice in *this* at all.
My recipe lets the peels set for a month. I've never done such a short
"steep" as this recipe calls for.

Goomba <[email protected]> wrote:

>[email protected] wrote:

>> Can you spell this out for me. What the heck is Everclear and when is
>> the juice of the lemons added. Would love to make this for
>> Sunday...........Should I start Friday? thx. e.
>
>You don't use the juice in *this* at all.
>My recipe lets the peels set for a month. I've never done such a short
>"steep" as this recipe calls for.

Some approaches add juice at the end of the process. Many people
say they prefer this.

Steve