Limoncello
Apr 7th, 2003 | 01:08 PM
#26
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2003
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Wow! I never thought my original post would get so many fun and helpful responses. Thanks. Well, a good friend of mine and I broke open the Limonce (same as limoncello) from Italy Saturday night. I used small pretty purple cordial glasses and filled them 1/2 to 3/4 full. OK, I know that was probably a lot, but we sipped it all night and looked at my Italy photos from the trip and when it came time for us to stand up we felt like a bus hit us!!! 
That is some good stuff! Next time I know to serve a little less per glass. Even in the morning we were feeling a little "out of it". It is so good though and after a nice dinner especially. I am not a vodka fan at all, I like Gin and Tonic in the Summer and red wine in the Winter, but I like this lemonce. My friend enjoyed it too. I think it will be a nice addition to our usual Summer line up of cocktails at parties. Very refreshing!<BR><BR>Thanks again all and cheers, salute, nastrovia (sp), ching ching! <BR>
That is some good stuff! Next time I know to serve a little less per glass. Even in the morning we were feeling a little "out of it". It is so good though and after a nice dinner especially. I am not a vodka fan at all, I like Gin and Tonic in the Summer and red wine in the Winter, but I like this lemonce. My friend enjoyed it too. I think it will be a nice addition to our usual Summer line up of cocktails at parties. Very refreshing!<BR><BR>Thanks again all and cheers, salute, nastrovia (sp), ching ching! <BR>
Apr 7th, 2003 | 02:09 PM
#27
Guest
Posts: n/a
I have just come back from a trip to Australia (Adelaide) and you should know that South Australia now produces Limoncello. I visited last year and saw write ups in magazines but was too late to buy. This time, I made sure I got some. Pretty frosted bottle which comes in various sizes. Very exciting Aussie culinary find!!!!
Jun 30th, 2004 | 11:15 AM
#28
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 3,500
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We just returned from our honeymoon where we spent 3 nights in Monterosso al Mare of the Cinque Terre. The town is full of lemon groves (our hotel was smack dab in the middle of one!), and we enjoyed the locally produced "limoncino" so much that we brought 2 bottles back home with us. We tried "limoncello" in Florence and I have to confess I could not tell much of a difference between limoncino and limoncello except for that whatever we tired in Florence was a bit more dry than what we had in Monterosso. Not knowing much at all about liquors, my guess was that perhaps it was slightly less fresh or contained a different type of alcohol...??
May 4th, 2006 | 03:02 PM
#29
Joined: May 2005
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Thought people might like to know that lemons from the Sorrento area are available in the US through www.melissas.com. In season only. This info is courtesy of an article on the subject in the current issue of Saveur magazine.
May 17th, 2006 | 03:30 PM
#30
Joined: Jan 2003
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And Saveur magazine is, IMHO, the single best food magazine for travel fanatics because it really cares about WHERE things come from...we have travelled to more out-of-the-way wonders because of that publication than any other single source.
Oct 6th, 2006 | 09:41 AM
#31
Joined: Jan 2003
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Has anyone tried adding cream of some type to Limoncello to make an impromptu Crema di Limoncello? We got back from Sorrento this morning and my bottle of Limoncello survived the trip (three buses, two trains and a flight)! I hate to waste any of this precious fluid if just adding cream to it isn't going to work. I loved both versions and have to admit that I brought back the version without cream in hopes that I could extend it by adding my own here. Any suggestions?
Oct 6th, 2006 | 09:51 AM
#32
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,113
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What is 100 proof Vodka?
I read this thread in 2003 and I got so curious and i went and bought most expensive Limoncello there was in a store - some Brothers farm in Italy blah blah...I was very dissapointed...what brand you would recommend?
I read this thread in 2003 and I got so curious and i went and bought most expensive Limoncello there was in a store - some Brothers farm in Italy blah blah...I was very dissapointed...what brand you would recommend?
Oct 6th, 2006 | 10:46 AM
#33
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 1,323
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For years, I've made my with Stoli, the highest alcohol content (I forgot what it is) and found that we like it better than the other top brands/highest alcohol content, like Schmirnoff's. Tried it once with Grey Goose ...no where's near as good as Stoli.
We always have bottles in the freezer. In a pretty bottle, it makes a nice hostess gift for a casual get together. How come they never serve it to US ?????
I guess that's a compliment - they want to keep it all for themselves? My recipe is pretty the same as the one above. I think I got it out of Gourmet or Bon Appetite.I strain it through cheesecloth, maybe I'll try the coffee filter next time.
I use Meyer lemons. Hopefully someday my little tree will be able to give me the 15 lemons that I need - although I doubt. I usually make it in the spring as lemons are much cheaper.
We always have bottles in the freezer. In a pretty bottle, it makes a nice hostess gift for a casual get together. How come they never serve it to US ?????
I guess that's a compliment - they want to keep it all for themselves? My recipe is pretty the same as the one above. I think I got it out of Gourmet or Bon Appetite.I strain it through cheesecloth, maybe I'll try the coffee filter next time.
I use Meyer lemons. Hopefully someday my little tree will be able to give me the 15 lemons that I need - although I doubt. I usually make it in the spring as lemons are much cheaper.
Dec 9th, 2006 | 08:02 AM
#37
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 849
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Well, I just bottled my limoncello from Maitaitom's recipe!! I started it 80 days ago, and took a small taste about 2 weeks ago...YUMMY!!
I bought 1/2 split champagne bottles and plan to give some away as Christmas presents. I've got 36 little bottles out of the two gallons or so of Limoncello I made.
I used 100 proof vodka for the first part of the vodka, and then wasn't paying attention and used 80 proof for the second part, still tastes fine to me!
I might try Everclear for the next batch. When we were in Italy in October, we were told that grain alcohol is used.
Happy Holidays and Happy Travels!
I bought 1/2 split champagne bottles and plan to give some away as Christmas presents. I've got 36 little bottles out of the two gallons or so of Limoncello I made.
I used 100 proof vodka for the first part of the vodka, and then wasn't paying attention and used 80 proof for the second part, still tastes fine to me!
I might try Everclear for the next batch. When we were in Italy in October, we were told that grain alcohol is used.
Happy Holidays and Happy Travels!
Dec 9th, 2006 | 11:56 AM
#38
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 2
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We live in So. Calif and we used to go to Tijuana, Mex. and buy 2 liters of pure alcohol to make our own anisette, creme de cocoa, etc.
We also used Vodka, but liked the alcohol better. We could bring back 2 liters of alcohol and we would always go to the large grocery stores, they were much cheaper than a liquor store.
We also used Vodka, but liked the alcohol better. We could bring back 2 liters of alcohol and we would always go to the large grocery stores, they were much cheaper than a liquor store.
Dec 9th, 2006 | 04:31 PM
#40
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 198
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Up front let me say that this in no way to diminish anyone's recipe the has come before or any other comments!
My daughter is attending the University of Tennessee and taking Italian classes after trips to Europe in 2004 and 2006 (with me). She brought two of her Italian teachers with her for Thanksgiving dinner and with them came a recipe for homemade Limoncello. This recipe calls for PGA or pure grain alcohol and I am in the process now. It only takes 15 days to let it set in the lemons and I will know next weekend whether it tastes like what I had in Italy and what I finally found locally. I have great expectations!
On two different trips through Italy I have had the opportunity to taste and drink Limoncello and Limoncino as well as other forms in other places. A few things have become apparent to me. The cheap stuff that I found in Venice was not nearly as good as the actual Limoncello that cam e from either Sorrento or very close to it. What I had that was bottled as Limoncino did not taste nearly as good as the real thing. The cream version of Limoncello although different is just as good and could be considered better according to individual tastes. It is supposed to be something about the leomons grown in Sorrento or surrounding area in volcanic soil that gives the stuff its excellent taste, I'll find out soon as I used ordinary lemons from the grocery store in what is "cooking". It is definitely better served at least cold and I prefer it ice cold from the freezer and even then I add ice cubes. The ice cubes are great after the drink is gone. It is a great summer drink on a hot evening but I like it even on the coldest nights. And last, a recent visit by Danny Devito to the tv show "The View" received a lot of publicity because he was supposedly tipsy and hadn't slept since partying with George Clooney. Clooney is known to have a villa in northern Italy on Lake Cuomo which was used as a base of operations during the filming of "Oceans Twelve". Devito is reported to have said something to the effect that "the last seven or eight Limoncellos with George Clooney really got to me...". A man after my own heart.
Baldworth
My daughter is attending the University of Tennessee and taking Italian classes after trips to Europe in 2004 and 2006 (with me). She brought two of her Italian teachers with her for Thanksgiving dinner and with them came a recipe for homemade Limoncello. This recipe calls for PGA or pure grain alcohol and I am in the process now. It only takes 15 days to let it set in the lemons and I will know next weekend whether it tastes like what I had in Italy and what I finally found locally. I have great expectations!
On two different trips through Italy I have had the opportunity to taste and drink Limoncello and Limoncino as well as other forms in other places. A few things have become apparent to me. The cheap stuff that I found in Venice was not nearly as good as the actual Limoncello that cam e from either Sorrento or very close to it. What I had that was bottled as Limoncino did not taste nearly as good as the real thing. The cream version of Limoncello although different is just as good and could be considered better according to individual tastes. It is supposed to be something about the leomons grown in Sorrento or surrounding area in volcanic soil that gives the stuff its excellent taste, I'll find out soon as I used ordinary lemons from the grocery store in what is "cooking". It is definitely better served at least cold and I prefer it ice cold from the freezer and even then I add ice cubes. The ice cubes are great after the drink is gone. It is a great summer drink on a hot evening but I like it even on the coldest nights. And last, a recent visit by Danny Devito to the tv show "The View" received a lot of publicity because he was supposedly tipsy and hadn't slept since partying with George Clooney. Clooney is known to have a villa in northern Italy on Lake Cuomo which was used as a base of operations during the filming of "Oceans Twelve". Devito is reported to have said something to the effect that "the last seven or eight Limoncellos with George Clooney really got to me...". A man after my own heart.
Baldworth
