what is Limoncello?
 

Leaving on Tuesay and keep reading your posts about Limoncello! What is this?

Limoncello is a delicious liqueur made with lemon and alcohol. You take some lemon zest and you put it in some alcohol amd leave it for some weeks. The alcohol will get yellow in colour and it will acquire a delicious lemon flavour. It MUST be served chilly in tiny glasses preferably after meals, but it is also drank as an "aperitif". The typical lemoncello (and in my opinion the BEST ) is produced in the Amalfitan Coast because they have wonderful lemons.

It's a liqueur made with lemons. Use google search for more information, it's easy.

http://www.limoncello.com/en/index.html

BATUFFOLINA has it right. The lemons are the most important part. They must be very fresh, and you use only the zest.

"what is Limoncello?"

Heaven in a bottle. Great to sip after dinner. But remember, even too much heaven can give you a hangover.
((H))

It depends what your taste is. I found it to taste like how room deodorizer smells, but my husband liked it.

I know this is a euro forum but Australia has, within the last year, just started producing limoncello!! A real novelty. YUMMY!!

LIMONCELLO RECIPE
10 lemons (the zest must be without pesticides)- 1 liter of pure alcohol - 800 gr of sugar - 1,5 liters of water Preparation: Wash the lemons under running water. Dry them and peel them avoiding to cut the white bitter part. You put the zest in the alcohol and leave to rest for 40 days. After this time, add a syrup obtained with water and sugar and leave to rest for other 24 hours. Before bottling, filter the whole thing. It will have a golden yellow colour and it will be very perfumed.
CHEERS

I think the term was coined one night when Pabal Casals had to borrow an instrument.

When the maestro came offstage after a decidedly unsuccessful performance, he remarked. "Hoo boy, that was some kinda 'lemoncello'."

Poppa,

Go to your room. :)

Thanks! I don't think I will be making any from scratch, but I will definitely order some. I thought it was probably a liquor but then I was reading either Top 10 Tuscany or Venice (can't recall which) and they said to try a Lemoncia or somthing similar to Lemoncello. I think it was more of a refreshing crushed ice liquor drink. Does anyone know what I am talking about?

I've never liked the stuff, but here's another recipe to approximate the stuff at home:
Mix the following:
1 cup Lemon Fresh Windex
1/2 cup rubbing alcohol
l can frozen lemonade concentrate
1 cup sugar

Allow to sit at room temperature a couple of weeks until green stuff forms on top. Scrape off and serve in well chilled glasses.

Enjoy.

Limoncello is a little too tart for me -but i love cantoloupe so to me the MELONCELLO was the way to go (go to Acqua Pazza, see my trip report) in Venice - they give it to you complimentary after dinner.

And it makes fabulous sorbet!

Here's my recipe... I made my own limoncello over the holidays last year, and it came out smashingly well!

http://www.strick.net/blog/011003.html

Since there are many who absolutely rave about the stuff one wonders if it is available in the US.

I coulod use a nice cold glass of Limoncello now....

Absolutely yes it is available in the US, probably at any major liquor store. When we first discovered it, a few years ago, friends of ours were hand carrying it from Italy (he is Italian). We loved it so much they very generously insisted we take home the rest of the bottle. Now it's become very trendy and, I'm happy to say, available.

Like any other alcohol, try not to drink the cheap stuff. I have had limoncello that was made with Smirnoff Vodka and it had such a bad bite! On the other hand, the more refined stuff is especially yummy.

Patrick - LOL!!!!!!

What kind of alcohol? gin...vodka...what is best?

According to Patrick - rubbing alcohol will do just fine.

Or if you are out of rubbing alcohol, you could substitute fingernail polish remover. But cut the quantity in half.

See my recipe at http://www.strick.net/blog/011003.html. I used grain alcohol (151 proof, though 190 proof would probably be even better). My mother used a different recipe and used vodka (80 proof, I believe) and it didn't turn out nearly as well.

Limoncello (from Italy kept in the freezer to keep it very cold) is yummy!

It is available in the states...I've seen several labels at Bristol Farms.

Although the drink itself is quite refreshing, most of us recall limoncello with fond memories because of the atmosphere in which we typically experience the beverage. Enjoying a chilled limoncello after a delicious meal, while absorbing the incredible view of the Mediterranean and the Amalfi Coast, is one of those special moments you can only encounter in Italy. One of the highlights of our trip. I hope you too tiffpolm can enjoy the experience!!!

Bluefan: Your post reminded me of an experience my niece told me about. She and a girlfriend were in Sorrento. It was s hot summer night, and they drank a considerable amount of cold, refreshing Limoncello and thought it was absolutely wonderful. She brought home a bottle and served it to friends after dinner on a summer evening, and wondered why it tasted so good in Italy, and was now rather mediocre.

I think you explained why perfectly!

Limoncello seems pretty easy to find in the States. At least my local, not at all fancy liquor store carries several brands. Patrick, your recipe looks about right, but you may be a little short on the sugar. It's a very sweet drink.

One additional item on limoncello, is that it comes in two varieties: the clear (my fave), which to beat a dead lemon, should be kept in the freezer; and the creamy variety-also kept cold, a little less sweet. A serious dessert all by itself.
Anyone else getting a major hankering for the Amalfi Coast just reading this thread! wo.

Here in Fresno they opened a Beverages and More liquor store 3 weeks ago. On display are 6 brands of limoncello. I bought the least expensive brand ( about 17 dollars)and my wife and I LOVE it. Since the initial bottle we have consumed three more including orangecello also highly recommended.

However, for contrast I bought a brand that cost 25 dollars and disliked it.
I understand in Italy there is also a strawberry.

Give it a try.

Dear Mendota:

What brand did you like? I purchased a CA made brand and did not like it at all. Also had a homemade limoncello at Bistro Don Giovanni in Napa: it was OK but made with Myers lemons. Let me know .

PS: are you from Mendota - hot spot of the Valley??

Loved it the first time I had it in Italy and I buy it all the time here in the States! One note though - since it really should be served directly from the freezer you have to watch the percentage of alcohol in the brand you buy. Several of them have lower alcohol content (I think it's under 26%) and those will freeze - not at all what you want. Make sure if has enough alcohol so that it just stays icy and not frozen. Enjoy!

Our hotel bartender in Sorrento introduced us to limoncello, then the creamy limoncello. After having the creamy, I never went back. Unlike others, I find that now that I'm back in the States, a bottle of creamy limoncello taken out on the deck of the pool on a steamy August night or as an after dinner drink with dinner guests evokes many of the same Sorrento-like feelings, and have made many wonderful memories over it since we've returned. I hardly find it "mediocre", that's for sure! My freezer is never without a bottle of the Limocello di Sorrento!

Amyb, you have just made me GREEN with envy!!!! Suffice to say, it is difficult to recreate those Sorrento Limoncello evenings in a 1 bedroom flat in London, with outdoor access only through the fire escape which our porter will NOT allow us to sit on!! aaaaaargh!!!!

Amyb: You must have better memories, recall or imagination than my niece! I must agree that in my own experience, it is easy to duplicate wonderful things we have done in Italy, just looking at our photos. Having a Limoncello would enhance it even further.

can't wait to try one next week. When is the appropriate time to drink? only after dinner or would anytime during a day, hanging out, maybe at a table doing some people watching be appropriate. Also, the other drink I was reading about that is lemonish with ice, etc is called a sgroppino (sp?) A book says it is a top 10 drink in Venice. sounds delish. Anyone had one?