Summer will soon be here, and that means Limoncello
time! Don’t you mean Limoncino? Well, yes and no. While both drinks are
basically the same, they have different names, and like most things Italian,
it’s a regional thing. In the North, around the Portofino/Cinque Terre region,
it’s Limoncino. In the South, around Campania
and Calabria, it’s called Limoncello.
Limoncello’s
history is short and is not rooted in tradition, as is typically the case.
There is no historical documentation regarding the use of Limoncello before the beginning of the twentieth century. Outside
of a handful of families and social circles, few people drank it before 1988,
when Massimo Canale of Capri registered the trademark “Limoncello di Capri” and began producing it in quantity for bars,
restaurants, and supermarkets throughout the area, and then around the world.
In other words, Limoncello,
as a commercial phenomenon, is the same age as the Internet!
I think the circumstances surrounding a new food or
drink experience influence your feelings for a particular item as much as the
item itself, and Limoncello has a
place in my memory for that reason.
I first tasted this delicious liquore on our first trip to Italy, many years ago. We were
young(er), naïve, and determined to be open to whatever Italy had to offer us.
We had a wonderful lunch at a small ristorante just behind the Duomo in Firenze. After the meal, as we waited for il conto, the waiter brought us a small
glass of golden liquid. It was in an unmarked bottle, and he simply poured it
for us without asking. It was, of
course, Limoncello, and it was
fantastic!
There is a local restaurant in Sharpsburg that
serves Crema di Limoncello (Limoncello mixed with cream), but only
to a select few customers. I’m happy to say that we’re part of that select
few. Michele and Antoinette Bonaventura
opened the doors of the Gran Canal Caffé
in 1995 and have been serving the best of classic Italian cuisine ever since. (www.grancanalcaffe.com)
Go there! You’ll love it!
Below is my recipe for Limoncello. I used Meyer lemons, as they added a nice floral
note. You can use regular supermarket lemons, but whichever type of lemon you
use, use organically grown fruit, as the alcohol leaches the oils (and
any residual chemicals) from the peels as it steeps.
Makes about 2 quarts
Ingredients
8 Organic Lemons
1 quart 90% alcohol (Everclear or Clear Spring)
14 ounces sugar
1 quart bottled still water
Instructions
1. Peel the lemons, trying to leave as little white
pith attached to the peel as possible. Reserve the lemon fruit for another use.
You will use only the peels.
2. Put the peels in a large glass container with the
alcohol, close it well, and leave it in a cool place for at least 4 days,
preferably a week, or a month, or two months. Gently shake a couple of times a
day. The peels will lose their brilliant yellow color, and become brittle.
3. On the fifth day or later, prepare a simple syrup
of the sugar and bottled water, making sure the water never quite boils. Stir
and simmer 5 minutes, then after the sugar has dissolved, allow the syrup to
cool completely.
4. Strain the lemon infused alcohol through
cheesecloth or a strainer, discard the peels, and mix the alcohol into the
syrup. At this point the alcohol will take on a dense lemon color that you
can’t see through. Stir or shake well before bottling.
5. Let the Limoncello
sit for 2 or 3 days (if you can’t wait, it’s ok to taste a little right away).
Serve cold as an aperitivo. I store
the bottle in the freezer.
This liquore
is delicious and refreshing on its own, but at 90 proof can be a bit strong for
beginners. It’s OK to dilute it with
sparkling water or club soda, and makes a great cocktail when poured into a
champagne flute and topped off with Prosecco.
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