Comments on: Part I: Making Limoncello http://thespiritworld.net/2006/07/19/part_i_making_limoncello/ Quenching your thirst with sips, nips and tipples. Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:23:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 by: Cody http://thespiritworld.net/2006/07/19/part_i_making_limoncello/#comment-97399 Thu, 20 Mar 2008 19:01:02 +0000 http://thespiritworld.net/2006/07/19/part_i_making_limoncello/#comment-97399 I make limoncello using Everclear. 1 liter Everclear, 8-10 lemons, 1 liter water, 3-4 cups sugar. I think it's great. It extracts more lemon flavor so it covers the booze taste good. The stuff still had to be around 90 proof and tastes way betted than any 80 proof shot I've ever done. Like candy! You should all try a small batch maybe you'll like it maybe you won't there's only one way to find out. I make limoncello using Everclear. 1 liter Everclear, 8-10 lemons, 1 liter water, 3-4 cups sugar. I think it’s great. It extracts more lemon flavor so it covers the booze taste good. The stuff still had to be around 90 proof and tastes way betted than any 80 proof shot I’ve ever done. Like candy! You should all try a small batch maybe you’ll like it maybe you won’t there’s only one way to find out.

]]> by: Tawana http://thespiritworld.net/2006/07/19/part_i_making_limoncello/#comment-92899 Tue, 04 Mar 2008 11:47:17 +0000 http://thespiritworld.net/2006/07/19/part_i_making_limoncello/#comment-92899 Thank you both for your advice...it's nice to know that there is someone out there listening. A relative just brought some Limoncello di Capri back from Italy. They had both the "regular" and crema. I hope to attempt to duplicate or surpass both types (am I the ant with high hopes?) There's only a little bit of info out there on the crema...some use whole milk. some low fat..some boil the milk up to 5 times before using (go figure), others say don't boil. What's a crema-loving girl to do?! Anyway, thanks again for being there with great advice...wish me luck! Thank you both for your advice…it’s nice to know that there is someone out there listening. A relative just brought some Limoncello di Capri back from Italy. They had both the “regular” and crema. I hope to attempt to duplicate or surpass both types (am I the ant with high hopes?) There’s only a little bit of info out there on the crema…some use whole milk. some low fat..some boil the milk up to 5 times before using (go figure), others say don’t boil. What’s a crema-loving girl to do?! Anyway, thanks again for being there with great advice…wish me luck!

]]> by: lauren http://thespiritworld.net/2006/07/19/part_i_making_limoncello/#comment-92498 Mon, 03 Mar 2008 03:12:35 +0000 http://thespiritworld.net/2006/07/19/part_i_making_limoncello/#comment-92498 In response to the Tawana... Although I have never officially found an limoncello recipe that calls for using lemon juice in place of water in the simple syrup, that is indeed how I made my last batch and it turned out fantastic! When you just use the sugar/water combo you end up with a limoncello that is sweet and lemony, but doesn't have any of the 'tart' you would expect from something lemon-based. Using the lemon juice in the simple syrup gives it the slight tart that I personally prefer. So no, I don't think you're totally off base... it's just not the traditional way to do it. But who cares if the end result is so good! And just on a side-note, a lot of recipes also call for Everclear, but I just use 100-proof vodka and my limoncello ends up plenty alcoholic and does not freeze in the freezer. Cheers! In response to the Tawana… Although I have never officially found an limoncello recipe that calls for using lemon juice in place of water in the simple syrup, that is indeed how I made my last batch and it turned out fantastic! When you just use the sugar/water combo you end up with a limoncello that is sweet and lemony, but doesn’t have any of the ‘tart’ you would expect from something lemon-based. Using the lemon juice in the simple syrup gives it the slight tart that I personally prefer. So no, I don’t think you’re totally off base… it’s just not the traditional way to do it. But who cares if the end result is so good! And just on a side-note, a lot of recipes also call for Everclear, but I just use 100-proof vodka and my limoncello ends up plenty alcoholic and does not freeze in the freezer. Cheers!

]]> by: Brenda http://thespiritworld.net/2006/07/19/part_i_making_limoncello/#comment-92459 Sun, 02 Mar 2008 21:53:08 +0000 http://thespiritworld.net/2006/07/19/part_i_making_limoncello/#comment-92459 Hi Tawana, You could do that but then you'd lose an element of control. Lemon juice is a variable - sometimes it's sweeter, sometimes more sour. So is lemon zest. So each time you make a batch of limoncello, the zest & vodka mix will taste slightly different and require a different amount of simple syrup. If you've already that syrup with lemon (and that taste is also variable) there's no way to ensure that once you've added as much simple syrup as you need that the lemon flavor will still be in balance. Plus, by soaking the zest in the vodka you get a really super lemon flavor - you wouldn't really need more from the syrup. But you can always try making the syrup with lemon juice and see what you think! Hi Tawana,
You could do that but then you’d lose an element of control. Lemon juice is a variable - sometimes it’s sweeter, sometimes more sour. So is lemon zest.

So each time you make a batch of limoncello, the zest & vodka mix will taste slightly different and require a different amount of simple syrup. If you’ve already that syrup with lemon (and that taste is also variable) there’s no way to ensure that once you’ve added as much simple syrup as you need that the lemon flavor will still be in balance.

Plus, by soaking the zest in the vodka you get a really super lemon flavor - you wouldn’t really need more from the syrup.

But you can always try making the syrup with lemon juice and see what you think!

]]> by: Tawana http://thespiritworld.net/2006/07/19/part_i_making_limoncello/#comment-91999 Sat, 01 Mar 2008 10:44:41 +0000 http://thespiritworld.net/2006/07/19/part_i_making_limoncello/#comment-91999 I have read sooooo many limoncello recipes...here's my question...is there a reason why the simple syrup isn't/shouldn't be made with the juice of the lemons instead of water? I would think that it would add more flavor? Am I off-base? I have read sooooo many limoncello recipes…here’s my question…is there a reason why the simple syrup isn’t/shouldn’t be made with the juice of the lemons instead of water? I would think that it would add more flavor? Am I off-base?

]]> by: Brenda http://thespiritworld.net/2006/07/19/part_i_making_limoncello/#comment-45999 Wed, 26 Sep 2007 12:57:38 +0000 http://thespiritworld.net/2006/07/19/part_i_making_limoncello/#comment-45999 Ed, Ed, Ed! You have quite a mix going on there! I think you are going to need to do some experimenting on the fly but I guess I can give you an idea of where to start. For the first "half" of you mix I'd just double the simple syrup solution that I used (see the post at http://thespiritworld.net/2006/08/16/limoncello_the_finale/). Then I think since the quart of grain alcohol is so strong, that I'd also use a double batch of simple syrup to mix with it. This should give you enough sugar to mellow both the lemon and the alcohol. What it might not do is add quite enough water. So basically make 4 times the amount of simple syrup. I probably would start my mix by adding about 3/4 of the simple syrup to your lemon-vodka, taste and add more until it feels balanced (remembering that it takes a while for the flavors to fully meld - in fact I found it was best about 3 months after I had mixed it all together). If it seems to be getting too sweet but the alcohol is still overwhelming add a bit more water, again tasting as you go. Just like any sort of "cooking" you will need to use your senses for the final adjustments! And next time note the place where I say "...you might be thinking you should just use Everclear (at 95% alcohol) but your finished product will not be what you hope for....) :-) Good luck with it - sounds like you'll have enough to share with friends and family over the holidays! ~ B Ed, Ed, Ed!
You have quite a mix going on there! I think you are going to need to do some experimenting on the fly but I guess I can give you an idea of where to start.

For the first “half” of you mix I’d just double the simple syrup solution that I used (see the post at http://thespiritworld.net/2006/08/16/limoncello_the_finale/).

Then I think since the quart of grain alcohol is so strong, that I’d also use a double batch of simple syrup to mix with it. This should give you enough sugar to mellow both the lemon and the alcohol. What it might not do is add quite enough water.

So basically make 4 times the amount of simple syrup. I probably would start my mix by adding about 3/4 of the simple syrup to your lemon-vodka, taste and add more until it feels balanced (remembering that it takes a while for the flavors to fully meld - in fact I found it was best about 3 months after I had mixed it all together).

If it seems to be getting too sweet but the alcohol is still overwhelming add a bit more water, again tasting as you go.

Just like any sort of “cooking” you will need to use your senses for the final adjustments!

And next time note the place where I say “…you might be thinking you should just use Everclear (at 95% alcohol) but your finished product will not be what you hope for….) :-)

Good luck with it - sounds like you’ll have enough to share with friends and family over the holidays!

~ B

]]> by: Ed Perez http://thespiritworld.net/2006/07/19/part_i_making_limoncello/#comment-45492 Mon, 24 Sep 2007 13:28:18 +0000 http://thespiritworld.net/2006/07/19/part_i_making_limoncello/#comment-45492 I made the limoncello using a slightly altered formula and wonder if you could give me some advice. With the skins of 15 lemons I used a half gallon of 100proof vodka and then got nervous when someone told me I should have used Everclear. So I bought a quart of 153 proof grain alcohol to the mix. I got nervous again that I was using the wrong proportions, so I then added the rinds of 15 more lemons. Now I have what amounts to three quarts of limoncello brewing in closet and wonder how much sugar to add, and how much water. Have I botched the whole thing? Ed Perez I made the limoncello using a slightly altered formula and wonder if you could give me some advice. With the skins of 15 lemons I used a half gallon of 100proof vodka and then got nervous when someone told me I should have used Everclear. So I bought a quart of 153 proof grain alcohol to the mix. I got nervous again that I was using the wrong proportions, so I then added the rinds of 15 more lemons. Now I have what amounts to three quarts of limoncello brewing in closet and wonder how much sugar to add, and how much water. Have I botched the whole thing?
Ed Perez

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