If you wish to make a real and incredible Limoncello, better than what you can buy from a liquor store, you need to use high-proof alcohol (no less than 90% in strength). The commonly made mistake is using ordinary vodka instead. In order to extract the essential oils & flavours from the lemon zest, only strong alcohol must be used, no less than 90% strength. It must be top quality Food grade alcohol, such, for example, as Grain or Cane sugar, but if you want to adher to the Italian traditions – then use only wine distilled alcohol.
Puhoi Organic Distillery offers top quality alcohol of several types, all high strength (starting from 90% ABV+), shipped around New Zealand only.
Our alcohol is of the best quality, GMO-free, distilled using Solar energy, and it is certainly the best alcohol on NZ market for making Limoncellos.
To purchase high strength alcohol for making your own incredible Limoncello, please follow this link http://spirits.net.nz/product/high-strength-food-grade-alcohol-for-your-home-made-limoncello-750ml
How you can make the best Limoncello at home:
Once you have high-proof alcohol (no less than 90% ABV in strength) and spray-free lemons from your own lemon trees or purchased from a farmers market – you can do it!
It will only take half an hour to prepare, but you should wait for the results for at least a week (better two).
750ml of high-proof alcohol and 9 lemons are enough to make about 1.5 L of the best Limoncello ever.
Step 1. Making lemon zest tincture:
Place the lemon peels in the prepared jar. Pour in 1 bottle of the high-proof alcohol. Tightly secure the lid, and set the jar in a dark place for at least one week.
Step 2. Collecting lemon zest extract:
Separate the extract by straining the liquid through a fine-mesh strainer (or coffee filter set in a strainer) into a large bowl.
Step 3. Making sweet syrup:
Traditional Limoncello does contain cane sugar, however, you can replace it with honey. Create the same volume of the sweet syrup as the volume of lemon zest extract gained. Use good quality water. For syrup-made-easily I recommend the 50/50 proportion of water and sugar (or honey).
Step 4. Final step:
Mix both ingredients (lemon zest extract and sweet syrup) in one jar. Note that the colour might become milky (and this is a good sign), as the highly concentrated extract (made properly if you followed my recommendations) diluted with water produces this effect in a genuine Limoncello.
Storage and use: Your Limoncello is now ready to use, and its strength will be about 40% of Alcohol by Volume. It is enough strength for it to retain liquid form in your home freezer, where it should reside.
Best served from the freezer, chilled really well, in high narrow shotglasses. Recommended as a digestive, or with desserts.
ENJOY!
