Limoncello

I have no idea what possessed me to put limoncello on my 28 Before 28 List. I've never even had it before. All I know is that its an Italian liquor that can easily be made at home as long as you have some time and a lot of patience. Or maybe just A LOT of time. Recipes for limoncello vary from taking a two weeks to 6+ months.

Since I'm a large procrastinator and waited until the end of March to make this recipe, I had to opt for one that only took a few weeks vs. a few months. I narrowed it down to a a few recipes that fit into that time frame and ended up choosing one by Giada. I'm honestly not much of a Giada fan, mostly because I can't stand when she says "ree-coat-tah" or her other over-enunciated words, but I figured she was probably my best bet for an Italian recipe on short notice.

Limoncello
Source: Giada De Laurentis
Servings: 3 ½ cups
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Ingredients:

• 5 lemons
• ½ (750 ml) bottle of mid-price vodka
• 1 ¾ cup water
• 1 ¼ cup sugar

Directions:
1. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the peel from the lemons. If any of the white pith is on the peels, cut away with a knife.
2. Place the lemons in a 2 quart pitcher and pour the vodka over them. Place plastic wrap over the pitcher (and a lid if you have one) and steep for 4 days in a dark area at room temperature.
3. Combine the water and sugar together in a saucepan and stir until the sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes. Let cool completely.
4. Pour the sugar syrup over the vodka mixture, cover and let stand at room temperature overnight.
5. Place a mesh strainer over a large bowl and pour the limoncello through. Discard the peels. Transfer the limoncello to bottles.
6. Seal the bottles and refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours but up to 1 month.