Italy’s Famous Limoncello

This yellow beauty is Italy’s intensely lemon-flavored liqueur that has been around for at least a century. Limoncello is mainly made and produced in Southern Italy, most famously in Sorrento or Sorrentine Peninsula, the Amalfi coast, and the Gulf of Naples, and also in the area around the islands of Capri, Procida, and Ischia. Though chiefly produced in those regions, this liqueur is famous throughout the Italian country and has gained popularity around the world.

Different stories have circulated about the ancestry of limoncello and no one may never grasp the true narrative. Its origins is asserted and rivaled by the territories of Sorrento, Amalfi and Capri. It is in these three regions where vast production of limoncello continues and is passed on from generation to generation.

Some reports that limoncello’s birthplace was in a small inn in Capri at the dawn of the twentieth century where a local lady named Maria Antonia Farace owned and tended a sweeping garden of lemons and oranges. Her grandson put together a bar after World War II near Alex Munte’s villa, serving their lemon liqueur specialty using her old recipe. In 1988, his son Massimo Canale established a small handmade production of the liqueur, registering the trademark "Limoncello."

However, some claim it all began with the Sorrentine Peninsula in the early 1900s. The story tells that the wealthy Sorrento families would always offer their eminent guests a taste of limoncello, served according to their traditional recipe.

Still other legends and theories have contradicted these origins and tells a story of their own. Some spoke of fishermen and peasants, as early as the Middle Ages, taking a drink of the lemon liqueur in the morning to help them combat the cold. While others, instead, believe the traditional recipe was created inside a monastery convent by monks to delight themselves in between prayers.

We may never know the truth but these tales and accounts of the beginning of limoncelli are fascinating.

There are a bunch of ways you can make your own Limoncello. You can just type and search the recipes on the internet or binge-watch tutorial videos on YouTube. Either way Limoncello can easily be prepared with just a few ingredients at hand such as alcohol, sugar and of course, lemons.

Here are the simple general steps of a traditional limoncello recipe:

1. Prepare and gather your supplies and ingredients.

• 4 Lemons

• 300 - 325 mL of High Proof Grain Alcohol

• 150 - 250 mL of Simple Syrup

It’s best that you pick the right lemons which are ripe and haven’t been grown with pesticides. It is said the perfect lemons grow in the Amalfi coast where lemons are more aromatic and covered in a thick skin that is rich in essential oils.

1. Clean and zest the lemons.

Wash and clean your lemons properly, making sure to remove any dirt, labels, wax or potential pesticides that are sticking to the lemon skin.

Use a vegetable peeler to remove the lemon skin in long strips. Careful not to peel too deeply as not to include the white pith - just the yellow outer layer. Put them inside a clean glass jar.

1. Mix the alcohol and the lemon zest.

Pour in the alcohol over the jar containing the zest. Seal it tightly and give it a good swirl or shake to mix them.

1. Sit tight and wait for the lemon and alcohol to infuse together.

Keep the container somewhere cool and dark. Leave the mixture undisturbed to let the alcohol extract the flavor of the lemon zest. Wait for up to two weeks to about a month. The longer you store the mixture, the stronger and more flavorful your limoncello will be.

1. Filter the limoncello.

The long wait is over and now you’re ready to filter. Take your jar out and strain the mixture with a sieve to filter out the zest and particles. Let it drain into a separate clean bowl or jar.

1. Add your simple syrup.

Time to add your simple syrup. The amount you put in depends on how sweet you want it to be. You can mix 3 parts of your lemon infusion to 1 part of syrup if you don’t want yours to be too sweet.

1. Bottle your handmade limoncello and chill.

Once you find that sweetness and flavor that you’re looking for, pour the mixture in a sealable bottle. Store it inside the fridge or freezer and let it chill for hours. Trust me, you want your limoncello icy cold when served.

For other limoncello recipes, you can find them on these links listed below:

• • DIGESTIF

    Limoncello is considered a digestif. It is an alcoholic drink served after a meal, to aid digestion and is similar to an aperitif which is served before a meal.

    It helps you feel good after eating a huge brunch or supper. There will always be birthday parties and other events or soirees where food is laid out beautifully looking all pretty and tasty. Sometimes we just can’t help but overindulge our stomachs on the food front, getting an extra slice of your favorite pizza or digging into a meaty plate of spaghetti even if our tummy is already a little too full.

    It’s after meals like this when you just want relief from that unpleasant sensation of overindulge. So serve yourself, take a sip and taste a glass of limoncello and be satisfied as the feeling of overeating slip away in the moment. So better start writing down the recipe for this enjoyable drink in case of nights where you feel wallowing in on that turkey, pasta and cakes.

    WEIGHT LOSS

    The clais are still vague but some say limoncello is a great beverage for those whose goal is to shred those extra weight. The most important ingredient in making a great limoncello is lemons. Aside from promoting fullness, lemons are known to keep your metabolism running and even help boost it. It also cleans your system of radicals and toxins by being an antioxidant since it is rich in vitamin C or ascorbic acid.

    However, one should know that not all food or beverage have the same effect on the body most especially when you’re trying to lose a few pounds. It is important to consult an expert first and choose the right product before starting to chug that bottle of limoncello.

    About the Author

    A part-time content writer and a full-time health care worker that wants to explore the culture and diversity in every country on the planet.

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