Make your friends and family happy this Christmas with homemade limoncello. Get the recipe below.
Christmas preparations
I wish I could say that my Christmas hampers are made, and the presents purchased and wrapped but that's definitely not the case. Ideally I'd be snuggled up on the sofa, with a box of chocolate by my side and a Christmas film on the TV but there are still so many Christmas preparations to do.
My drink of choice on an evening like this is Limoncello. I love the sticky sweetness of the lemon liqueur with its sharp, zingy tang. Limoncello is incredibly easy to drink, and the high alcohol content of the liqueur will leave you with a warm fuzzy glow.
It's also the only bit of Christmas prep I've already managed to complete!
How to make Limoncello in three simple steps
For those who don't know, Limoncello is a liqueur made by mixing over-proof (very strong) spirit, with the peel of lemons and a sugar syrup. By adding a sugar syrup you considerably cut down the alcohol content of the drink making it anywhere between 10% and 30% depending on the spirit you started with.
I use a 37.5% triple distilled vodka so expect mine is somewhere around the 18% mark meaning that it tastes fantastic served rather simply over ice.
You'll need at least 10 days to make it from start to finish so you still have plenty of time if you want to make it before Christmas
Just follow the simple steps below.
The recipe
Limoncello
Equipment
- 1 large airtight container that is able to hold up to 2 litres of liquid
- storage bottles I use 250 ml bottles
Ingredients
- 10 lemons unwaxed
- 700 millilitres over-proof spirit i.e. vodka
- 700 millilitres hot water
- 600 grams granulated sugar
Instructions
- Peel each of the lemons, trying to avoid retaining any of the bitter pitch and transfer to a large airtight container.
- Pour over the alcohol, seal the lid, and store in a cool dark place for a minimum of 3 days (but up to 10 days is best!)
- Every couple of days give the container a shake to keep the lemon peel moving about the liquid. You will notice after roughly 3 days that the liquid turns from clear to yellow - by the tenth day it will be flourescent!
- A day before you wish to bottle the Limoncello, fill a jug with 700ml of hot (but not boiling) water and add the sugar.
- Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved.
- Remove the lemon peel from the alcohol and pour the sugar syrup into the airtight container.
- Mix the syrup and the now yellow alcohol.
- Replace the lid and leave the liquid in a cool dark place overnight so that the flavours completely infuse.
- It will now be ready to bottle! Ensure you have enough bottles for at least 1.5 litres of liquid.
- These should be sterilised either with sterilisation solution, or by washing with warm soapy water and leaving to dry in a warm oven.
- Once bottled the Limoncello is best kept in the fridge, or even better the freezer!
- If you have used an over-proof spirit the high alcohol level should keep the Limoncello from freezing.
- Best served over ice or in cocktails.
Notes
Nutrition
Bottle it for gifting
This recipe easily fills two 700ml bottles so make sure you have enough bottles to hand. I particularly love old quirky, textured bottles and it looks particularly festive when poured into a frosted bottle. The white haze reminds me of a light coating of snow or frost.
If you aren't planning on keeping this all for yourselves, though I highly recommend it...Kilner (and I'm sure many other brands) sell 250ml and 500ml bottles so you could add a small bottle to a Christmas hamper like I've done. They also make great gifts for the host and hostess at New Years Eve!
Make Christmas come early for me and why not buy the bottles you need via the amazon links in this post. These are affiliate links so I will earn a small amount of commission which helps me keep posting recipes like these!
More edible and drinkable gift ideas
Do you have any other edible or drinkable gift ideas?
Joy says
Sounds delicious, must make some! Merry Christmas to you and Jon!
efwalt says
Thanks Joy! It slips down very easily! Hope you and your family have a lovely Christmas too 🙂 x
Joy says
Just making do with a snowball 🙂
efwalt says
Sounds ideal 🙂 x
Brian Jones says
Oh boy, limoncello is 'one of those' drinks for me... It was a long weekend at Center Parks and also involved a prune liquor... The photos are not a pretty thing 😮 Love the fact you can make it at home although I should probably slide on that one 😀
Emma Walton says
Hahaha oh dear! Everyone has got one haven't they 😛 mines is barcadi!
Dannii says
This brings back some very happy, and drunken, memories of Italy. I really should try making it myself. Perfect for a Christmas gift.
Emma Walton says
I am DESPERATE to go to Italy!!! I have grand plans of renting a villa in the hills somewhere for a whole summer, sipping ice cold limoncello by a pool. Maybe one day 🙂
Helene says
This sounds lovley !!!
I want ti try this !!!
Thanks for such a lovely recipe
Anna says
This is such a great idea! Not only for the Christmas gifts for friends or family, but any time of the year! Love it!
Emma Walton says
Thanks Anna! I always try to save a couple of bottles for myself and I like to pop one in the freezer to serve ICE cold in the summer 🙂
prasanna hede says
These bottles are so perfect for Gifting! Wonderful drink,I wish I could make something like this without the alcohol. Still perfect!
Emma Walton says
Thanks Prasanna. I've updated the post so you can buy the bottles I've used and browse a few others. They are ideal!
maya kottke says
Does this need to be refrigerated? Just wondering as I would like to make this as a gift! Can’t wait to try it, thanks in advance!
Emma Walton says
I keep mine in the fridge or freezer purely because it's best served cold but it doesn't need to be. Enjoy!