My friend Noreen (who is just one of those cool people who is always doing something nouveau that amazes me) made a post on FaceBook last year about her Homemade Kahlua being nearly ready. She made it and disbursed it into the bottles; now all that's left was the waiting. Hmmm - Homemade Kahlua, I thought. Of course, I HAD to have the recipe - which she did not part with easily, but after a little coaxing and the promise of my first grandchild, she finally gave it up. As I read it over, it seemed rather simple. The hardest part would definitely be the waiting. Piece o' cake, I thought.
Then, I started thinking.
And for those of you who know me well, yeeeaaah. That's never usually a good thing.
If I can make Kahlua homemade, then what's to stop me from making other fine liqueurs from scratch. Yep, FROM. SCRATCH. It's the thinking that gets me every time.
At this point, I become a crazed net surfer, combing every recipe website conceivable to man, in an attempt to find what luscious libations I could mix up in my tiny little Boca Raton kitchen. If I call it 'Boca Ratona' and roll the 'r' and convert my kitchen to a 'cucina' perhaps I might even be able to picture myself along the Amalfi coast as I whip these delights together. Hey, I've got a water-view out my back door! It's just a small, man-made lake, but I can use my imagination! I know it's a stretch, but let's not be a buzzkill, shall we?
Anyway, I digress.
I managed to pull the reigns in on myself and decide on two - YEAH, JUST TWO - recipes to try. As it turns out, this is really a labor of love because not only do you have to wait like an insane amount of time comparatively speaking (as to going to the packy and grabbing an already made bottle of whatever ... ) but also, it's not cheap. You still have to BUY the alcohol in which you steep the flavoring. Additionally, you have to buy whatever fixins you've decided upon to create your chosen beverage. But, nothing's gonna stop me now. I'm totally on board and ready to rock.
My choices? Limoncello for me. Anisette for Carlo. It's his fave.
I found several recipes from which to choose throughout my exhaustive search. And you all know me ... I can never take the easy route, so I decided to sort of take what I thought was the best from each recipe and create my own. It took a little doing, but this is what I came up with.
First and foremost, save every liquor bottle you can get your hands on because you'll need it. Otherwise, take a little trip to Ross or TJMaxx and grab a few of those hermetically sealed bottles - they look like this:
They are not expensive and if you decide at some point to share your treasures as a gift, it makes a very nice presentation.
Moving on.
Limoncello Ingredients: (When I made it, I doubled this recipe. That's why I needed so many bottles)
20 very fresh lemons, make sure to choose fruit that the skins are without blemishes
750 ml of 80 proof vodka
Here's where things varied: some recipes called for Everclear, which Carl told me would burn the rubber off a tire, and some called for 100 proof vodka. I made some with the 100 proof and some with the 80 proof and found the 80 to be the best for the most smooth finished product.
4 cups water - divided, for two separate additions
4 cups sugar - divided, for two separate additions
Using a vegetable peeler, carefully peel off in strips just the yellow part of the skin of each lemon. As you're doing this, try very hard not to get any of the white pith with the skin as it will make the final product bitter.
Make sure to save the flesh of the lemons for use in other things such as hummus or salad dressings or with chicken or seafood.
Also, I should have thought to take pictures throughout the process, but I didn't. I did, however, take a picture of the final product, which I've shared below.
Distribute the lemon peels equally throughout the bottles.
If you want to and it's easier for you, a good substitute for actual bottles at this stage of the process would be mason jars with the hermetic lids - you'll need many of them, though. Distribute the lemon peels equally at the bottom of each of the empty jars.
Add the vodka to just about the top of each bottle/jar.
Put lids tightly on each container. I gave each bottle a little turnsy upside down (just one or two) to get things working. Store containers in a cool, dry, dark place (a basement is perfect if you have one) for 80 days. Yeah, I said it. 80 days. Mark your calendar. Set an alarm on your phone. Send out a homing pigeon. Do whatever you have to do to remember when those 80 days are up.
After the 80 days have surpassed and you've not gone crazy yet with anticipation, bring out your clean bottles - the ones in which the finished libation will remain.
Put 2 cups of sugar and 2 cups of water into a saucepan on the stove and make a simple syrup. Basically, just heat the water and stir the sugar until it dissolves. Let it cool to room temperature.
Open the bottles/jars with the vodka-lemon peel mixture and - WAIT, before you do anything, take a good long whiff - it's the most beautiful lemony smell ever! - ok, NOW strain the liquid from these containers. I did it into a big, huge Tupperware that I could safely stir everything without spilling. To this large Tupperware, add the simple syrup and stir well. Using a ladle and a funnel, distribute this mixture evenly throughout the clean bottles.
This next part's gonna drive you crazy. Sorry.
Let these bottles sit for 20 more days. I know it's killer, but it really does make it better and more smooth.
After the 20 days have passed, put a couple of ice cubes in a small juice glass and pour yourself just enough Limoncello to wet your whistle. As you sample your creation, pay close attention to the burn, as it shouldn't - it should be smooth and sultry, gentle dancing of sweet, sugary lemon on your tongue, velvety on it's way down. At this point, if it's too strong (as was the case with mine), now is the time to make the second batch of simple syrup with the remaining water and sugar. Unfortunately, this means pouring the limoncello back into the big, huge Tupperware, mixing it all again and redistributing it throughout the bottles (you may also need an additional bottle at this point.)
Once you've done this, give it another quick taste if you'd like, but it should be absolute perfection.
Store the bottles in the freezer as Limoncello is best served ice cold. Because of the vodka, no need to worry about the final product freezing.
Here's what mine look like:
I actually have one more bottle that's in a hermetically sealed container, but the bottle is orange and it just throws the whole yellow theme all off so it didn't make the picture cut.
Buon Appetito!!!
If you decide to take the plunge and make this, please PLEASE message me or post to this blog to let me know and send pics!!!! I would LOVE to see it!
OK, folks, that's enough thinking for today. I will share the anisette recipe soon.
My best to all of you! Have a really wonderful day and have fun!
Jackie
