HOMEMADE LIMONCELLO

Makes about 2½ quarts.

In Italy, limoncello is generally served after dinner as a digestive, often in chilled glasses. Shelly Culver uses organic lemons and the Microplane grater, a variation on a woodworking tool that is readily available in kitchen stores. Zest is finely grated peel; make sure not to grate the white pith of the lemon, which is bitter. Culver uses half cheap vodka and half more expensive for the alcohol. She recommends a full five days for flavoring the vodka with the lemon. She prefers cane sugar, which is less processed white sugar, and is available at natural foods stores.

2 pounds lemons

1 quart clear grain alcohol such as vodka

6 cups purified water

2½ cups granulated sugar

1. With a very fine grater, zest the lemons. Put zest and vodka in a tightly sealed jar or bottle large enough to accommodate at least a quart of liquid.

2. Place container in a cool, dark and dry place for at least 3 to 5 days. Shake the jar at least twice a day. Zest will turn white when flavoring is done. Strain the zest from the liquid through a fine sieve; discard the zest and set aside the flavored vodka.

3. Place 6 cups water in a saucepan over low heat and add sugar. Heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves and syrup is clear.

4. Cool syrup to room temperature and

Advertisement
mix with lemon vodka. Strain the sweetened lemon vodka through several changes of coffee filters and store in tightly sealed bottles in the refrigerator. Chill and enjoy.

— Recipe from Shelly Culver, Star Tribune (Minneapolis) contributor