Eating seasonally is one of my favorite parts of living in California. I'm not a big fan of fleeting pleasures, however, which is why I love preserving today's produce for enjoyment tomorrow. With citrus season upon us, it's time to make limoncello (and marmalade, of course, but that's a topic for another day). Six months from now, there will icy, tart, sweet, lemony goodness burning down my throat and reminding me of winter's bounty. For today, zesting.
I follow, with a few modifications, the
recipe from Limoncello Quest, a fantastic blog by a true aficionado. I use Meyer lemons and Everclear 151 (stupid CA laws prevent me from using higher proof juice) -- about 10 lemons per bottle. A microplane would make zesting quicker, but I prefer using a vegetable peeler, because it will make filtration easier later on. Any pith will make the limoncello bitter so I use a vegetable peeler that shaves thin and scrape off with the tip of a paring knife any pith that comes off along with the zest. Into the alcohol go the glistening shavings - all to be stashed on the pantry floor until March, when it will emerge for filtration and addition of simple syrup.
This year, I'm making a couple of experimental batches too: one with
sweet lemons, nearly as fragrant as the Meyers, and one with
Buddha's hand. I'll keep you posted on how that goes.
Eating seasonally is one of my favorite parts of living in California. I'm not a big fan of fleeting pleasures, however, which is why I love preserving today's produce for enjoyment tomorrow. With citrus season upon us, it's time to make limoncello (and marmalade, of course, but that's a topic for another day). Six months from now, there will icy, tart, sweet, lemony goodness burning down my throat and reminding me of winter's bounty. For today, zesting. 
I follow, with a few modifications, the recipe from Limoncello Quest, a fantastic blog by a true aficionado. I use Meyer lemons and Everclear 151 (stupid CA laws prevent me from using higher proof juice) -- about 10 lemons per bottle. A microplane would make zesting quicker, but I prefer using a vegetable peeler, because it will make filtration easier later on. Any pith will make the limoncello bitter so I use a vegetable peeler that shaves thin and scrape off with the tip of a paring knife any pith that comes off along with the zest. Into the alcohol go the glistening shavings - all to be stashed on the pantry floor until March, when it will emerge for filtration and addition of simple syrup. 
This year, I'm making a couple of experimental batches too: one with sweet lemons, nearly as fragrant as the Meyers, and one with Buddha's hand. I'll keep you posted on how that goes. 
That sounds delicious! :-D
ReplyDeleteLooks delicious! :) Simply MYdrinkbomb
ReplyDelete