How to Make Limoncello – A Beautiful Mess

This Limoncello liqueur recipe is easy to make with just three ingredients: vodka, sugar and lemon peels. I never knew how easy it is to make homemade limoncello—I’ll probably never buy it again. In this post, we’ll teach you everything you need to make Limoncello at home and recipes for delicious Limoncello cocktails. Learn to make this tasty liqueur from southern Italy in your own kitchen.

Related: Limoncello Spritz, Raspberry Lemonade Cocktail, Lemonade, 20+ Lemon Recipes.

Ingredients

• Organic Lemons – The infusing process involves soaking lemon peels. Organic lemons are best for this recipe.
• 1 Bottle Vodka – Use one 750ml bottle of high quality vodka (100 proof or 80 proof are best).
• Sugar – This recipe calls for 2 cups sugar, but you can go up to 4 cups for a sweeter Limoncello.

Equipment Needed

• Vegetable Peeler – You can also use a microplaner or zester. I used a traditional vegetable peeler to peel my lemons.
• Paring Knife – You may or may not need this to scrap the pith off the lemon peels.
• 1 Quart Jar – You will need a large jar with a lid to use for the infusing process.
• Strainer – A mesh strainer.
• Coffee Filter – A large coffee filter is useful to put over your strainer for a very good double strain.
• Measuring Cups
• Funnel – You’ll use this to decant the mixture into bottles.
• Clean Bottles – Your completed Limoncello will make around 32 ounces. You can use two 16-ounce bottles or any combination of bottles that holds this volume.

Homemade Limoncello Instructions

Peel lemons: The first step is to peel your 10 lemons. Try to get the outer skin without very much pith (the white part inside the skin). If you have a lot of pith, scrap it off using a paring knife before infusing. A little bit of white pith is fine, but remove anything solid white and thick.

Cover the peels with sugar and vodka: The next step is to cover the peels with sugar and vodka. Then you will cover it and store it in a cool dark place (away from direct sunlight).

Vodka note: I did not have a full bottle of unflavored vodka, so I used the half bottle I had on hand along with half a bottle of vanilla vodka. Feel free to use a flavored vodka if you like.

Stir Mixture Once Daily: The sugar will dissolve into the vodka (stir the mixture once a day and it will dissolve quicker). The lemon peels will infuse lemon flavor into the vodka.

Infusing Time: Let your mixture infuse for at least 5 days and up to one month. I let mine infuse for around two weeks and I was really happy with the outcome. With this method you will never have to use heat as the sugar will dissolve naturally.

Strain out Lemon Peels: After you have let your mixture infuse, it’s time to strain. A good strain will help you have the most pure Limoncello. Use a strainer lined with a coffee filter (you could also use a cheese cloth) to double strain the mixture.

Bottle Limoncello: Decant your stained mixture using a funnel into bottles. Label each bottle.

Storage: Once you have completed your homemade Limoncello, store it in the refrigerator for up to one month or the freezer for up to one year (or longer). Limoncello is best served cold.

Tips for Making

• Use Leftover Lemons – After you peel the 10 lemons you can use the leftover lemons for lemon juice. Make homemade lemonade, pink lemonade or strawberry lemonade. You could even freeze them to use later.
• 100 Proof Vodka – The higher the proof on the vodka, the more flavor it will extract from the lemon peels. 80 proof vodka also works.
• Flavor Variations – You can make flavor variations using different citrus peels mixed with your lemon peels such as orange, grapefruit or lime.
• Why Organic Lemons? – Standard lemons (non-organic) are usually coated with wax to help them last longer. Organic lemons will give you the most flavor.
• Infused Vodka + Simple Syrup – Some recipes call for infusing only the vodka and lemon peels and combining it with homemade simple syrup. The method we use requires no heat.
• Lemon Zest – If you don’t have a vegetable peeler, you can also zest your lemon peels for infusing. If you do this, take care to strain all the lemon zest out of your finished product.
• How Much Sugar? This recipe calls for 2 cups of sugar, but you can add up to 4 cups if you want a sweeter liqueur. We recommend starting with the 2 cups and doing a taste test after 4 days of diffusing to determine if you’d like to add more.

More Lemon Recipes to Try