Limoncello

Franny's Limoncello Recipe

What You'll Need:

• 1 bottle Skyy Vodka (750ml.)
• 2 lemons, rinsed (ideally organic, Meyer lemons)
• Cheesecloth
• Twine

To Finish:

• 1.5 cups simple syrup (50/50 water and sugar by weight)
• Zest of two lemons (new, fresh Meyers)

Directions:

1. Pour vodka into a clean glass jar.
2. Wrap lemons in cheesecloth and suspend over vodka (using the twine to secure them).
3. Seal tightly, and let sit undisturbed (in a cool, dark place) for one month.
4. After one month, discard lemons, then add syrup and the fresh zest of two new lemons.
5. Let sit for 15 minutes, and strain through a fine mesh sieve (or more cheesecloth).
6. Chill and then drink up.

Sounds simple, right? Luckily, it is! I found that this technique gives it the the pure lemony essence that you get from the suspension technique, but it also adds just a but of the satisfying oils, from the quick dunk of the zest. I've also found that limoncellos that use the typical technique (soaking the peels for a month) generally have a heavier, less vibrant flavor and aroma, whereas the suspension technique is incredibly light and vibrant. Franny's technique is, to me, the best of both worlds.

SEXPAND

Other Considerations

First off, while we aren't always stickler for this kind of thing, in this case, using organic lemons is very important. Why? Because the alcohol is going to strip out everything that's in the peel. That means that if your lemons were sprayed with pesticides, it's going to end up in your limoncello. Nobody wants pesticides in their limoncello.

Another thing to consider is the spirit. I was really surprised to learn that Franny's uses regular old 80-proof Skyy vodka. Like I said, Franny's is the best I've ever had, so I'm hesitant to mess with success, but I can't help but wonder what kind of results you might be able to achieve using 100-proof vodka, or even Everclear (which isn't typically available in New York). I think it's worth experimenting with—BUT, if you do, keep in mind that you're going to have to adjust the amount of simple syrup and/or water that you use. If using a higher-proof spirit, I'd say start with the 1.5 cups of simple syrup that Franny's recommends, then give it a taste. The balance of sweetness and lemon might be right, but the alcohol content will likely be way too high. In that case, don't add more simple syrup, start adding water, just a little at a time, until you get to the balancing point you're looking for.

Oh, and a quick note on simple syrup. Most places just use a 1:1 ratio (by weight) of white, granulated sugar and water, then they heat it up and stir it until it's dissolved. While the 1:1 ratio by weight is solid, personally, I've found you get better results and much, much richer flavors if you use raw sugar (the dark, coarse stuff) and don't heat it at all. Simply combine the sugar and room-temperature water in a glass bowl, and stir it until it's dissolved. It takes a little longer, but it's worth it. The syrup is usually a bit sweeter and thicker, so you may not need to use as much of it. Generally, it's best to add a little less and then taste as you go.