Lemonheads

Make liqueur in the comfort of your own home

By Pink Lady

del.ico.us | digg it! | reddit!

print | email | 2 Comments

The holidays are upon us ... and so is the economic crisis. What do the ladies of LUPEC do when life hands us lemons? We make limoncello!

With DIY ingenuity and surprisingly little effort, you can give the gift of limoncello to friends and family this year. Making your own liqueur is simple, but serving a cocktail that features your own homemade stuff has serious wow-factor. Bottling it as gifts for friends and family? That will land you on the A-list at parties for years to come.

Start today and your limoncello will be ready just in time for the Yankee Swap. Start next week and you'll be saying, "Tanti auguri di buon anno," as you ring in the New Year with this Italian digestivo.

Cin-cin!

LIMONCELLO | EXCERPTED FROM LUSCIOUS LIQUEURS, BY A.J. RATHBUN. (c)2008, USED BY PERMISSION FROM THE HARVARD COMMON PRESS.

14 lemons

4 cups grain alcohol (see note below)3 cups simple syrup 1. Wash, dry and peel the lemons, trimming away any white pith. Put the peels in a glass container with a tight-fitting lid. (Juice the leftover lemons to use in separate drinks or in cooking.)

2. Add the grain alcohol and seal. Place in a cool, dry spot away from sunlight. Let sit for two weeks.

3. Add the simple syrup, stir and reseal. Return to its spot. Let sit for two more weeks.

4. Strain the liqueur through a double layer of cheesecloth into a pitcher or other easy-pouring vessel. Strain again through two new layers of cheesecloth into bottles or jars. Makes about 1.75 quarts. Note: If you live in a state where grain alcohol is not readily available (like Massachusetts), you can substitute high-proof vodka.

FOR GREAT LIQUEUR RECIPES YOU CAN SIP IN TIME FOR THANKSGIVING, VISIT LUPECBOSTON.COM.