Derek's limoncello recipe

Derek’s Limoncello

1.5 litres strong alcohol

4 cups (900 gms) sugar

5 cups water (1.250 litres)

Peel lemons with potato peeler, trying for as little white pith as possible. White pith is bitter in the drink. Put as much lemon peel to alcohol in a non reactive vessel (glass Demi John?) as possible or you can afford. I think at least 20 lemons for this amount of alcohol. More if you can do it. Leave alcohol on the peel for at least 2 weeks, stirring gently occasionally.

You know you've got all the goodness out of the lemon peel if it goes pale & "snaps" when bent.

Make a syrup by boiling water & sugar

Cool

Mix with alcohol

If you can add more lemon peel (I am not sure what he means by this so will ask and report back) after first lot is done then your limoncello will be that much more lemony.

I juice the lemons after peeling & freeze the juice. (I did this, and as we don't have an ice-cube tray  because the fridge makes ice cubes, I used a couple of muffin trays covered in Gladwrap - clingfilm to people outside NZ. This morning I will transfer the little blocks to a plastic bag.)

If limoncello is cloudy after taking out the lemon peel, strain thru an old fashioned paper coffee filter.

Just so you know, Derek's limoncello is amazing and much more lemony that any commercial one I have tasted. Once it's ready, put it in small bottles, and keep it in the freezer, like you would vodka. Hide it under loaves of bread and other stuff that has sat in the freezer unused for ages, as otherwise it will be consumed at pace ...