I absolutely love lemons! They are a staple ingredient I always have in my kitchen. Adding lemon juice or lemon zest to recipes really go a long way. Plus, I really enjoy the tangy and fresh flavor of lemons. Limoncello, an Italian liqueur has always been a favorite with my big Italian family. So for my first time experimenting with limoncello, I used the Meyer lemons and Titos vodka. Meyer lemons are a little sweeter than your typical lemon. They are great for baking recipes. There are a ton of recipes and techniques out there.  However, the traditional way to make limoncello is with grain alcohol. My second batch I used Everclear, a grain alcohol. Both came out wonderful and I was super pleased. I did notice the Meyer lemon batch came out a little sweeter. Also, since the peels are much thinner than your typical lemon, I am assuming they don't produce as much oil. Also, Titos is a corn vodka so this will affect the color in the end result. That batch didn't go through the ouzo effect (a milky oil-in-water emulsion that is formed when water is added to a liquor). My second batch I used a typical lemon and a grain alcohol. It did actually go through this effect, giving it a beautiful, bright and creamy yellow color. The Titos batch needed to be stored in the fridge since the proof is only 80. If you put it in the freezer, it will freeze solid. Using a grain alcohol with at least 100 proof will give you the best results and store perfectly in the freezer without turning into a solid. They both taste great, just different and one isn’t the traditional way. I love having my own limoncello (or how I like to call it, "Simoncello") in the house, it has been a fun gift to give to friends or bring over to their houses. I look forward to having it out during the holidays with family. Cheers!

*Tips:

• 100 proof grain alcohol is best. It won’t freeze into a solid and is the most authentic

• 80 proof works great too, BUT it will freeze! So don’t store in freezer.

• corn or potato vodka can work just fine, however grain is best for authentic limoncello to give it the true cloudy color.

• Always use organic lemons, never use organic sugar.

Ingredients

• 2- 750 ml bottles of good quality (grain) vodka or 100 proof grain alcohol

• peels of 10 organic lemons, scrubbed clean

• 5 cups of water

• 4 cups of white granulated sugar

Instructions

1. Make sure lemons are dry after cleaning them. Then, using a vegetable peeler, VERY carefully peel each lemon without getting the pith (the white part under the peel). This part is very time consuming but eliminating as much pith as possible is a very important step. The pith will create a very bitter flavor you won't want in your limoncello.

2. Put all the peels in large glass container, like a mason jar, then pour in the alcohol. Cover firmly with lid and let seep for at least 10 days.

3. When you are ready for the next step, make your simple syrup. Lightly boil the water and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved.

4. Cool completely!

5. Then, add the simple syrup to the alcohol and lemon peels. If you need to transfer to something bigger to hold this large amount, go ahead and pour both into a large pitcher. Cover and let sit for an hour or so, even overnight is fine.

6. Strain through a mesh strainer or cheese cloth and then pour into a bottle you will be storing it in. Store in the fridge or freezer.

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