Recipe for Limoncello
di Mimmo Schepis
Here is the definitive Limoncello recipe which was given to us— with a wonderful crystal clear sample of same—by our friend Mimmo Schepis. We know Mimmo from Scottsdale, AZ Community Garden Club days. Obviously, he's Italian [think, great garden tomatoes—and, just about anything else the Italians cultivate in their gardens]; but, by birth, a real Nobla Don. Handsome, tanned, impeccably dressed, carefully groomed silver hair, good humored, intelligent, and proud. His Limocello was The Best. He would tell you himself. In fact, it is pretty, pretty, pretty good.
The thing to know is that in southern Arizona a lot of people keep lemon and other organic citrus trees. So the lemons required for this recipe, while not stated as such, should be organic.
Here is the recipe, as given: with [additions and clarifications]
Limoncello
Peel off the yellow part of the skin of 8 [organic] lemons. Place the skins [without pith] in the jar containing the alcohol.
Marinate it for 3 days.
Prepare the syrup by adding one kilogram of sugar in one liter
(1000 cc) of warm water. Once the sugar is melted and becomes
cold combine w/ the lemon's skin & alcohol [1 liter grain alcohol/Everclear] using a large glass container of the capacity of a bit more than 2 liters. Continue marinating the solution for 8 days.
After 8 days filter the content into bottles and let rest for about one month before using.
Drinking suggestion: room temp, or very cold.
Ingredients:
One kilogram of [cane] sugar
One liter of H20
One liter of pure alcohol (95% [190] proof)
8 lemons possibly fresh of good size smooth skin, nice color
And now in the mother tongue . . .
Ricetta del Limoncello
Ingredienti
Kg 1 zucchero
Lt 1 H20
Lt 1 alchool puro 95 gradi
8 limoni
Kg 1 zucchero
Lt 1 H20
Lt 1 alchool puro 95 gradi
8 limoni
Togliere la parte gialla de limone a metterla a macerare per 3 giorni in alcool.Preparare lo sciroppo con I litro di H20 tiepida ed I kg di zucchero. Mettere assieme I due I due e lasciarli per otto giorni.
Dopodiche’ filtrare ed imbottigliare. Fare stagionare per 30 gorni.