When You Get Lemons. . . Make Limoncello!

Believe it or not, you can grow citrus in Las Vegas with a little bit of attention.  Lemons and limes, which we grow in our yard,  will thrive if protected from freezing.   This winter, when it was predicted to go into the 30's we covered our trees with an old bedsheet and Mike even draped some little Christmas lights on them to keep them warm.  

Because of all of his efforts, watering, fertilizing and Christmas lights, we have an abundance of lemons for the second year in a row.  So, what did we do with all those lemons?  Well, some went to friends and some will be made into limoncello.   Here's the recipe - there are lots of variations but I prefer the ones using Everclear instead of vodka.  Molto bene!  Reminds me of Capri . . . . .


Makes about 3 1/4 quarts

Those who are lucky enough to receive this homemade lemon liqueur should keep it in the freezer, where it turns a milky white after 8 to 9 hours. It can be sipped straight-up, mixed with tonic or dashed into champagne. Recipe adapted from Magdalena Borea.

17 large lemons, preferably organic

Two 750-milliliter bottles grain alcohol -Everclear

5 1/2 cups water

6 cups sugar

Wash and dry the lemons. With a paring knife, remove the ends. With a vegetable peeler, remove only the yellow rind, leaving the pith intact. (Squeeze juice from the lemons and reserve for another use.)

Place the lemon peel in a 4-quart Mason jar with a rubber-seal lid. Add the grain alcohol, making sure the lemon peel is completely covered. Store in a cool, dark place, shaking the jar once each day to agitate the lemon peel.

On the 13th day, bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the sugar and remove from the heat, stirring until it is dissolved. Cover and let cool to room temperature.

Place a colander on top of the saucepan and strain in the contents of the Mason jar. Discard the lemon peel. Stir to combine the liquids, about 1 minute. Transfer back to the Mason jar. Store for 3 weeks in a cool, dark place, shaking to agitate the liquid twice a day.

After 3 weeks, transfer the limoncello to smaller bottles that can be sealed with rubber stoppers. Store bottles in freezer. Serve directly from the freezer.

Per 1.5-ounce serving: 92 calories, 0 g protein, 19 g carbohydrates, 0 g fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 0 g saturated fat, 1 mg sodium, 1 g dietary fiber