When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Lemoncello

The house we just left sits on what used to be a lemon grove. Most of the trees were removed when the house was built but there are still two lemon trees and one lime tree in the back of the house. When we first moved in, I thought, "Great, we'll always have fresh lemons for salad dressing!" Boy, was I wrong! Lemon trees, like life, give it to you all at once and then leave you hanging through a dry spell. One month we'd have more lemons than I'd ever know what to do with and the next, we'd be high and dry. The last of the lemons would be rolling around in the dirt, dry and collecting bugs. Any lemons I'd have picked would dry and shrivel up.

I started looking for ways to use lemons, but most recipes called for the juice of one lemon, zest from half a lemon, etc... I wasn't finding major lemon usage - until I found a recipe for Lemoncello! Lemons, sugar and vodka - what could be bad about that?! My first batch was a success and over the year and a half that we've lived there, whenever the trees were heavy with lemons, I made lemoncello. 

As we packed up the house to move, I looked out the kitchen window only to see that all three trees are in full bloom. My last batch of lemoncello was polished off about two weeks ago and it seems fitting to make just one last batch before we leave. As I didn't have the time to make it before we left, I tossed a dozen lemons into a large bag and made that my first project in our new home, as soon as I find where I've packed my glass jars!

Easy Lemoncello 

Ingredients:

• Zest of 10 lemons, preferably organic
• 1 liter vodka (4 cups) - I use 40% alcohol, Stoli works really well
• 650 g. sugar (3 cups)
• 1 liter water (4 cups)

Prep time: 2 x 30 minutes

Ready in: 21+ days

Servings: slightly more than 2 x 750 ml bottles

1. Wash the lemons really well. Really, really well. 
2. Zest the lemons, making sure not to include the pith (the white part beneath the outer skin), because it can be unpleasantly bitter. The first time I made lemoncello I used a variety of tools - a peeler, a knife, a grater. It took hours and by the time I had finished I was frustrated and swore I'd never make lemoncello again. Then I bought a lemon zester. Best purchase ever. Seriously. Second time I made lemoncello, the whole process took about half an hour for 30 lemons!
3. Place the lemon zests in the vodka. Store in an airtight container for 7 days. About once a day I'd give the jars a shake just to stir things up and help get all of the flavor out. 
   
4. After 7-10 days, we move onto the simple syrup. That's just a fancy way of saying we'll boil water and sugar. So, boil the water, add sugar. No mixing needed! Actually, DON'T mix it at all. Let the boiling water stir things up and keep the heat up for 15 minutes. 
5. Let the syrup cool for a few hours, until it reaches room temperature. 
6. Add the vodka to the syrup. Mix.
7. Drain into bottles. I like to use a coffee filter to get rid of the lemon zests. Also, I look for pretty wine bottles with corks still in tact and use those. A pretty ribbon and a little card and you've got a great gift. 
8. Let it sit for another two weeks or so, then move it to the freezer. 
9. Store in the freezer. Although nothing bad will happen if you don't, it just tastes really good when it's really cold and with 20% alcohol, it shouldn't freeze. Technically, it should hold for at least a year, but I've never actually had a bottle last longer than a month or two, it's just that good!

I like to serve the lemoncello over ice. My mom loves to serve it with Sprite. Can also be mixed with cranberry juice, orange juice or lemonade. 

The zest-less lemons don't hold very well so I just juice them and store the juice as ice cubes. Then, when I need lemon juice, I just use a lemon ice cube. Great for salad dressing, lemonade, cooling down a coke in the summer...  

Enjoy!