HOMEMADE LIMONCELLO RECIPE AND HISTORY ready in 3 days! (2024)

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Homemade Limoncello is a recipe very easy to prepare, a must for any Italian festivity! Even if, the traditional method needs a long time for the infusion, scientifically the taste of this delicious Italian after-dinner spirit made with lemons will be perfect in just three days!

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LIMONCELLO RECIPE AND HISTORY

Limoncello is a very popularItalian after-dinner spiritmade with lemon peels.

The first official recipe of Limoncello originates in the early years of the XX Century. Maria Antonia Canale, the owner of the boarding house “Mariantonia” in Capri, use to serve Limoncello prepared following her grandmother recipe.

Her son, Massimo Canale, had registered the Limoncello trademark in 1988.

THE LEGEND BEYOND THE HISTORY

If the history of Limoncello does not go back very far, the legend of this sweet spirit is very ancient. I

t is said that the recipe of Limoncello was a creation of the Sirens. The father of the gods, Zeus stole and revealed it to a sailor. Starting from this legend, the Italian fishermen use to drink a glass of Limoncello in the winter mornings before going to work.

Another legend says that were the Carthusian monks which shoo the sirens finding the recipe of Limoncello.

TRADITIONAL HOMEMADE LIMONCELLO METHOD AND SERVING

The authentic Limoncello is made exclusively with lemon produced in Sorrento or Amalfi. The traditional infusion needs 3 weeks, but scientifically 3 days are enough.

Initially, the Limoncello was served at room temperature, but in the recent years is tasted cold and neat.

WHAT TO SERVE ALONG WITH LIMONCELLO

HOMEMADE LIMONCELLORECIPE

Yield: 10

HOMEMADE LIMONCELLO ITALIAN RECIPE AND HISTORY - ready in 3 days!

Homemade Limoncello is a recipe very easy to prepare, a must for any Italian festivity!

Even if, the traditional method needs a long time for the infusion, scientifically the taste of this delicious Italian after-dinner spirit made with lemons will be perfect in just three days!

Prep Time3 days

Cook Time25 minutes

Total Time3 days 25 minutes

Ingredients

35 g organic lemon peels
3.40 fl. oz (100 ml) alcohol 95%
4 fl. oz. (120 ml) water
6 tbsp (85 g) sugar

Instructions

LEMON INFUSE

Choose only organic lemons not chemical treated.
First of all. Peel the yellow part of the skin of the lemons and cut away any white part.
Now, pour the lemon peel into a jar along with the alcohol.
Close the jar and store in a dark place 3 days. Stir the peel once a day.

HOMEMADE LIMONCELLO

The third day, pour the water in a pot along with the sugar and place over the minimum flame.
Heat the water stirring until the sugar will be totally melted. Do not exceed the temperature; the sugar solution has not to caramelize.
Eventually, sift the lemon infuse and combine the alcohol with the sugar solution at room temperature.
The Limoncello must become bright yellow, not transparent.
Serve Limoncello neat, cold or at room temperature.

LIMONCELLO AVB

The traditional Limoncello requires an ABV between 30% and 35%. Here a tab to modify the amount of water to obtain the preferred Alcohol By Volume.
Please, consider these data a general idea: making homemade alcoholic infuses with home utensils made impossible to obtain an alcoholic content accurate to the decimals.
Last but not least: DRINK RESPONSIBLY! 🙂

Nutrition Information

Yield

Serving Size

1
Amount Per ServingCalories 103

The writers and publishers of this blog are not nutritionists or registered dietitians.All information presented and written within our blog are intended for informational purposes only. This information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators.You should not rely on this information as a substitute for, nor does it replace, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your health, you should always consult with a physician or other health-care professional.The writers and publishers of this blog are not responsible for adverse reactions, effects, or consequences resulting from the use of any recipes or suggestions herein or hereafter.Under no circ*mstances will this blog or its owners be responsible for any loss or damage resulting from your reliance on nutritional information given by this site. By using this blog and its content, you agree to these terms.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

Sandra says
January 14, 2017 at 2:07 pm
What are you using for alcohol ? I have see recipes with Everclear and some with vodka.
Reply
- Filippo Trapella says
  January 14, 2017 at 8:05 pm
  Hi Sandra,
  Here in US I prepare Limoncello with Everclear 95%. In Italy, my choice is Buongusto 95%. Many persons prefer to make Limoncello with Vodka; the taste is decent, but it is less alcoholic compared with the traditional recipe.
  Reply
- Laura says
  March 12, 2018 at 8:44 am
  I use 151% Everclear.....
  I have never tried a 3 day recipe. I do mine over 30 days. So good
  Reply
  - Kathy says
    July 21, 2018 at 11:48 am
    Can you share your recipe?
    Reply
    - Filippo Trapella says
      July 21, 2018 at 12:30 pm
      Hi Kathy,
      the recipe is at the end of this post
      Happy cooking 🙂
      F.
      Reply
jia says
January 17, 2017 at 11:57 pm
Enjoyed much
Reply
- Filippo Trapella says
  January 18, 2017 at 12:03 am
  I'm glad that you like it 🙂
  Reply
Kimberly Loggins says
May 11, 2017 at 3:30 pm
Please send me the recipe! Sounds wonderful! Thank you so much!
Reply
- Filippo Trapella says
  May 12, 2017 at 5:22 pm
  Thank you Kimberly!
  The recipe is at the end of this post 🙂
  Reply
Val Di Girolami says
June 26, 2017 at 7:06 am
so you only use the skin of the lemon, what do you do with the lemon once it is peeled?
Reply
- Filippo Trapella says
  June 26, 2017 at 1:17 pm
  Hi Val,I love to use them for a homemade lemonade.
  Reply
Paula F says
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50 Oven-Baked Recipes We're Eating All Winter Long The Best Cookie Recipes to Sweeten Up Your Holiday Season Nigel Slater's 10 most popular recipes Chicken and Gnocchi Soup Olive Garden Copycat Recipe | www.foodfolksandfun.net | #copycatrecipe #olivegardenrecipe #quickandeasyrecipe
July 17, 2017 at 11:11 am
Do you have a recipe for salad dressing using this limoncello?
Reply
- Filippo Trapella says
  July 17, 2017 at 1:58 pm
  Hi Paula,
  I never thought of using Limoncello as salad dressing!
  Maybe you can try to pour a few drops into a vinaigrette along with oil salt and pepper and taste how it goes 🙂
  Reply
Sue Kremer says
July 17, 2017 at 1:07 pm
So, when you say 'sift the lemon infuse', am I actually using a sifter to do this? Please advise and thank you so much.
Reply
- Filippo Trapella says
  July 17, 2017 at 1:59 pm
  Hello Sue,
  That's right! 🙂
  Reply
Pina trimarchi says
August 04, 2017 at 2:01 am
Hi, love the recipe for 3 days sounds great. Does anyone out there have a recipe for alcohol . It's not easy to buy here in Adelaide Australia
Thanks
Reply
Deborah says
August 29, 2017 at 5:43 pm
Thank you! We just returned from Italy where limoncello is served after nearly every dinner.
Reply
- Filippo Trapella says
  August 30, 2017 at 2:37 am
  true story! 🙂
  Reply
Bedelia says
August 30, 2017 at 1:15 pm
Sounds delicious. Do you strain the lemon peel?
Reply
- Filippo Trapella says
  August 30, 2017 at 7:21 pm
  Hi Bedelia,
  yep, sift the alcoholic infusion and discard the peels, then proceed as I wrote.
  Happy cooking
  Reply
michelle says
September 23, 2017 at 12:35 am
in the recipe you say not to exceed the temprature. what do you mean by that?
Reply
- Filippo Trapella says
  September 23, 2017 at 1:21 am
  Hi Michelle,
  You want the solution not caramelized: just stop cooking when you see the sugar totaly melted, but the solution still trasparent without any trace of yellow.
  Let me know if you have some more question 🙂
  Reply
Donna says
October 04, 2017 at 5:57 pm
Can you do the same with lime?
Reply
- Filippo Trapella says
  October 04, 2017 at 11:50 pm
  Hi Donna,
  I can not say: never tried with them 🙂
  Reply
- Dave says
  November 27, 2017 at 10:57 am
  I’ve made it with lemons, limes, oranges, tangelos, and kumquats before. All good! The initial recipe would be identical except for the change of citrus used, then experiment based on that outcome. Some citrus works better than others because of differing amounts of oils in the peel.
  Reply
- Evelyn says
  April 24, 2020 at 12:31 am
  Lime is just as delicious!
  Reply
Rawnie says
October 13, 2017 at 10:51 pm
What would happen if you left the lemon peels in the bottle? They look pretty in the bottle.
Reply
- Filippo Trapella says
  October 15, 2017 at 8:09 am
  HiRawnie,
  yes, you can leave them in the bottle 🙂
  Reply
Sarah says
October 20, 2017 at 6:13 pm
(1) You can make Lemon Chicken piccata with some of those bald Lemons . (2) You could also slice the Lemons, put several in each block of an icecube tray, cover with water, then freeze. Use in Lemonade or iced tea. (3 ) juice the Lemons and freeze the juice in blocks in an ice cube trays... , put frozen lemon juice cubes into a zip lock bag; keep frozen until ready to use in recipes :...... use later in Lemonaide or lemon piccata, or lemon icebox pue, or lemon sugar cookie recipes; etc. (4) compost all left overs.
Reply
- Filippo Trapella says
  October 20, 2017 at 8:19 pm
  Good job Sarah!
  Reply
Joe campisi says
November 20, 2017 at 7:44 pm
What is the final.proof of the finish product. I think the final product should be about 72 proof
Your receipe, with just that amount of water would, IMHO make the drink too strong
Reply
See Also
24 of The Best Alton Brown Recipes - Eat Like No One Else
- Filippo Trapella says
  November 21, 2017 at 11:45 am
  Hi Joe, thanks for your comment.
  My estimate is 70 proof (35% ABV). Is it possible you didn't consider the amount of water extracted from the lemon peels?
  This recipe reflects my personal taste, and according to the traditional recipe: Limoncello requires an ABV between 30% and 35%.
  For those who want a lighter version, I added a tab with the different amounts of water in order to obtain the preferred alcohol content; Plus, I specified the exact grams of lemon peels to use in the Ingredient section.
  Thanks again 🙂
  Filippo
  Reply
  - Paul says
    April 07, 2020 at 4:41 pm
    I just made a batch and I think that it should be more lemony. Now thst it has been made, can I add more lemon peels at this point or will that ruin the drink?
    Reply
    - Filippo Trapella says
      April 07, 2020 at 5:57 pm
      Hi Paul,
      I wrote the lemon pells amount in my experience, and with this quantities I made every time a nice limoncello. However, Nature is great and complex: every lemon is different in flavor and quantity, so I imagine that can happen.
      Yes, I think that you can modify the lemon peels amount without ruin your Lemoncello
      Let me know and Happy cooking 🙂
      F.
      Reply
Briana Decker says
December 01, 2017 at 12:39 pm
Its suppost to be strong
Reply
Billy says
December 08, 2017 at 5:25 pm
This looks so good! I love limoncello, I haven't had it in ages. Can't wait to finally make some more again at home! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
Reply
- Filippo Trapella says
  December 08, 2017 at 5:30 pm
  Thank you Billy 🙂
  Reply
Joanne says
December 20, 2017 at 4:28 am
Looking forward to trying this !
Thanks for posting!
Reply
- Filippo Trapella says
  December 20, 2017 at 8:05 am
  Let me know if you liked it! In these days I'm making mine for Christmas eve 🙂
  Reply
Nann says
February 08, 2018 at 7:20 pm
2018-2 8 thurs. PM
What is Everclear?
At an Italian restaurant in the North End of Boston's Little Italy area, called, actually, "Lemoncello", I asked the waitress what alcohol is used in their Lemonvmcelli. ( it really was fabulous!. She said, NOT vodka, but rather rye whisky.
When I looked for it in a liquor store, It is dark in color. Is this ok to use. It says 95 proof.
Thx
nannhoradam@hotmail.com
Reply
- Filippo Trapella says
  February 09, 2018 at 12:30 am
  Hi Nann, thanks for your story!
  Everclear is a brand of purified alcohol.
  Happy cooking!
  Reply
LK Parsons says
March 30, 2018 at 11:33 pm
Just finished a store bought Pallini Limoncello...time to make my own! Thank you for sharing this recipe, been brew for 24 years & wine for about 20 years....time to broaden my horizon and try your Lemoncello recipe....my niece and I toured Italy last year and enjoyed the many different Lemoncellos served throughout the country side we visited! Will post again with how it all turns out!
Reply
- Filippo Trapella says
  March 31, 2018 at 8:42 pm
  Hi LK,
  I'm honored you choose my recipe among many of! I Hope you'll like it 🙂
  One thing: consider that Pallini Limoncello is particularly low in alcohol, so if you want to create a similar taste, you want to reduce the alcohol of my recipe.
  Happy cooking
  F.
  Reply
Debra Spradlin says
April 24, 2018 at 6:01 pm
I’ve never tried this ...I’m going to make some!!! I love anything Lemon and this sounds wonderful ♥️
Reply
- Filippo Trapella says
  April 24, 2018 at 7:39 pm
  Cool Debra,
  Let me know 🙂
  Reply
Kay says
July 04, 2018 at 5:06 pm
Could you squeeze lemon into it to make it extra lemony? And also by chance do you have a recipe for crystallized lemon rinds.
Reply
- Filippo Trapella says
  July 04, 2018 at 5:31 pm
  Hi kay, squeezed lemon juice will modify the Limoncello taste, so I will not recommend it. About crystallized lemons, I'm sorry but I never tried to make it yet.
  Happy cooking 🙂
  F.
  Reply
Kristen says
July 09, 2018 at 10:48 pm
Hi I was just wondering about how many lemons you used to obtain 35g worth of peels. Thanks!
Reply
- Filippo Trapella says
  July 10, 2018 at 7:10 am
  Hi Kristen, It depends on the size of the lemons: approximately 4 to 6.
  Happy cooking 🙂
  F.
  Reply
Kim says
July 21, 2018 at 12:07 am
I was wondering about using the juice from the lemons as part of the liquid to make the sugar syrup. Would there be a problem doing that? Seems like it would make it more lemony without changing the alcohol content.
Reply
- Filippo Trapella says
  July 21, 2018 at 8:49 am
  Hi Kim thanks for your comment 🙂
  I wouldn't recommend it: the acidity of the lemon juice will ruin the essential oil of the lemon peels.
  Happy cooking!
  F.
  Reply
Bonnie Cooper says
October 16, 2018 at 1:37 am
What would happen if you peeled the lemons then smashed the sugar into the peels, making the squashed peel release all the oil from the skin, THEN add the Vodka and let stand 3 days and after straining the peels out add the water?
Reply
- Filippo Trapella says
  October 16, 2018 at 11:37 am
  Hi Bonnie,
  Honestly, I never tried to make Limoncello in this way, but I can assure that alcohol extract all flavors from the peels without any smashing and sugar.
  Consier also that fermenting sugar into alcohol could improve the alcoholic grade.
  Happy cooking 🙂
  F.
  Reply
  - Noel Baptiste, Hampshire, UK says
    January 21, 2019 at 11:41 am
    I'm going to make my limoncello with gin which has a little more flavour than vodka owing to the botanicals used in making it. When it is ready for drinking I will compare it with the normal limoncello made with vodka and let you know about the resulting flavour.
    A presto !
    Noel
    Reply
    - Heather says
      July 02, 2019 at 9:39 am
      Noel - how was it?
      Reply
Gary Francis says
July 14, 2019 at 5:56 pm
Have been looking for a good recipe and was sent a link to this. Looks excellent. Many thanks for the share!!
Reply
- Filippo Trapella says
  July 15, 2019 at 9:52 pm
  Thank you Gary!
  Happy cooking 🙂
  F.
  Reply
M. says
September 26, 2019 at 10:07 pm
Wonderful taste and appearance! Just like what we remembered from Italy, and better than store bought here.
But I do have a question. Right after making it looked exactly like it is shown in your pics - a bright opaque yellow. But within a few days it turned more of a clear translucent yellow. It this normal? Loved the initial look of it 🙁
Reply
- Filippo Trapella says
  September 27, 2019 at 7:39 am
  Hi M.
  Thanks for your words: I'm glad you liked my recipe!
  Concerning your question, honestly it's never happen with my Limincello.
  The only thing I can think: have you stored the lemon peels immersed into into pure 95% alcohol as written in the recipe? Sometimes the bright color fails if the peels are previously jarred with a mixture of water and alchohol. You want add the water after three days. Let me know.
  Happy cooking!
  F.
  Reply
Alfonso Lastra says
July 03, 2020 at 2:05 pm
i love it
Reply
- Filippo Trapella says
  July 03, 2020 at 2:08 pm
  Thank you Alfonso 🙂
  Happy cooking!
  F.
  Reply
Marie Scozzari says
October 17, 2020 at 12:48 am
I am looking forward to making some Limoncello here in the U.S., but I know it won’t be close to what I had in Sorrento last year. Thank you for the inspiration!
Reply
- Filippo Trapella says
  October 18, 2020 at 1:09 am
  Thank you Marie 🙂
  happy cooking!
  F.
  Reply