Weddingbee Blog

A few weekends ago, Mr. Joey and I completed the last steps in the Limoncello making process. A friend gave us 20 lbs. (no joke) of lemons over the summer and we needed to come up with a project that would use most of them. It was all a blur between the squeezing and the zesting.

I hope this turns out well. We want to make and bottle more (yikes) to give away as wedding favors. We also have Limecello (with limes) that we made. We got pounds of those too.

Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 15 lemons
• 2 bottles (750 ml) 100-proof vodka
• 4 cups sugar
• 5 cups water

Prep: Wash the lemons with a vegetable brush and hot water to remove any residue of pesticides or wax; pat the lemons dry. Carefully zest the lemons with a zester or vegetable peeler so there is no white pith on the peel. NOTE: Use only the outer part of the rind. The pith (the white part underneath the rind) is too bitter and will spoil your Limoncello.

Step One: In a large glass jar (1-gallon jar), add one bottle of vodka; add the lemon zest as it is zested. Cover the jar and let it sit at room temperature for at least ten days and up to 40 days in a cool dark place. The longer it rests, the better the taste will be. No stirring!

Step Two: In a large saucepan, combine the sugar and water; cook until thickened, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Let the syrup cool before adding it to the Limoncello mixture. Add to the Limoncello mixture from Step One. Add the additional bottle of vodka. Allow to rest for another 10 to 40 days.

Step Three: After the rest period, strain and bottle: discarding the lemon zest. Keep in the freezer until ready to serve.

Are you DIY-ing non-paper elements of your wedding? Anything edible?