Meyer Lemon Limoncello
Homemade Meyer lemon limoncello is sunshine in a bottle: a bright, smooth, and easy 4-ingredient recipe that is perfect for sipping or baking. This freezer-friendly treat captures the sweet tang of Meyer lemons during their season and helps you preserve them for using all year round.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds meyer lemons thoroughly cleaned
- 1 (750 ml) bottle of high-proof vodka such as Stoli 100
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
Instructions
Prep the Meyer Lemons and Resting Time:
- Peel the meyer lemons using a vegetable peeler. The white rind on a meyer lemon is very thin and not bitter like a traditional lemon, so you don't have to try to separate it from the zesty yellow part. Save the juicy part of the meyer lemons for squeezing over dinner entrees.
- Combine the meyer lemon peels and vodka in a large glass jar and seal. Keep this jar out of direct sunlight, inside a pantry cabinet is just perfect.
- Swirl the bottle of lemon peels and vodka once every day. After two weeks take a taste test. If the vodka is strongly flavored with lemon you can move on to the next step. If not, give it a few more days and try again.
Finish the Limoncello:
- To finish making the limoncello, first you'll strain the lemon solids from the vodka. Place a strainer lined with cheesecloth over the top of a clean jar. Pour the vodka over and then use a spoon to gently press the lemon peels to squeeze all remaining flavor into the jar. Discard the peels.
- In a small saucepan, stir together the sugar and water. Heat it over medium heat and continue to stir until the sugar has dissolved. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the simple syrup cool to room temperature.
- Pour the cooled syrup into the jar of lemon-infused vodka and stir them together. Transfer the meyer lemon limoncello to freezer-safe containers and freeze.
- You can use the limoncello to add flavor to baked goods like pound cakes and bundt cakes, to flavor a lemon tiramisu, or drink it straight from the freezer in a chilled glass.
