After touring the picturesque vineyard with our terrific guide Alfonso, owner Patrizia and her daughters served us a fabulous meal where lemons were featured as table centerpieces, in the cake we had for dessert, and the grand finale of limoncello that was served along with other homemade fruit liqueurs. The Le Vigne di Raito organic vineyard is on the beautiful terraced hillside of the Amalfi Coast the wines we sampled were divine.Mama Agata is particularly famous for her lemon cake that has been enjoyed by numerous celebrities through the years including Fred Astaire, Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall and Jacqueline Kennedy, among many others.) At the end of our day of cooking with Mama Agata and her family, we sampled her yummy lemon cake while sipping on limoncello made from their own lemon trees. I spent an amazing day there learning Italian cooking and eating samples of a variety of delicious dishes. Mama Agata's Cooking School is just steps away from the villa.From the first evening there, Roberta (pictured below), offered us a glass of their continuous supply of homemade limoncello made from lemons picked on their property as she explained how it was made. Villa San Cosma Country House was the picturesque villa situated on the scenic, terraced slopes of the Amalfi Coast where I stayed during my trip.(Read more about this premier tour company at the end of this post.) Here are a few of the places where I enjoyed homemade Italian limoncello during my travels all were part of my wonderful-beyond-words Amalfi Coast tour with Delectable Destinations. Read more about my Italy trip with my sister, Nelda, and our unforgettable weeklong tour in my post: Culinary Trip to the Amalfi Coast of Italy I'm sharing that method I learned with you in this post. I sampled it at numerous places during my trip and learned to make this easy liqueur in a detailed demonstration by a popular local chef. Lemon trees are so abundant in this area that it's easy for restaurants, hotels, and everyday homes to pick fresh lemons for making their own limoncello. That's not an exaggeration! That particular region of Italy is often referred to as "The Land of Lemons" where lemon cakes, marmalades, and beverages are standard fare. On my dream-come-true trip to the Amalfi Coast of Italy, limoncello was served at the end of virtually every meal. Printable gift tags are provided later down in the post.įirst, here's a summary of how my personal love of limoncello grew during my travels in Italy.Īuthentically Italian. This easy recipe is great to keep on hand for yourself and gift giving. I also use it to elevate the flavor of cakes, sangria, and hot tea. Limoncello is a delicious, versatile lemon liqueur that can be drunk in a small glass as an after dinner cordial or used as a cocktail mixer. Skip the photo tutorial - Jump straight to the recipe The juice can also be frozen for future use. LEFTOVER PEELED LEMONS can be juiced for lemonade. You can make it in individual glasses or a big batch in a pitcher. For an easy and refreshing Limoncello Spritzer, combine equal parts limoncello and club soda or selzer water, add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and garnish with a lemon slice and sprig of mint. LIMONCELLO SPRITZER COCKTAIL: Limoncello also makes a great cocktail mixer. If you have the space to refrigerate or freeze the bottles, it will extend their shelf life for a year or longer. STORE bottles of limoncello in cool, dark place for 3 to 6 months, maybe longer. (The high alcohol content will prevent it from freezing solid.) Serve it in small cordial glasses straight from the bottle. SERVE IT: Limencello is best served very cold it can be stored in the refrigerator or freezer. It will become smoother the longer it ages. Screw on lids and rest in cool dark place for 1 week-longer, if possible. You've got limoncello! Use a funnel to fill bottles with limocello. MIX & BOTTLE IT: Add cooled sugar syrup to strained lemon liquid, stir. Pour lemon mixture into strainer to remove the solids. STRAIN OUT SOLIDS: Line a wire mesh stainer with cheesecloth or a basket-type coffee filter place over bowl. Add sugar and water to saucepan, bring to a simmer and cook until sugar is completely dissolved and liquid is clear. When infusion is ready to strain, make a batch of simple syrup. Screw on lid and set jar in a coolish room termperature dark place (like inside a cabinet) to infuse for 1 to 3 weeks. (It's okay if there are a few bits of pith.) Place peels in a 1-quart (or larger) jar or container. If some of the white pith comes off when peeling, scrape it off with the tip of a paring knife so all that remains is the yellow part of the peel. MAKE INFUSED MIXTURE: Use a vegetable peeler to peel long strips of lemon peel from top to bottom only peel off the top yellow layer.
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