MENU dorset issue 22 MENU22..dorset pdf issue 22. | Page 52

Rich and Nick at their
Research and
Development allotment
in Somerset.
LIMONCELLO
Put some zest into your new year with
The Two Thirsty Gardeners’ homemade Italian liqueur
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For years limoncello was Italy’s best-kept booze secret , but recently
the rest of the world has developed a zestful love for this lemony
liqueur. Among Italian traditionalists there will be precise methods and
ingredients used, but for the rest of us there are numerous ways
to produce this delicious digestif. Our easy instructions allow you to
make a pure, sweet limoncello or give it a sour edge. You can also
choose between a clear or cloudy appearance.
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Ingredients Method
Juice and zest of 5
unwaxed lemons
1 x 70cl bottle of vodka
200g/7oz/1 cup white sugar
Serving
suggestions
Limoncello is best enjoyed neat,
served ice cold as an after-dinner
shot – so store your bottles in the
freezer for the best results. It can
also be used to give a zesty spike
to cocktails and fruit punches,
drizzled over ice cream or added
to a lemon dessert.
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1. Put the lemon zest into a jar with the vodka.
2. Although not traditional, we quite like our limoncello to have a sour
taste. To achieve this, add the juice from the lemons to the mix – the
more you add, the sourer the flavour. If you’re unsure,
you may prefer to split the batch and try both options.
3. Seal the jar and leave to one side to infuse for around 2 weeks.
4. After this initial infusing time, you’re ready to sweeten the liquid with a
simple sugar syrup. Put the sugar in a saucepan with 160ml/5¼fl oz/2⁄3
cups water, then heat gently until the sugar dissolves. If you want your
limoncello to be clear, let the syrup cool before adding it to the vodka
and lemon zest. For a cloudy drink, pour in the syrup while still warm.
5. If you’re eager to drink your lemony treat, you can strain and bottle the
limoncello after adding the syrup, although we recommend extending
your patience by another 4 weeks. Even after straining through a fine-
mesh sieve you’ll have lots of small lemon bits floating in the mix – but a
second, slow straining through filter paper will remove these.
The Two Thirsty Gardeners are Nick Moyle and Rich Hood – two friends with
a shared love of growing your own and drinking it if possible too. Check out their
website twothirstygardeners.co.uk and the Seasoned Drinker page in every issue of
Menu (p64).This recipe comes from their brilliant book about proper homemade booze -
Brew it Yourself. It’s available from Amazon.
www.menu-dorset.co.uk
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