Speaking of Neapolitan traditions we can not immediately think of one of the most famous liqueurs known to us: the Limoncello!
If we think of summer, we Neapolitans, think of the sea and the sun and what more faithful representation of the sun if not the lemons that grow on the coasts of the gulf?
The liqueur dedicated to this wonderful citrus with an entrancing smell, the Limoncello, refers to these elements.
Its origin is uncertain because the island of Capri, Sorrento and even Amalfi claim paternity! But regardless of the place of origin, the yellow liqueur has entered the kitchens of Campania with great success and has now become an exported product all over the world.
Even if the preparation is long we can not help but try to prepare Limoncello at home at least once!
That's why this special symbol of Naples we would like to propose it to you in our column "Cooking in the Neapolitan style".
Ingredients:
- 1 / 2 liter of pure alcohol (at 90%)
- 4-5 large lemons from the coast (those with a thick skin)
- 1 L water
- 500 gr sugar
Preparation
Wash thoroughly lemons and remove with a knife (or better if with a potato peeler) the yellow part of the peel that contains all the aromatic oils, place the peels in a large jar and, after having poured all the alcohol into it, put them to macerate for a period at least 15 days. During this period, we will take the jar back to turn it over and let the alcohol have its effect, that is, to take all the flavor from the skins. Let's store it in a cool, dry and possibly dark place.
After the days of maceration, we prepare one in a small saucepan syrup made of water and sugar; when the sugar has completely melted and the liquid will be slightly reduced it will be ready to be used.
Then pour into the now cooled syrup lflavored alcohol, private with a sieve from the skins, and mix them together. We keep the liqueur obtained in several glass bottles and seal them with cork stoppers. The liqueur can be tasted, or used to flavor the sweets, at least after 20 days from its bottling; this time is necessary to become the real Limoncello.
Notes from the cook
With the part of the lemons that we will discard from this recipe we could prepare some delicious lemon jam, prepared with the peeled segments in vivo, then deprived of the bitter white part of the fruit, 500 gr of sugar and 1 / 2 apple, natural gelling agent. We will boil all the ingredients until it becomes a creamy mixture to preserve in a jar and taste as desired.
