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italian limoncello or italian arancelo

(1 rating)
Recipe by
Catherine Grilli
Chandler, AZ

My husband and I have traveled to Italy to visit my husband's ancestral home. I've always enjoyed this lemon-flavored liqueur. Living in Arizona, I have access to fresh lemons and fresh oranges from my own trees. I know this recipe is a bit involved and takes patience to make and can be a bit messy but all the work is worth the effort. The Arancello works great in homemade Margaritas instead of Triple Sec or Cointreau. My Mom also loves a dollop in her tea before heading to bed.

(1 rating)

Ingredients For italian limoncello or italian arancelo

  • 1 (750 ml) bottle
    everclear (95% alcohol - 190 proof)
  • 1 (750 ml) bottle
    vodka (premium 40% alcohol - 80 proof)
  • 15
    large thick skinned lemons or oranges
  • 3 c
    filtered tap water
  • 4 c
    white sugar

How To Make italian limoncello or italian arancelo

  • 1
    Pour the bottle of Everclear and the bottle of vodka into a gallon jar.
  • 2
    Try to use organic lemons or oranges or make sure lemons or oranges are cleaned to remove any chemicals, pesticides, dirt, and wax. Dry the lemons. Using a potato peeler, peel off just the yellow/orange part of the skin without any of the pith.
  • 3
    Put the lemon/orange peels in jar and stir gently.
  • 4
    Cover tightly and put away in a cool (not cold) dark place for the alcohol to extract oils from the peels.
  • 5
    Gently stir lemon/orange peels once a week for four weeks.
  • 6
    At the end of the fourth week, scoop out the lemon/orange peels and discard. Using coffee filters, filter remaining liquid two times before proceeding.
  • 7
    Make a simple syrup by dissolving sugar in water. Bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
  • 8
    Add cooled simple syrup to filtered lemon/orange infusion. Return jar to cool dark place for 40 more days.
  • 9
    Filter resultant liqueur two more times, using coffee filters. Pour into bottles, label, and enjoy. The longer the limoncello/arancello ages, the better the flavor will be.

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