Limoncello

"Can someone tell me that once opened, how long will it keep in the fridge?" As long as it takes you to drink it.           ......................................  [It won't go 'off']

 if you put it in the freezer and frost it up nicely... it tastes even cooler.. 

So whats the best less sugary Limoncella? I'd like something a bit more lemony!

Try this recipe. It's dead easy and will make you a very 'popular person'... Increase the lemon peel if you want to make it more 'lemony'!   Home Made Limoncello You’ll need: 1 litre of water 1 litre of good spirit (95° if possible - suitable for food preparation) 500gr. Sugar Peel of 8 -10 large lemons (6-7 if bought in Italy)   To prepare: Carefully wash the lemons and peel them, leaving as little of the white pith attached to the yellow skin (the ‘valuable’ part) as possible. Place the yellow peel in the alcohol to marinate for approx. 10 days. After which, boil the water and dissolve the sugar in it. Then add the spirit (the peel should be discarded). Filter the liquid and bottle it. It must always be served well chilled, so put it into the freezer before serving it!

 to get the less sugary ones its often the case that more expensive leads to less sugar... and really the only place to buy the best limoncella is to head to the amalfi coast and find a local making it... their lemons are the ones that are needed...size of footballs.. failing that follow the recipe above...  am sure its good.. but for me i reckon a buying trip plus sampling makes more sense..

I thought of making my own limoncello last year - but where do you get the litre of 90 percent proof alcohol? I don't see it on the shelves of the local shops

"....but where do you get the litre of 90 percent proof alcohol? I don't see it on the shelves of the local shops" Try the larger supermarkets - thats where we got ours

Try to use untreated (no wax or pesticides) organic lemons. You will get better results and an improved flavour.

As Adriatica says, pop it in the freezer (it won't freeze) and it will last for ages. So good after a dinner or anytime you feel like it really. 

"As Adriatica says, pop it in the freezer (it won't freeze) "  Careful - if its a commercial limoncello, the alcoholic content probably won't be high enough to prevent freezing

.... if you do make your own, before you combine with water/sugar as Carole has suggested, combine the infused alcohol with double cream (sweetened to your taste if you like) in the same volume (eg 250ml of alcohol to 250ml of cream). This will go in the freezer and should not freeze, but become viscous, just like diesel does at low temperatures! This will be about 40% proof, so take it easy! Enjoy!P.S. Very good point Gala on using only unwaxed/untreated lemons. 

My partner makes a fabulous (biased opinion I guess!) Limoncello here in the UK using a vodka - but it's something like 93% ABV so far from your typical branded vodka. We get it from a little shop in Old Compton Street in Soho that sells a huge range of spirits and it's basically the strongest thing they sell. The first time I bought some I asked who on earth bought the stuff as it is plastered in so many warnings about causing instant death if consumed neat it is somewhat offputting - but apparently students love the stuff! Say no more ... So making it yourself is definitely the way to go if you ask me. The absolute key is making sure you minimise the "pith" of the lemon that sometimes creeps in if you don't peel the lemons with enough caution - basically ANY pith will add bitterness to the result and you need to aim for zero pith for the best Limoncello.  And yes, keep it in the freezer. Oh and it also makes a great Aperitivo if mixed with a glass of Prosecco, but as my Mum found out this Christmas, 1 glass is definately enough! Hope you all had a great New Year ... brancusi      

Limoncello the reason I still have hang-over from last night!!! or was it the wine or the sambuca or maybe the grappa.

Here is a Limoncello Trifle recipe I made over Christmas with ingredients from Waitrose supermarket in the UK, yum yum .....  (don't know about ingredients availability in Italy, perhaps someone can suggest alternatives for any difficult to come by). Raspberry and Limoncello Trifle Madeira cake spread with lemon curd, dosed with limoncello liqueur and all topped off with raspberries and a mascarpone custard – the perfect end to the perfect meal. Preparation time  15 minutes   Serves: 8 Ingredients Madeira Cake (plain sponge) 2 tbsp Zesty Lemon Curd 2 tbsp Santa Marta Limoncello Liqueur 300g pack Frozen British Raspberries, defrosted 250g pack Galbani Italian Mascarpone 500g tub Custard 300 ml tub Whipping Cream 2 tbsp pistachio nuts, chopped Method 1.Cut the cake into six slices, then spread each slice with lemon curd and make 3 'sandwiches'. Slice each pair into quarters, then place in a 2-litre glass bowl. Drizzle the cake with limoncello. Scatter the raspberries over the cake, reserving a few for decoration.   2.Using an electric mixer, gently whisk the mascarpone and custard together until smooth. Spread the custard over the raspberries. Whip the cream until the whisk leaves a soft trail, then spread on top of the custard. Scatter the top of the trifle with the pistachios and the reserved raspberries.   Cook's tip Ready in 30 minutes or less http://www.waitrose.com/recipe/Raspberry_and_Limoncello_Trifle.aspx  

 I followed CaroleB recipe and it turned out a dream. Followed Adraticas advice and keep it in the freezer it must be the best I've tasted (believe me I've tasted quite a few) stays unctuous in the freezer. Quite strong but sooooo Lemony. I also added the juice of two lemons and got hold of Amalfi lemons; if that does make a difference. Off to the supermarket now to buy some more spirit; I'm hooked.........Chin Chin

Make sure the lemons are 'unwaxed' when buying them

 I made my own Limoncello in the run up to Christmas last year, but couldn't get hold of any 95% alcohol. And so, I used normal strength vodka and added sugar syrup (made by Monin), the kind that you can buy for adding to cocktails. This kept the alcohol content up at a reasonable level.