Lime-cello Test

i’m wondering if you’ve ever tried, or heard of anyone trying, grapefruit?

Could you describe in a little more detail the filtering process of the vodka and the final product? Thanks, Scott

For the vodka, I just run it through a Brita filter pitcher 5 times, pouring it from the Brita pitcher into a regular pitcher and then back into the Brita until finished. For the final filtration, I pour the infusion through a permanent coffee filter once to remove all the zest. Then I put disposable coffee filters inside the permanent filter one at a time and pour the limoncello through. I put the permanent filter in a funnel so it all goes where I want. Once the batch is filtered like that once, I do it a second time, then I pour through the permanent filter when filling the bottles.

Why do you have to filter the vodka, if most vodkas out there are 5 times distilled?

A friend of mine makes “mandarinetto”, which is limoncello made with mandarins. It is absolutely delicious! The other day I also tried one he made using a mix of lemons and oranges which was also lovely. I’m lucky enough to live in Italy, and he’s lucky enough to have a citrus grove in the back garden though.

my girlfriend has a grape fruit plantation in their backyard and we always taste some of the harvest.,`”

we always use grapefruit on our dessert and this is a fruit that is full of antioxidants too.::;

What kind of oranges did you use? I have made it several times with navel oranges and it worked beautifully. I used 5 navel oranges for a fifth of Smirnoff. and zest them with a microplane rasp making sure to get no pith.

Alternatives I have tried that work well are 4 navel oranges and 1 blood orange and I substituted the juice of the blood orange for part of the water in the syrup. You can use the zest of 2 large grapefruit or one large and its juice as a substitute, i prefer Ruby Red fruits for this. I have also done this with 1.5L of vodka and a pound of key limes using the juice of all of them in place of water with 50% more sugar.

Mixes that work well: Lemon and Lime, substitute two limes for one lemon or four for two lemons, but only 1 to 1 after that. Lemon Tangerine substitute 3 tangerines for the first lemon, two each for the second and third and 1 for 1 for any other substitutions. Orange grapefruit substitute 1 grapefruit for two oranges 25% more sugar to the syrup. You can also add two limes to that mix. Assuming you can find them you can make yuzu-cello using ten yuzu fruit per fifth.

Note: I use vodka, because drive 150 miles out of state to get grain alcohol doesn’t appeal to me.

I have access currently (Aug. 2010) to a good sized acreage of Meyer Lemons, organically-grown (but not certified). I estimate between 40,000-60,000 lemons on the tree right now. We won’t be marketing them conventionally. Anybody want to go big?

Daveed

Well, I’m trying out this recipe right now and I’ve followed your directions for limoncello very carefully. I had plans to make it the traditional way (with lemons) but our lime tree has been far more prolific than our lemon tree, so… when life give you limes, make lime-cello, right? 😉

If I’m reading your directions correctly, are you saying it only took you 4 weeks to make lime-cello (vs. 90 days for limoncello)? Just want to make sure I’ve got that right — 3 week w/ zest, then 1 week with syrup?

Great site — thanks for sharing your commitment to limoncello research!

I play around with the timing a lot. I think if you have strong liquor for infusion you can probably make good limoncello (or lime-cello) in 30 days.

Thanks for the info, Ben — I’ll let you know how it turns out!

I have made both lemon and limecello with our own 40% vodka and our own lemons and limes. In process of making orange with 40% straight alcohol for the first time. My husband has a still (Australia), and makes our own whatever we want. Our limoncello and limecello is very popular with friends and family, to the point where I have to squirrel it away! Can’t wait to try the orange.

Have you tried a combo? Like a lemon/lime-cello?

I shake my head as I read these comments. It takes less than a week to get the flavors out of citrus peel with either Vodka or Everclear. At least that’s my experience (and I got that from from Food Network recipes). Lemon and lime work best I’ve found. Orange is great if you then add some cream soda.

Did the limecello freeze using that much water?

I’ve done grapefruit a couple times with good success! I did 750 ml of 75.5% everclear grain alcohol, zest of 6 organic grapefruit (or was it 7?). For the simple syrup, I used 2 cups sugar and 3 cups water. Once it was filtered I added a stem of fresh organic rosemary (removed after a day or two) and it was really nice!