Folks, the wait is almost over. Last weekend, I discarded
the now-bleached lemon peels from the bottle of Grappa in which they lay
soaking for the last month. I poured some cooled sugar syrup (1 part water, 1
part caster sugar) down the bottle, gave it a quick shake and now have a litre
of home-made Limoncello chilling in the fridge. Apparently, it should be ready to drink in
two-three weeks.
The early signs are promising. The weird fluoro-yellow
colour has toned down to a pale yellow and the consistency is cloudy and
viscous. It smells rich and lemony and an early taste was rather nice. However, a couple of rookie mistakes:
- Because I used a low-alcohol starter (not the recommended 90%/180 proof Hellfire), I can't keep it in the freezer (as recommended) as it will actually freeze. A higher alcohol starter, even after dilution, would chill perfectly without freezing.
- There was a bit too much white pith on the lemon peel which has resulted in a slightly bitter, pithy aftertaste.
Still, can't wait to pour it over ice and enjoyed as is, or with a splash of tonic water and mint, or
as part of my own version of a Carrot Margarita. But only when the weather’s a
little warmer…
Dusty’s Carrot Margarita
·
1 measure Tequila
·
2 measures Limoncello
·
Fresh orange juice
·
Fresh carrot juice
·
A wedge and squirt of a fresh lime
·
Chilli-infused or black salt to rim the glass
Next stop: Dan Murphy’s to buy a bottle of 180 proof
Spiritus (Polish for “numb fingers and toes”) and then more Limoncello- and
maybe some Orancello- making days in time for Summer.
