Limoncello

Wash and dry the lemons. With a vegetable peeler, remove the yellow rind, making sure not to take any of the white pith with it. Set the lemons aside to squeeze the juice for for other uses.

Place the lemon rinds in a 4-quart glass jar with a rubber sealed lid. Add the grain alcohol to cover the rinds. Close container and store in a cool dry place for 60 days. It’s a lot easier if it is out of sight, out of mind. You will soon see the alcohol leaching out the beautiful yellow color of the rinds. Periodically shake the jar to agitate the rinds.

After the rinds have macerated for the 60 days, make your simple syrup. Bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the sugar, remove from the heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Cover the pan and let cool to room temperature.

When the simple syrup is completely cooled, add to the lemon rind jar. Stir to combine the liquid for about a minute. Seal your jar again and store for another 30 days in a cool, dark place. Shake the liquid twice a day.

At the end of the 30 days, strain the lemon rinds from the liquid through some cheesecloth. Press as much juice from the rinds as you can. Transfer the limoncello to smaller glass bottles that can be sealed with rubber stoppers. Store bottles in the freezer. Serve icy cold directly from freezer.

Your liqueur will not freeze because of the high alcohol content.