The yellow and rough peel of lemons is the essential ingredient for the production of the limoncino. Water, alcohol and sugar are the little and natural ingredients of an ancient recipe, simple and genuine, which has conquered the taste of many impassioned. The history of the limoncino gets loose through a series of anecdotes and legends. In Italy its paternity has contended among the populations of the Sorrento coast where bloomed the cultivation of the lemons. Somebody sustains that the liqueur has ancient origins, tightly connected with the cultivation of the lemon. Some others, believe instead, that the recipe was born inside a monastic convent to delight the monks between a prayer and another. On Lake Garda the liqueur has probably arrived together with the beginning of the cultivation of the lemon-trees and has always been a liqueur in use among the farmers. The preparation is simple but meticulous: if observed with attention, in less than three months, the traditional yellow liqueur will be ready for tasting as appetizer or digestive, before or after the meals. The first consideration is the kind of lemons. In the choice of the lemons, it must be preferred those with very thick peel. The Mediterranean climate of Lake Garda guaranteed the growth of a lemon with big and perfumed peel. The first step provides the washing of the fruit in warm water and its brush-up to eliminate every possible residues and then the elimination of the pith (every little bit of pith will make your limoncino bitter). In a container pour some alcohol, and then add the pieces of aromatic bark obtained from the peel.
The experts recommend the use a good quality alcohol, also to avoid later that the liqueur could freeze. With the placing of the covered container in a dark place, the first stage of production has finished. At a room temperature, in fact, will continue the maceration of the peel and the infusion will slowly absorb the aroma and the yellow color of the lemons. About one month later, the production continues with the addition of water and sugar (before boiled and then made cold) and of some other alcohol. The covered container has put again in a dark place for more that a month. After about 40 days, the infusion has filtered discarding the peels and decanted in the bottles. Then the bottles has conserved in a freezer. With its unique taste and aroma, the liqueur must be served like it is, without the addition of additives and coloring agents. The limoncino is a good digestive if served cold. For the many estimators the Limoncino has almost become a important ritual like the coffee's one.Last note: before 1988 there was no difference between the terms "Limoncello" and "Limoncino."
They did must be used interchangeably to mean a sweet digestivo made from a clear alcohol base, lemon zest and simple syrup.
Now due to the fact that the word "Limoncello" has been registered has trademark from a company in the near of Sorrento the 2 terms Limoncino and Limoncello are no more interchangeably, but only for commercial porpuses.
The quality of a good Limoncino or Limoncello depends from the quality of the used raw substances: in first places the lemons and in second places the alcool which must have a taste as neutraler as possible. |
