Limoncello

This recipe is courtesy of my mom's cousin, Gina, in Italy.

  

Peels of 5 lemons                                            (maybe add 2 more lemon peels)

1 bottle (750 ml) 94% pure alcohol                 (I use 1.14L bottle)

400 g sugar                                                     (600g if putting 1.14L alcohol)

1 bottle (750 ml) boiled water                         (1.14L)

2/3 bottle cold water (or more for weaker limoncello)

Peel 5 lemons (no pulp) and place in a jar with a lid. Add 750 ml alcohol. Seal tight and let stand 48 hours.

Boil 1 bottle (750 ml) water. Put water in a jar with 400 g sugar and shake until sugar is dissolved. Add this mixture to the alcohol and lemon mixture. You may need to change to a pot if jar is not big enough. Mix properly and then drain mixture with sieve to get lemon peels out. Put lemon peels in one of the jars. Add some of the cold water. Shake until water turns yellow. Remove lemon peels. Add alcohol mixture. Add the remaining cold water to lemon peels and shake again until water yellows. This gets all the alcohol out of the peels. Remove peels. Add to alcohol mixture. Mix. Filter liquid into bottles by using a sieve and a coffee filter. Store in freezer.