Limoncello, Arancello Rosso, and Pompelmocello
While we’re making Limoncello anyway…why not also try making a different “cello?” Using ruby-red grapefruit and blood oranges too? So we did!
Servings: 1 liters
Calories: 3546kcal
Equipment
- Mason jar
- Vegetable peeler
- Cheesecloth
- Funnel
- Mesh sieve
Ingredients
- 750 milliliter bottle of 190-proof Everclear
- 4-½ cups simple syrup
- 12 lemons (for Limoncello) OR 6 blood oranges (for Arancello Rosso) OR 3 large ruby-red grapefruits (for Pompelmocello)
Instructions
Peeling Fruit
- Clean and scrub fruit thoroughly before peeling.
- Unlike regular zesting, where you just scrape tiny bits of the peel using a grater…for this recipe you’ll be using a vegetable peeler, peeling the zest into long wide strips.
- Remove as much of the white pith as possible, as this will make your “cello” taste bitter. You can easily remove the pith by holding the peel flat on the countertop & scraping the white pith off with the cutting edge of a knife.
Steeping Fruit Zest and Alcohol
- Place all of your zest into a mason jar and add Everclear. Close the jar tightly and keep in a cool, dry, dark place for 4 weeks.
Simple Syrup
- Combine a 1:1 mixture of regular white sugar and water in a pot and simmer, stirring occasionally for a few minutes, until all the sugar is dissolved. Let cool.
Putting It All Together
- After 4 weeks of steeping, line a mesh sieve with cheesecloth and hold it over top of a container large enough to hold the liquid. Pour the alcohol over the sieve and collect the zest in the cheesecloth. Give the cheesecloth a good squeeze with your hands, to get every possible drop of alcohol out of the zest.
- Using a funnel, pour your steeped alcohol into a bottle and add 4-½ c simple syrup. Taste it. You may need to adjust this recipe to your own personal taste.
- Keep in the freezer and serve 1- to 2-oz drinks ice cold. Please drink responsibly.
- **See notes in article regarding Everclear vs vodka: https://maplewoodroad.com/food/limoncello-recipe/
Notes
❗ Everclear vs vodka
While you may see some recipes that call for vodka, we recommend using 190-proof Everclear instead. DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT drink this stuff straight or even as a regular mixer...it’s very powerful and can be very dangerous! (If, however, 190-proof Everclear is not available, you may use a lower-proof Everclear or vodka, but you may need to adjust this recipe and add less simple syrup to the finished product.)
The reason Everclear works better for “cellos” is because once the fruit & alcohol have finished steeping for 4 weeks (yes, 4 weeks!), you’ll be mixing it together with simple syrup, which will reduce the abv (alcohol by volume). You want your “cello” to thicken up in the freezer, but certainly don’t want it to actually freeze (which can happen if the abv is too low).
Please drink responsibly.
Nutrition
Calories: 3546kcal | Carbohydrates: 493g | Sodium: 398mg | Potassium: 440mg | Sugar: 493g | Calcium: 88mg