Quick Sous Vide Limoncello Recipe
Sous vide limoncello is bright, punchy, and straight-up sunshine in a bottle. We’re talking bold lemon flavor, a silky smooth taste, and none of that month-long waiting game.Thanks to the sous vide method, you get all the depth and complexity of the classic italian liqueur in just 2 hours instead! Pour it up ice-cold after dinner, swirl it into cocktails, or gift a bottle of limoncello to a friend!
Servings: 33 servings
Calories: 112kcal
Ingredients
- 25 g lemon zest about 10 lemons, well washed and dried
- 750 ml Everclear 190-proof a 95% neutral grain alcohol, or high-proof vodka/Everclear (100 proof minimum)
- 17 ounces filtered or distilled water just over 2 cups
- 2½ cups granulated sugar
Instructions
- Use a peeler or microplane to zest your lemons, being careful to avoid the white pith. You're aiming for thin strips of the yellow peel only.25 g lemon zest
- Place the lemon zest into a large jar or multiple medium-sized mason jars that can be submerged in your water bath. Pour in the high-proof alcohol. Screw the jar lids on finger-tight—just enough to keep water out.750 ml Everclear 190-proof
- Preheat your sous vide bath to 130°F (54°C). Submerge your sealed jars and infuse for 2 hours. The alcohol must be completely below water level, even if the jar itself is too tall for the water bath.
- While the infusion is going, combine the water and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until sugar dissolves completely, then cool to room temperature.17 ounces filtered or distilled water, 2½ cups granulated sugar
- Remove the jar from the bath and let it cool slightly. Strain the lemon zest from the alcohol using a fine mesh sieve. If you used the microplane and have tiny bits of zest, use a cheesecloth in the sieve to strain them out.
- Slowly stir in the cooled simple syrup, tasting as you go. Add less or more syrup depending on how sweet and strong you like it. For a more traditional limoncello, use the full amount.
- Pour into bottles using a funnel. Store in the fridge or freezer and let it rest at least 3 day to mellow and blend. The longer it rests, the smoother it gets.
- Serve ice-cold in small glasses after dinner, swirl into a cocktail, or gift in pretty bottles with a bow.
Notes
Makes 2 liters.
Simple Syrup Ratios
If you're going for:- Traditional-style, syrupy limoncello → use a 1:1 syrup (equal parts sugar and water)
- Bright, light, modern limoncello → the 3:2 ratio is perfect (3 parts water, 3 parts sugar)
- Rich and long-lasting liqueur → go for a 2:1 syrup (2 parts sugar to 1 part water), but use less of it
Nutrition
Serving: 2ounces | Calories: 112kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 0.01g | Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.001g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 2mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 0.4IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 0.02mg