Homemade Cannabis-Infused Limoncello Recipe: A Refreshing Delight
Limoncello is a popular Italian lemon liqueur known for its bright and refreshing flavor. It’s relatively simple to make at home. Here’s a basic recipe for traditional Limoncello:
Ingredients:
10 lemons (preferably organic)
750 ml (about 3 cups) of high-proof vodka (at least 80 proof)
2 cups of granulated sugar
2 cups of water
Instructions:
Wash and scrub the lemons thoroughly to remove any wax or residue. You want to use only the lemon zest, so use a vegetable peeler or a microplane grater to carefully remove the yellow part of the peel while avoiding the bitter white pith underneath. Place the lemon zest in a clean glass container or large glass jar.
Pour the vodka over the lemon zest in the container. Seal the container tightly with a lid and let it steep in a cool, dark place for at least 2 weeks. Some recipes recommend letting it sit for up to 40 days for a stronger flavor.
After the steeping period, strain the lemon-infused vodka through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth to remove the lemon zest. Discard the zest.
In a saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar completely dissolves to create a simple syrup. Allow the syrup to cool to room temperature.
Add the cooled simple syrup to the lemon-infused vodka and stir well to combine.
Funnel the Limoncello into clean, sterilized bottles with tight-sealing caps. Seal the bottles and store them in the freezer. Limoncello is best served chilled, and the freezer helps to prevent it from freezing solid due to the high alcohol content.
Serve Limoncello straight from the freezer in small chilled glasses or as an ingredient in cocktails.
Keep in mind that this recipe produces a traditional non-infused Limoncello. If you wish to create a cannabis-infused version, you would need to follow the relevant laws and regulations in your area and consult a professional with experience in infusing alcohol with cannabis. If cannabis infusion is legal in your area and you’d like to make a cannabis-infused version of Limoncello, you can follow the basic Limoncello recipe I provided earlier and add a cannabis infusion step. Here’s how you can do it:
Ingredients:
10 lemons (preferably organic)
750 ml (about 3 cups) of high-proof vodka (at least 80 proof)
2 cups of granulated sugar
2 cups of water
Cannabis-infused alcohol tincture (prepared separately)
Instructions:
Prepare the cannabis-infused alcohol tincture: Before starting the Limoncello process, you’ll need to prepare a cannabis-infused alcohol tincture. To do this, decarboxylate your cannabis (if it hasn’t been already), and then infuse it into a high-proof alcohol like Everclear or grain alcohol. The ratio of cannabis to alcohol will depend on the potency you desire, but a common starting point is 1 gram of decarboxylated cannabis per 1 ounce of alcohol. Let the cannabis infuse in the alcohol for several weeks, shaking it daily. Once the tincture is ready, strain out the cannabis solids, leaving you with a cannabis-infused alcohol.
Prepare the lemon zest: Wash and scrub the lemons thoroughly to remove any wax or residue. Use a vegetable peeler or microplane grater to carefully remove the yellow part of the peel (lemon zest) while avoiding the bitter white pith underneath. Place the lemon zest in a clean glass container or large glass jar.
Add the cannabis-infused alcohol: Pour the cannabis-infused alcohol tincture over the lemon zest in the container. Seal the container tightly with a lid and let it steep in a cool, dark place for at least 2 weeks. This step allows the lemon zest to infuse with both the cannabis and alcohol flavors.
Strain the lemon-cannabis infusion: After the steeping period, strain the lemon-cannabis-infused alcohol through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth to remove the lemon zest and any remaining cannabis solids. Discard the zest and solids.
Prepare the simple syrup: In a saucepan, combine the granulated sugar and water. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar completely dissolves to create a simple syrup. Allow the syrup to cool to room temperature.
Combine the infused alcohol and simple syrup: Add the cooled simple syrup to the lemon-cannabis-infused alcohol and stir well to combine. This will sweeten and balance the flavors.
Bottle and store: Funnel the cannabis-infused Limoncello into clean, sterilized bottles with tight-sealing caps. Seal the bottles and store them in the freezer. Limoncello is best served chilled.