Limoncello, Limecello and Arancello are Italian drinks that are meant for sipping straight or mixing into a cocktail. I found my love for these Italian drinks after my parents went to Italy (without us, how rude). They came home and attempted to make their own limoncello and limecello and it was perfection! I decided to try to make my own limoncello and it didn’t last long between us and friends.
One day I was prepping my son's lunch, slicing up an orange, and I thought “Why can’t you use oranges? It’s a citrus fruit! Maybe I’m on to something here.” I even called my mom and she also thought it would be a good idea to try.
I don’t know why I thought I was some innovator when clearly other people thought of the same thing many, many years ago - in Italy. It is already a thing, and it’s called Arancello! So naturally, I started saving the zest from my child’s fruit in order to soak them in vodka and have a “mommy drink” later.
The trick with arancello (and all of the “cellos”) is making sure you avoid using the plith, also known as the “spongy white stuff”. The plith can make your cellos bitter if you use too much of it. I prefer to use a peeler to remove the zest, I find it requires much less work than actually zesting each one and it makes straining it out easier, as well.
Since I was only doing this one orange at a time (when my son would eat them) I placed the zest in a ziplock and put it in the freezer until I had collected approximately 10-12 mandarin oranges worth. At that point, I added them to a large mason jar and poured in 750ml of 100 proof vodka. Most articles I have read stated that the peels only need 4 days to extract the flavor but you could soak them for up to a month. As a happy medium, I let it soak for one week. The vodka should turn almost neon yellow (lemons), green (limes) or orange (oranges) after the first few days.
List of Ingredients for Limoncello, Limecello & Arancello
lemons, oranges or limes
Everclear or 100-150 proof vodka
sugar
water
Step 1:
Take approximately 7-10 citrus fruit of choice and wash thoroughly using your favorite fruit wash and a brush. Allow to dry.
Step 2:
Using a peeler, peel just the zest from the citrus fruit of choice. You want to avoid as much of the white part (plith) as possible. The plith creates a more bitter final product.
You can also use a zester but I have found that carefully peeling saved me so much time!
Step 3:
Place the peels in a large glass container. I use this mason jar that comes with a nifty pour spout.
Add one 750mL bottle of Everclear to the container with the peels. You can use any vodka that is at least 100 proof but the final product is best with Everclear. Keep in mind that using a lower proof liquor may cause the final product to freeze solid while being stored in the freezer.
Step 4:
Allow this mixture to sit for 4-30 days in a cool dark place. I let this soak for about 7 days in the pantry and I have been very pleased with the results.
Below is the change from day one to day seven of my Arancello. The liquid will take on an almost neon color from the peels.
Step 5:
The day before you plan to finish your product, make the simple syrup. Combine up to 4 cups of water and 4 cups of sugar in a sauce pan and place over medium heat. Heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar is completely dissolved. Pour this mixture into a mason jar and place in the fridge overnight to fully cool.
Note: I have found that 2-3 cups each of water and sugar are enough to sweeten the final product for me. However, you may need more or less depending on your desired taste.
Step 6:
Strain the liquor mixture into a large container or bowl using this straining top that fits on the mason jar.
Start by adding 2 cups of the simple syrup to the strained liquor, mix well and taste. Add more simple syrup 1/2 cup at a time until you have reached your desired sweetness.
Store in a swing top glass container and place in the freezer for up to 1 year. Fair warning, ours has never lasted that long so I can’t speak to the taste at that time or past it.
My favorite way to enjoy these 'cellos is to sip it while it’s still cold from the freezer, over ice or mixed with a sparkling water (unflavored or citrus flavored). Please give me a follow, leave a comment letting me know what you think and/or check out some of the other recipes posted.
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