Carrie's Blackberry Limoncello

This blackberry limoncello is sweet, tart, and the perfect addition to any springtime grown-up gathering. It’s especially nice over ice with a splash of hard seltzer but would also be delicious with ginger ale, Prosecco or champagne. You can store it in the refrigerator, but many keep it in the freezer.  Cheers!

Ingredients:

for the limoncello:

-12 lemons

-190 proof grain alcohol, enough to cover the lemons in a quart jar

- ½ sugar

- 1 cup water

For the blackberry juice:

-1 cup blackberry juice

-½ cup of sugar

-1/4 cup lemon juice

Instructions:

1. Wash and peel lemons-

       I used a potato peeler, be sure to be light handed as to not peel any of the pith.

2. Place peels in a clean quart jar and top with the alcohol until all peels are underneath the liquid. Put on the lid.
3. Place in a cool dark place, shake often!
4. You will know when the limoncello is ready to use when you smell lemons and not alcohol. The peels may fade or turn white or pale yellow.  When it smells mostly of just lemons, strain out the peels and divide in half. The other half can be saved for full limoncello or use both to double this recipe.

**The peels can be dehydrated and added to granulated sugar for lemon sugar or salt for lemon salt.**

5. Make a simple syrup-

Add 1 cup water to ½ cup sugar and heat until dissolved. Add cooled simple syrup to one of the halves of set aside limoncello and taste. I left mine semi-sweet, not sweet enough to enjoy on its own.

6. Place 1 cup blackberry juice (no seeds or fruit) into a pot, add ½ cup of sugar and ¼ cup lemon juice and heat until dissolved. Once cool add to the limoncello that was only semi-sweet. Your blackberry limoncello is now ready to enjoy!

A big thank you to Carrie over at Partners Homestead for sharing her recipe!