When I began brewing limoncello, the trees were still barren and we were thirsting for the first glimmer of spring. I’d gathered an armful of the last meyer lemons of the winter in a large bowl in my living room, without any definitive ideas for how to use them. But I’d also picked up a copy of Lucky Peach’s Apocalypse issue, and it was there that I made the acquaintance of Kevin West.

Kevin is the writer of the soon-to-be-released cookbook, , and a blog by the same name. Lucky Peach magazine featured a story about Kevin and his passion for canning and putting up, and I was deeply struck by the authenticity and thought behind his work. Canning and preserving is such a hip thing nowadays, which is wonderful in its own way because it gets more of us in the kitchen. But Kevin delves into the history, traditions, and chemistry of canning that I haven’t seen from many other cookbook writers. Even though his cookbook doesn’t come out officially until next week, I preordered a copy – the first book I’ve preordered since book 7 of Harry Potter came out. Really.

But one recipe didn’t make it into his cookbook, and that’s this recipe for limoncello. In his own words on his blog: “Why did I not include limoncello in ? I’m not sure…deadlines? Exhaustion? Brain spasm? Hard to say. I kept thinking I would squeeze it in at the last minute, and then the last minute passed. Which is a shame, because limoncello so easy to do—the quickest of the homemade cordials.”

The recipe was indeed incredibly easy, and nearly three months later, the final product couldn’t come at a better time. I bottled the final limoncello in swing-top bottles and chilled a glass in the freezer on a night when the hot, humid swamp air laid heavy and still. That glass of limoncello took me back to the time I lived in Italy, when the cool night slowly danced in on the tails of the hot spring days. It’s sweet, intense, and smooth, and I’ve been having a glass every evening this week.

Depending where you live, lemons may be coming into season soon in the summer, and will come into season again in the winter. You really need to use tender, fresh lemons for this recipe, and if you have access to meyer lemons, by all means use them. But if you can find your ideal specimens now, you will have homemade limoncello to enjoy by the time the dog days of summer are upon us. Patience is a virtue here, so don’t rush the process and allow the limoncello to brew at its own, slow pace. Man, if we approached life like we approach limoncello-making, the world would probably be a better place.

limoncello

recipe from Kevin West’s Saving the Season

2 pounds tender, fresh lemons (preferably organic and meyer lemons if you can find them)
1 750 ml bottle Everclear (151 proof grain spirits)
4 cups water
3 cups sugar

Wash the lemons, and scrub the peels hard to get off the wax if they’re not organic. Using a vegetable peeler, remove the zest in ribbons, leaving behind all of the white pith. In a large, clean mason jar, cover the zest with Everclear and set aside for one month in a dark, cool place.

After one month, discard the zest, which will be pale and brittle. In a saucepan over low heat, dissolve the sugar in the 4 cups of water. Let the syrup cool to room temperature, then stir it into the alcohol. Age for an additional two months more in a dark, cool place.

Strain the limoncello through a jelly bag, coffee filter, or many layers of cheesecloth to remove all impurities. Bottle the limoncello. Store in the freezer and serve small glasses of ice-cold limoncello after a big meal.