In this article, we will look at three of the best homemade lemon tincture recipes. With the right approach, ripe juicy lemons and vodka (alcohol, moonshine) make excellent drinks with different flavors. The technology of their preparation will not seem complicated even to novice cooks.
The strength of tinctures can be adjusted by adding more or less water than indicated in the recipes. The concentration of sugar is also selected to taste, but when making a drink for the first time, I advise you not to deviate from the recommended proportions, since they are designed for most people.
Classic lemon curd
The taste of the drink is similar to Limoncello liqueur, but it is prepared faster and a little easier. It is served chilled to 10-12°C as a dessert spirit.
Ingredients:
- lemons – 5 pieces;
- vodka (moonshine) – 0,5 liters
- sugar – 250 gram;
- water – 200 ml.
Recipe
1. Rinse the lemons thoroughly with warm water and wipe dry.
2. Gently remove the zest from one lemon, being careful not to touch the bitter white flesh. This can be done with a potato peeler. Then squeeze out the juice.
3. Boil syrup from water, sugar and lemon juice. Mix the ingredients in a saucepan, bring the mixture to a boil and boil for 3-5 minutes over low heat, stirring and removing the foam.
4. Remove the zest from the four remaining lemons. Trim and discard the white rind, cut the clean flesh into small pieces.
5. Mix syrup, vodka, zest and pulp in a jar. Close the lid tightly and shake well several times.
6. Put the jar in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
7. Strain the finished homemade tincture through gauze and cotton wool so that it becomes transparent. Store in a dark cool place, the shelf life is unlimited.
Lemon tincture on alcohol
A delicious drink with an original way of infusion, in which the raw materials do not come into contact with the alcohol base.
Ingredients:
- lemon – 1 piece;
- alcohol (70%) – 350 ml;
- water – 200 ml.
It is better to make ordinary tinctures on alcohol diluted to 40-45 degrees, in this case, on the contrary, strong alcohol is diluted after infusion, so that its concentrated vapors better absorb lemon essential oils. This method is also suitable for vodka tinctures, but then the aging period increases to 30-45 days.
Recipe
1. Rinse the lemon in warm water, then wipe dry. This is necessary to wash off the paraffin and other preservatives that are on the peel.
2. Pour alcohol into a jar, pierce a lemon with a needle in the upper part and pass a thread through it.
3. Using a wire, hang a pierced lemon in a jar so that it does not touch the alcohol (pictured).
4. Close the jar tightly with a lid and put for 14 days in a dark place with a temperature of 18-24 ° C
5. Add water, mix well. After that, the tincture will become cloudy, but after a few days of exposure, it will again become light. You can add sugar to taste.
6. Before use, keep the drink for 24 hours in a dark, cool place. Shelf life – more than 3 years.
Mint tincture on lemon
The combination of mint and lemon gives an unforgettable taste that you will never find in other tinctures.
Ingredients:
- fresh mint leaves – 150 grams (or 50 grams of dried);
- lemons – 5 pieces;
- vodka (moonshine, alcohol 40-45%) – 1 liter.
In this cooking technology, only the fragrant top lemon peel (zest) is used, the pulp and juice can be used for other dishes.
Recipe
1. Carefully remove the zest from the lemons washed in hot water, without touching the white flesh.
2. Pour vodka over mint, add lemon zest and close the jar tightly with a lid.
3. Infuse for 7-10 days in a dark place at room temperature, shaking every day.
4. Filter the tincture through a cotton-gauze filter, then bottle for storage.
