Prepare Your Ingredients: Wash the fresh lemons thoroughly to remove any dirt or pesticide residues. Pat them dry before zesting them.

Zest the Lemons: Using a vegetable peeler or zester, carefully peel off only the yellow skin of each lemon, avoiding the bitter white pith. Place the zest into a large, sealable glass jar.

Infuse with Grape Juice or Apple Juice: Pour the grape juice or apple juice over the lemon zest in the jar until fully submerged. Seal the jar and store it in a cool, dark area for 7-10 days. Shake the jar gently every other day to release the zest’s oils into the juice.

Make Simple Syrup: While the lemon infusion is developing, combine 2 cups of water and 2 cups of sugar in a saucepan. Heat over medium, stirring until the sugar completely dissolves. Allow the syrup to cool.

Combine Infusion with Simple Syrup: After the infusion period, strain out the lemon peels from the juice using a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth. Add chilled simple syrup gradually until you achieve your desired sweetness. This usually takes 1-2 cups of syrup.

Bottle Your Limoncello: Transfer your limoncello into clean glass bottles. Seal them tightly and store in the freezer, ensuring the liqueur remains cold but doesn’t freeze due to its high content of natural sugars.