Orangecello, a Homemade Treat!

One of the positive side effects of being locked down from a global pandemic was having the time to experiment with different fruits for making liqueurs.  I had made limoncello for years and have pretty much perfected that recipe.  Earlier this year I experimented with limecello, which was successful, but became a bit complicated when people began to hoard the main ingredient of grain alcohol.  I had made several batches but had to use a 190-proof grain alcohol for one of the batches, instead of my preferred 150-proof.  They both work, but after having my friends and family taste-test, the consensus was that, not surprisingly, the 150-proof was smoother.

The other impact to hoarding was that I also had to use different brands of alcohol that bottle differently.  When I was able to get great organic fruit this summer, I was having a hard time finding 150-proof grain alcohol.  I actually had a friend offer to bring me some from a trip outside of the city.  It was great to get my hands on it, but it also made me switch up my general approach to making cello, because the bottle was a full liter, versus the usual 750 ml bottle that I typically get.  I thought this experimentation was useful, since the other larger bottles of alcohol are typically 1.75 liters, so if I was to make a larger batch of cello using one of these bottles, I would have a tried-and-true recipe for a liter and 750 ml.  As it turns out, my first batch of Orangecello was made with a full liter – which is the recipe I’ll share with you below.

Sometimes I need to make a few batches to land on the right ratio of alcohol, fruit zest and sugar, but I lucked out with the Orangecello on my first try.  This stuff was such a hit that I’m completely out already.  I had made about 3 liter bottles with my first batch, and my friends LOVED it.  The good news is that the oils from the orange in the zest extract quickly, so from start to finish you only need a few weeks to make a batch that’s ready to drink.  If ever there was a good gift for Christmas, Orangecello is it.  The tradition of giving oranges this time of the year has run for centuries, and is tied to the emerging middle class, and the exotic nature of oranges in northern climates showcasing ones relative wealth.   I typically would give a bottle as a host/hostess gift for parties, but those are not happening this year.  I still plan to give bottles to friends and family, and hope that there is still some left when we can safely get together again in 2021.

As mentioned above, the process with oranges is much quicker than lemons.  You will need exactly 7 days for the oils to extract from the peel.  Use a microplane zester to get the best part of the peel.  If you use a vegetable peeler it will cut too far into the peel and you will get the white pith, which will make the cello bitter.  As is ALWAYS the case with cellos because the main flavor is coming from the oils in the peel, spend the extra money on getting organic oranges.  I used 5 oranges for my batch, and the flavor was perfect.  Place the zest from the oranges into a sealable glass jar along with the alcohol and store in the fridge.  Give a shake periodically to make sure the zest completely gives up the oils.  After a week, prepare the syrup and let it cool.  Strain out the zest from the alcohol, which will now have a golden-yellow hue.  Mix with the syrup and you are ready to bottle.  I strain again as I bottle, just incase some of the zest got through.  Limoncello is yellow, Limecello is green, and Orangecello is yellowish green.  I’m not sure why, but don’t be surprised that it isn’t orange.  It’s actually a bit difficult to tell the difference between Limoncello and Orangecello based upon color.

Once bottled, place back in the fridge for a week or so to let the cello settle.  Then you can move to the freezer and enjoy!  Cheers!  To health, happiness and a good drink!