By Francesca Montillo, ISDA Food + Travel Writer 

A few years ago, on a return trip to Italy, I made a most delicious discovery. As many followers know, it’s not unusual for Italians to have a basement full of goodies. It’s somewhat typical to go to a basement and see an array of goodies, both homemade and store-bought. I could swear one aunt I visited had an entire grocery store worth of goods in her cool basement! Sausages and salami curing and hanging from the ceiling, canned and pickled vegetables, bottled olive oil, and countless jugs of homemade wine were just a sampling of the products housed there.

But what stood out the most was the rack containing the homemade liqueurs. Colorful bottles filled the shelf with typical and also unusual fermented goodness. Jars filled with tiny strawberries “sotto spirito” – or “in spirit,” limoncello, orangello, Nutella liqueur and nocciolino, a wonderful liqueur made out of hazelnuts, were just a few options available to us. And all were created by her expert hands.

We had a delicious orange cake waiting for us for after-lunch dessert, so that day, we settled on matching that with her orangello liqueur, or arancello. And of course, I had to learn how she made it. “It’s easy,” she said, but I took that with a grain of salt, because to her, everything she made, even the most complex dishes, were easy. This, it turns out, actually was easy. If you’ve made limoncello, the process is exactly the same, and if you haven’t made it, this easy process will inspire you to prepare it today and enjoy it just in time for Easter!

Arancello Liqueur

Ingredients

4 organic navel oranges (select large oranges without any blemishes or bruises)

2 ½ cups unflavored Vodka

2 ½ cup filtered water

1 ½ cup granulated sugar

Instructions

1. Wash the oranges under warm water and dry them with clean paper towels.
2. Using a sharp paring knife, or potato peeler, peel the oranges carefully. Do not remove any of the white pith underneath as this adds bitterness to the final product. (Reserve the oranges to eat as is, or squeeze to make homemade OJ.)
3. Add the orange peel into a large glass jar, and add the Vodka. Stir with a wooden spoon, cover the jar with plastic wrap and place it in a cool, dry place, away from a window or sunlight. Allow to steep anywhere from 1 to 3 weeks. The flavor and color intensify the longer the peels steep.
4. After steeping the peel in the vodka, remove the peel. You can remove it using kitchen tongs, or strain the liquor using a sieve. The vodka should now have taken on an orange color and flavor.
5. Prepare the simple syrup next. Heat the water and sugar in a medium sized pan. Stir until the sugar is dissolved, paying close attention that it does not boil over. Cool simple syrup completely.
6. Pour the simple syrup into the glass jar containing the flavored vodka. Mix well with a wooden spoon until fully combined. Using a funnel, add the liquor to desired bottles of various sizes. Place bottles in the fridge and allow liquor to rest again for about another week, then enjoy and use as desired.

 

Make a pledge and become a member of Italian Sons and Daughters of America today.