Sideboard Six

Here is a photo of what remains of the sideboard six!


















I got a few bottles from the wine club. A whisky cos Pete and Jim like it, Port cos I like its and a sophisticated Dry Sherry cos H likes it and a Brandy, for medicinal purposes. I also bought a dry Gin and Ginger wine. The Stone's ginger wine and whisky go very nicely in my hip flask. Just the fortification you need on a cold day at the lottie.

Needless to say the sideboard six have taken a bit of a beating. Never mind, there is always the home made stuff.

Here is a recipe that has proved very popular over Christmas. I should not give away my secrets, never mind......I present Lemoncello.

1 litre of Vodka. High alcohol content as it is going to be diluted.
Six lemons
two cupfuls of ordinary sugar
A demi-john or container bigger than two litres and reserve the bottle the Vodka came in.

Scrub the Lemons to rid them of the protective wax
Remove the rind leaving the pith behind
Put the rind and juices of the six Lemons in the demi-john.
Pour in the Vodka.
Put the demi-john in a dark and cool place of ten days.
Shake the demi-john everyday
On the tenth day pour two cupfuls of ordinary sugar in the original vodka bottle and top up with boiling water.
Shake the Vodka bottle and keep topping up until the sugar is turned into a clear syrup.
Put the bottle to one side until the syrup is cold.
Empty the demi-john through a strainer into a container. This step is to remove the rind from the Vodka.
Pour the strained Vodka/Lemon infusion back into a clean demi-john.
When cold pour the syrup into the demi-john and give it a good shake.
Leave it overnight.
Shake it up again then pour it into bottles and put in the freezer.

The hard part is to balance the acidity of the Lemons. You want enough sweetness from the syrup to take the edge off the alcohol and lemons but not to much that it is all sugar. If it is too sweet make more syrup. When cold add the syrup too taste. I do not know what you do if there is too much sugar. Probably add more Vodka.

One litre and Vodka will make two litres of Lemoncello. It is best served really really cold and is a superb digestive after a meal.