Blood Orangecello

I know, I know, stop with the blood orange recipes already. But I have one last one to share with you, (promise!) and I think you’ll like it. And not only because it contains alcohol.

We’ve all heard of limoncello, and I’m sure at some point in your life you’ve tried it. It’s beautifully tart and oh so refreshing, especially served ice cold on a hot summers day. So with the weather getting hotter, and blood orange season ending, I though I’d try to extend my enjoyment of blood oranges that little bit longer by making blood orangecello.

The beauty of this recipe is that it’s fast, when compared to other limoncello recipes. You don’t need to soak the skins in vodka for weeks, or months, 48 hours is all that’s needed to extract their heady scent and delicious orange flavour. This liqueur is beautiful served chilled as is, or mixed with soda water and ice, or for an ultra decadent treat add some to the bottom of a champagne glass and top with champagne. Just be warned it’s delicious and addictive, so you might like to consider making a double batch!

Cheers!

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Blood Orangecello

Adapted from Annabel Langbein's Limoncello

Author Jennifer Schmidt

Ingredients

• 2 cups ½ vodka
• 5 large blood oranges
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water

Instructions

1. Before you begin you'll want to scrub the oranges to remove any wax on the skin. Place the oranges in a bowl or boiling water, leave for a couple of minutes and then scrub with a brush to remove any wax before rinsing under colder water. Dry the oranges and carefully remove the skin, removing most of the pith. Add to a large jar along with the vodka and cover and place in a cool dark place for 48 hours.
2. Juice the oranges and place in a medium sized saucepan along with the sugar and water. Stir to dissolve and then place over a high heat and bring to a boil. Cook, without stirring, for 3 minutes, or until the mixture thickens slightly and set aside to cool.
3. Strain the vodka to remove the peel and discard the peel. Combine the vodka and syrup and pour into sterilised bottles.

Recipe Notes

The quality of vodka you use here is important. As when cooking with wine, only use a vodka you enjoy drinking. For the best results use a vodka with a proof of 80 or above, as the aromatics of the fruit are drawn out due to the alcohol, so the higher the proof the more flavoured and aromatic the resulting drink will be. However with a higher proof the the taste of the vodka can be more harsh, so find a happy medium. I like a smooth vodka, so I went with Grey Goose, which has a proof of 80, but you can use whatever you like.