What recipe do you use for limoncello? Do you use a premium vodka or a cheaper one? We make pies from our Ponderosa lemons. They all ripen at the same time so I pick them, cut them into eighths and freeze them.

I'll give you my basic recipe, though I know that I vary it a bit now and again. One thing for certain....limoncello tastes better when made with Everclear rather than vodka. If you do use vodka, be sure to use a very high grade and high proof. To my tastebuds, the cheap stuff imparts a flavor to the limoncello. (This could be subjective.)

Carefully peel 10-12 lemons (depending upon size)and place in a large glass container with a lid. Add one liter of Everclear to the peels and store (covered) for 2-4 weeks. Strain, discard peels, return to container. I use coffee filters for straining.

Make a simple sugar by boiling 3 pounds of sugar in about 6 1/3 cups of water (a high simmer rather than a heavy boil) for 15 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature before adding to the alcohol mixture.

It is now ready to serve or bottle. Store in the freezer.

rhizo, do you use the 180- or 150-proof Everclear? We can't get the high-test stuff out in California.

I want to try making yuzu-cello this year. I'm a novice to all sorts of "cello"s.

I am making my annual batch of limoncello - i am wondering about using Demerara Cane Sugar to make my simple syrup for this years batch. How do you think that will work? I use Smirnoff 100 proof vodka and my recipe calls for a simple syrup of 4cups sugar to 5 cups water. I'd really like to use the Demerara but don't want to ruin a double batch of limoncello. any thoughts on this?

The limoncello sounds wonderful. I use a ton of mine in cooking. Zest and juice. I seem to add to anything/everything even if not called for in the recipe and family loves it.
I make lemon sorbet, lemon cherry ice milk, tabouili with whole wheat berries, lemon vinagrette for our winter lettuce, lemonade. I have a wonderful tuna salad in olive oil/lemon juice from Rachel Ray which is amazing.
2 years ago when I got married I made our wedding cake and must have used at least 100 lemons for it. It was lemon cake with blackberry/lemon curd, had a lemon simple sugar moistening syrup, lemon cream cheese frosting. (don't recommend cream cheese frosting a wedding cake, it melts under lights, argh!!!)Everyone said it was the best cake they ever, ever tasted. Not just wedding cake, best cake ever.
I tend to find a base recipe for anything and just start changing it to suit my needs and taste. Like this morning. Made a baked french toast. Took a base recipe but the final product was nothing like the recipe. It had baked apples, raisins like the recipe but the bread was whole wheat rolls instead of french bread and I added a lemon to the apples. Yum, yum!!!
I keep planning to freeze lemons at the end of the season but so far haven't had that many left. I have three full size trees. This year they look healthier so I might have enough to freeze some. Hope so! I really miss them the off season.

I make Indian Lemon Rice and Spicy Lemon pickle with it. Also a guacamole with lemon juice instead of lime juice, and a grated carrot salad with lemon juice.
The leftover lemons get juiced and frozen in ice cube trays.