lagrassa

the pits are the best part for liqueurs! I keep all the fruit pits we eat during the year for grappa. My method: clean pits, leave in the sun for a couple of weeks. working with a few at a time, wrap in a clean dishcloth and pound them with a hammer to crack them open. pack these pits into a glass jar, cover with grappa. age at least 3 months, filter, drink. the result is bitter and aromatic. as for poisons, a liter of this stuff lasts me about half a year. it's too strong to consume more than thimblefuls at a time.

water is most likely added towards the end of a industrial extraction to dilute a superalcoholic product. commercial extracts are done under extreme conditions, high concentrations of solvents, high vapor pressure -- imagine running everclear through an espresso maker without blowing up your kitchen, and you have the idea. DO NOT try that though. adding water and sugar towards the end of the process is standard for liqueurs, these ingredients hinder the extraction of flavors from your aromatics into the alcohol. annecros: I don't do my own limoncello because it's not one of my favorites and I find it hard to get the quality of lemons I'd need to do it justice without driving down to Amalfi and hopping someone's garden fence. But I like to do nocino (starting in June), perfumed grappas with herbs from my garden like melissa or rue, or fruit pit grappa that is something like an amaretto, very bitter and almondy, fruit grappas and liqueurs like sour cherries in spirits, pomegranate vodka, etc. We like them strong and not too sweet. Leaving the infusions in the sun is just a way to extract the flavors -- gentle heat -- the same idea as sun tea.

many posts back andiesenji added a note that higher alcohol content produces stronger flavor. absolutely. The volatile compounds that make vanilla vanilla-ey (and most aromatic things aromatic) aren't water soluble, so the higher proof you can get, the more vanilla you can get out of the beans. After initial experiments with brandy and bourbon, because it seemed like the flavor would be nicer, I tried pure grain alcohol. Here in Italy they sell 95% alcohol to make liqueurs. My grain alcohol-based extract is now a year old, I've been using it for 6 months but it keeps getting better as it ages. It is dark brown with tiny seeds floating around. The flavor is like what you'd get using the beans themselves. Liqueurs and extracts take time! I have a cupboard full going all the time, agitated daily, some stay in the sun during the summer, some require long agings and filtrations and then agings again. Just keep at it.

My recommendations: 1. Find yourself a cherry/olive pitter. I am not a kitchen gadget person, but mine has saved me hours of work. 2. I second the idea of booze. I recently put up a few quarts of cherries sotto spirito -- just empty a bottle of grappa or brandy over cherries pitted, macerated with some sugar, and packed into sterlized jars. Allow to mature for a few months, filter off the liquid as a liqueur. 3. Simmer cherries in red wine (Barolo!) with spices and sugar for a dessert sauce. 4. Epicurious has a good-looking recipe for sweet cherry and lemon conserve. Jams and conserves are really not difficult -- the original Joy of Cooking has everything you need to know about canning. 5. Crisps, crumbles, and pies. and SAVE the PITS!! Cherry pits make a tasty grappa.

I always dine from the Slow Food Osterie d'Italia, which is not available in English. It has never led me astray. I recently tried out several of its recommendations in the 5 terre: Ripa del Sole, Riomaggiore This restaurant is well worth the climb to the top of town, where it benefits from lovely views of town and the sea. It is Slow Food par excellence. I enjoyed a sublime plate of trennette with tomatoes, fresh anchovies, and pine nuts, followed by a zuppa di pesce, seafood in tomato presented atop crostini. All their seafood was prepared perfectly. For dessert, squares of chocolate cake with zabaglione of Schiaccetra', accompanied by a glass of Schiaccetra'. just lovely. Osteria a Cantina de Mananan, Corniglia A tiny place, be sure to make reservations. The proprietor is warm and helpful, and will help you chose among the days' offerings posted on a blackboard on one wall. This is a good place to try a mixed appetizer plate of anchovies prepared 3 ways. Do try a spaghetti ai frutti di mare, which they're happy to make with whichever seafoods you prefer - just cicale or vongole - but you also can't go wrong letting them make the decisions. Enoteca Internazionale, Monterosso Not recommended for a real meal, but you can make a great light lunch of their regional wine tasting flights and a plate of anchovies and a salad. Our host rather brusquely insisted I write the names of the wines on our paper placemats next to the stem, quizzed me on which I preferred, and then gave a mini-lecture on the differences in production. He won no points for charm, but I learned more there about 5 terre wines than in the rest of the trip combined. There was another place highly recommended near Monterosso, Il Ciliegio, that was closed when I was there. Ask at the tourist office or at your hotel about it, they can tell you how to get there, as it is not in walking distance. And a note of warning: the hiking between towns is serious, go prepared.

Another tradition for the Festa di San Giovanni Battista is making nocino, walnut liqueur. On June 24, the walnuts are still green, giving the nocino its characteristic aroma. I'm planning my first attempt this year and wondering if anyone has any experience. I found this recipe on Paesi online, the translation is mine: Ingredients 350 g alcohol (95% by volume, 190 proof; commonly available in Italy for making liqueurs) 19 small walnuts, mostly green 4 cloves 2 g cinammon zest of 3 lemons 500 g sugar 300 g water On June 24, the day of San Giovanni, gather walnuts, chop into quarters and macerate in alcohol in a tightly sealed jar. The next day add the spices and lemon zest. Agitate the jar three times a day until August 3. Then dissolve the sugar in the water, heated, and add to the alcohol mixture. Allow to cool and then bottle. This liqueur should mature for three months before it is consumed.