Orangecello Orange Liqueur Recipe
Ingredients
- 10 to 12 Medium Oranges or 8 Large Oranges
- 1 Bottle (750 ml) or 3 Cups of Everclear© Grain Alcohol
- 3 Cups of Water
- 1 Cup of Sugar
Note: Everclear is 190 proof (95% alcohol) and in some states of the U.S. a 151 proof (75.5% alcohol) is sold instead. The 190 or 151 proof is fine to make orangecello. If you can not find grain alcohol in your region, use 100 proof vodka.
Preparing the Oranges
Wash all the oranges using a brush and warm water to remove all the pesticides and dirt. After washing the oranges, dry them with a paper towel.
Remove the orange peels with a potato peeler. Do not use a citrus zester. When peeling the oranges, try not to get any of the pith (the white stuff of the oranges). If you get some pith, scrape it off with a knife (Don't scrape too hard. You don't want to lose a lot of orange zest.)
Aging the Orange Peels
Place all the orange peels in a glass jar and add the grain alcohol. Let the peels and grain alcohol age for at least a month. I usually leave it for 6 weeks. Stir it once a week with a metal or wood spoon.
Note: Within the first day of aging, the grain alcohol is going start turning orange.
Straining
After a month of aging, the liqueur is ready to be strained. Strain the liqueur with a strainer to remove all the orange peels. Then filter it with a coffee filter to remove any small particles like pieces of pith.
Making and Adding the Simple Syrup
Make a simple syrup by boiling the water and adding the sugar. Stir constantly until all the sugar dissolves completely. Let the syrup cool down. Add the simple syrup to the filtered liqueur.
Note: As soon as you add the simple syrup to the liqueur, it is going to change color. It will go from an orange color to a cloudy yellow.
Bottling, Adding Color and Storing
Use a funnel to pour all the orangecello liqueur into empty bottles. After bottling, the orangecello can be stored in a cool place or in the freezer.
The original color of the orangecello is yellow. To make it orange, add a drop of red food coloring into the bottle and shake it. Add another drop of red food coloring if necessary.
Note: This recipe will yield about 1.5 liters of orangecello liqueur.
Serving the Orangecello
Orangecello is served chilled as an after dinner drink. It\'s usually served in a small glass like a cordial glass. The glass is usually chilled as well.
