Lemon tincture: vodka, alcohol

Lemons from the entire citrus family have the most ancient history of use. The two most ancient civilizations, Chinese and Indian, are fighting for the right to be called the homeland of lemons. By their mere presence, lemons can elevate and add a special taste to any dish or drink. Lemon vodka is no exception. However, any alcoholic tincture made with lemons will be in demand, especially since there are a great many recipes for making such drinks at home.

The benefits and harms of lemon tincture

Historically in Rus', any alcoholic tincture of lemon was considered exclusively a medicinal product. Few people thought of drinking it just like that. And this is not without reason.After all, lemons contain a considerable amount of substances that are most valuable for the human body: vitamin C, various microelements, organic acids (citric, malic, formic), citronella, lemon essential oil, pectin, hesperidin, phellandrene and others.

Lemon tincture is most often used to treat vitamin deficiency, various colds and general weakness of the body. But the circle of its healing power is not limited to this.

1. Lemon tincture helps cleanse the body of various toxic substances and leads to its overall rejuvenation.
2. Reduces the volume of gases in the intestines and thus helps to cope with bloating in the abdomen.
3. Taking it in moderation has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the stomach and liver, normalizes digestion and helps relieve constipation.
4. The tincture is a proven remedy for strengthening blood vessels and lowering blood pressure.
5. Relieves symptoms of anxiety and restlessness and promotes an optimistic outlook on life.
6. Recent studies have shown that lemon tincture, especially using lemon zest, can destroy cancer cells and is a good remedy for the prevention of cancer.

True, in addition to clear benefits, vodka with lemon can also cause significant harm. It should be remembered that any alcohol tincture should not be given to children, pregnant and lactating women, as well as people with acute diseases of the stomach, liver and kidneys. It is also possible that allergic reactions to the components present in the tincture may occur.

Secrets of making homemade lemon tincture

Lemons are currently one of those fruits that are available at absolutely any time of the year.Therefore, a healing tincture can be prepared from them at any suitable time. By the way, this is one of the additional advantages of such a drink, which helps it gain particular popularity.

The strength of the tincture can vary from 10 to 60%, depending on the alcohol used and the amount of water with which it is diluted if desired. The amount of sugar added may also vary. In some traditional recipes, it is not customary to add sugar at all, but still a small amount of it improves the taste of the drink. But there are recipes for lemon tincture, where sugar can play a significant role. In this case, the drink can be classified more like liqueurs or liqueurs.

Properly made at home, vodka with lemon turns out translucent, and its color shade most depends on the type of fruit used. After all, lemons themselves can be either light or dark yellow, with thick or thin peel.

Additional components in recipes can also color the tincture any color.

In general, when the ambient temperature drops, the tincture on lemons, as well as on other citrus fruits, becomes slightly cloudy. This is due to the presence of essential oils in large quantities. As the temperature rises, the clarity of the drink is restored.

Most often, lemon juice along with previously separated zest is used to make tincture. Sometimes, but rarely, the pulp or lemon juice alone is used.

Granulated sugar is also rarely used in its original form.Most often, syrup is made from it, which is subsequently used to dilute alcohol.

It should be understood that the use of vodka or alcohol in various tincture recipes also depends on what properties of the lemon you want to preserve most. For example, vitamin C is destroyed when infused with strong alcohol, but the maximum amount of essential oils is extracted from lemons in the shortest possible time. Therefore, infusing lemons with vodka allows you to preserve the vitamin C content, but increases the period of extraction of other useful elements to several weeks, or even months. By the way, it is for this reason that a tincture using pure lemon juice or pulp, without zest, is made only with vodka, and in no case with alcohol.

Since whole lemon fruits are most often used to make tinctures, their preparation is as follows:

1. Lemons must be thoroughly washed with a fairly stiff brush to free them from the protective wax shell that covers the fruits for better preservation.
2. The lemons are then scalded with boiling water to completely remove all bacteria from the surface of the peel.

The zest can be cut from lemons using a sharp knife, a vegetable peeler, or simply grated on an ordinary grater with small holes.

When using lemon pulp for infusion, be sure to remove the seeds from it, since they also carry additional bitterness.

When mixing different liquids, the main thing is to follow the basic rule: add a stronger drink to a less strong one, and not vice versa.

For those preparing lemon tincture for the first time, it is recommended to follow the exact proportions specified in the specific recipe. After infusion after the first tasting, you can try to improve the taste of the tincture by adding sugar or water, or, conversely, strong alcohol.

In addition to directly drinking lemon vodka as a relaxing or medicinal drink, it is often used to add to dough or confectionery. Lemon tincture can also be poured over baked meat or poultry for an attractive aroma and the formation of a golden brown crust.

Classic lemon tincture

The drink prepared according to this recipe will be slightly reminiscent of the classic Italian liqueur Limoncello. But even a beginner can handle its production, and at the same time you can be absolutely confident in the naturalness of the ingredients used.

You will need:

• 500 ml of good quality vodka;
• 5 medium-sized lemons;
• 200 ml water;
• 250 g sugar.

Manufacturing:

1. Lemons are prepared as described above, dried or wiped dry with a clean towel.
2. Remove the zest from one lemon and squeeze out the juice separately.
3. The remaining four lemons are also zested, trimmed and the white peel underneath is removed, and the pulp is cut into small pieces, making sure to remove the seeds.
4. The water is heated to + 100 °C, sugar and juice squeezed from one lemon are added. Boil for several minutes over low heat, skim off any foam that forms. Cool to a temperature of + 30-40 °C.
5. Pour syrup into a prepared dry and clean jar, add lemon slices, chopped zest and pour vodka over everything.
6. Close the lid and shake the contents of the jar thoroughly a couple of times.
7. Place the jar of tincture in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
8. Then filter the resulting tincture through several layers of gauze and cotton wool so that it turns out almost transparent.
9. Pour into bottles, seal and place in a cool place.

You can taste the resulting vodka with lemon immediately, although, according to many, it acquires a special taste after a few more weeks of storage in a cool place.

The drink is used as a dessert alcohol. Under suitable storage conditions, the shelf life is unlimited.

A simple lemon tincture with alcohol

A quick lemon tincture can be prepared using alcohol using a very simple recipe.

You will need:

• 500 ml 96° food grade (medicinal) alcohol;
• 1 large lemon;
• 750 ml water;
• ½ tsp. granulated sugar for every 0.5 liter bottle.

Manufacturing:

1. The water is heated to a boiling point, removed from the heat and almost immediately alcohol is carefully added to it.
2. Wash the lemon and cut it into thin slices.
3. Sugar according to the recipe and a few slices of lemon are placed in prepared clean, dried bottles.
4. Fill them with the resulting diluted alcohol, shake and cap.
5. Infuse in a cool place for 1-2 days, after which the lemon slices are removed so that no additional bitterness appears.

You can use the resulting lemon vodka almost immediately.

Lemon tincture with vodka: recipe with honey

In recipes for making lemon vodka at home, sugar is often replaced with honey, which gives it an additional attractive aroma and taste.

You will need:

• 1 liter of vodka;
• 2 lemons;
• 2-3 tbsp. l. honey

Manufacturing:

1. The zest and juice of lemons are poured with vodka and left for a week in a cool place without light.
   
2. Then add honey, mix thoroughly and leave under the same conditions for another 5-6 days.
3. The tincture is filtered, bottled, sealed and stored.

Homemade vodka with lemon juice

It’s very easy to make vodka with freshly squeezed lemon juice. As mentioned earlier, the juice contains practically no essential oils, but there is a lot of vitamin C. Infusing it with vodka will help keep it safe and sound, but to fully extract it, it is advisable to keep the drink for at least 4 weeks.

You will need:

• juice from 4 lemons;
• 500 ml vodka;
• 150 g sugar;
• cinnamon stick for flavoring.

The manufacturing procedure is very similar to that described in the classic recipe, only instead of zest, a cinnamon stick is added to flavor the drink. After infusion, it is removed from vodka.

Recipe for alcohol tincture with lemon zest

At home, it’s easy to make real lemon tincture with alcohol, which, of course, then needs to be diluted with syrup to the strength of regular vodka.

You will need:

• 500 g lemons;
• 250 ml of medical alcohol, strength 96 °;
• 180 g sugar;
• 450 ml water.

Since this lemon tincture recipe uses only citrus zest, the question often arises of where to put the lemon pulp. If at the moment it is not needed for preparing any dishes, then it is best to put it in small hermetically sealed bags and put it in the freezer. But if you need lemon juice, you can get the required amount and use it at any time.

Manufacturing:

1. Remove a thin yellow layer of peel (zest) from prepared lemons and fill it with alcohol.
   
2. Leave in a dark place for 5-6 days.
   Advice! The tincture must be shaken every day.
3. After a week, syrup is made from water and sugar and cooled.
4. The alcohol is filtered from the lemon zest and poured into the cooled syrup.
5. They insist for about another week.
6. After some time, a film of essential lemon oil can be observed on the surface of the drink.
7. If after a week the tincture is carefully drained through a thin tube, the oil can be collected from the walls of the vessel.
8. The resulting lemon tincture is further filtered and you can treat it to friends and acquaintances.

How to make lemon tincture with grapefruit

Grapefruit gives the tincture an additional exotic note with a subtle bitterness. The recipe for making this lemon vodka at home uses alcohol. But since the pulp of both citrus fruits is present among the ingredients, the alcohol must be diluted to 40° before infusion so as not to lose vitamin C.

You will need:

• 1 liter of alcohol 96%;
• 1500 ml distilled water;
• 1 lemon;
• 1 grapefruit;
• 2 tbsp. l. Sahara;
• 2-3 buds of cloves;
• cinnamon tube

Manufacturing:

1. Peel the zest from the lemon and grapefruit in a thin layer, cut it into pieces, and place it in a 3-liter jar.
2. Both fruits are peeled from the white peel, which is thrown away. And then the remaining pulp is cut into slices, which are added to the same jar.
3. Add sugar to everything and mix.
4. A drink of lower strength is prepared from water and alcohol and poured into a jar.
5. Leave covered for 10 days.
6. Strain and bottle.
7. Consumed chilled.

Recipe for lemon peel tincture with vanilla

Using classic cooking technology, you can also make lemon vodka at home with the addition of vanillin. The taste of this spice will be combined especially harmoniously with sweet versions of infusions.

The ratio of ingredients used is as follows:

• 500 ml vodka;
• 1 lemon;
• 200 g sugar;
• ¼ tsp. vanillin.

Vodka recipe with lemon and mint

And this recipe gives such a unique combination of flavors that it is impossible to forget it.

You will need:

• 5 lemons;
• 150 g fresh mint leaves or 50 g dried;
• 1 liter of vodka;
• 200 g sugar or 100 g honey.

Manufacturing:

1. Remove the yellow zest from lemons using any convenient method. The remaining pulp and juice are used in other dishes or frozen.
2. Finely chop the mint, mix with lemon zest and sugar, add vodka, cover with a lid and shake.
3. Then infuse in a dark room for about 8-10 days, remembering to shake the contents of the jar daily.
4. Filter through a filter made of gauze and cotton wool and bottle.

An unusual recipe for lemon tincture

Unlike the usual method of making tinctures, when the raw materials are poured with alcohol, according to this recipe the lemon does not even come into contact with it. However, the finished tincture has an attractive light yellow hue and a rich taste and aroma. The most interesting thing is that lemon vodka according to this recipe is not at all difficult to create even in ordinary home conditions.

You will need:

• 350 ml 70% alcohol;
• 1 large ripe lemon;
• 200 ml water.

For infusion, alcohol should never be diluted; its concentrated vapors will better absorb lemon essential oils.

Manufacturing:

1. The lemon is thoroughly washed in warm water with a brush and then wiped dry with a paper towel.
2. Alcohol is poured into a clean glass jar.
3. The lemon is pierced in the middle with a needle with a thread passed through it and hung with a wire at the top of the jar so that it does not touch the alcohol, but hangs directly above it.
   
4. The jar is closed with a tight lid and placed in a dark place with a temperature from + 18 ° C to + 22 ° C.
5. After infusion, add water to the alcohol and mix thoroughly.
6. The tincture will most likely become cloudy, but after a few days it should clear up again.
7. At this stage, it is tasted and more sugar is added if desired.

Store in cool conditions without light for about 3 years.

Healthy lemon tincture with garlic, honey and rose hips

This tincture consists of components that, even individually, are able to resist seasonal colds and significantly increase the immunity of the human body. Being combined in one tincture, they will have a powerful healing effect on a person and give him the strength to counteract any viruses. In addition, the rich vitamin and mineral composition will help cope with all manifestations of vitamin deficiency.

You will need:

• 1 kg lemons;
• 2 liters of vodka;
• 500 ml purified water;
• 300 g garlic;
• 1 liter of honey;
• 250 g of dried rose hips.

Manufacturing:

1. Lemons are washed, dried, cut into slices, seeds are removed from them and finely chopped along with the peel.
2. The garlic is divided into cloves and crushed using a garlic press.
3. Rose hips are also cut into halves.
4. Place lemons, garlic and rose hips in a large opaque container.You can also use a large 5-liter jar, but in this case it must be wrapped in foil so that it does not allow light to pass through.
5. Carefully pour boiling water into the mixture in a jar and stir.
6. Cover with a lid, wrap and wait until it cools to + 40 °C.
7. Add honey, stir and pour vodka over everything.
8. Cover tightly with a lid and leave in a dark place for about 10 days.
9. Then the tincture is filtered through cheesecloth with cotton wool, after which it can be bottled and stored in a cool place.

The tincture is used prophylactically during seasonal infectious diseases and for medicinal purposes 2-3 times a day after meals in a volume of no more than 50 ml at a time.

Taiga tincture with alcohol, lemons, honey and herbs

Thanks to its rich composition and complex production, this tincture has fully earned the right to be called a balm.

You will need:

• 1.5 kg lemons;
• 700 ml medical alcohol (96%);
• 900 g of flower honey;
• 330 ml purified water;
• 50 g viburnum juice;
• 30-40 g of dried rose hips, orange zest; raspberry leaves and berries, chamomile, birch buds, ginseng roots, calamus roots; plantain leaves; mint leaves.

According to the recipe, you need to find 9 more small jars or bottles (70-100 ml each).

Manufacturing:

1. Each type of dry herb, root or fruit is placed in its own container and approximately 50 ml of alcohol is poured. Stir and, tightly sealed, place in a dark place for 2 weeks to infuse.
2. After this period, each tincture is filtered and combined together. Let them brew in a dark place for another 18-20 days.
3. At the same time, peel the zest from the lemons, chop them and, pouring the remaining alcohol, leave to infuse for the same period.
4. The pulp of lemons is combined with water, heated to a boil and, after cooling, honey is added to them.
5. The resulting mixture is frozen until both tinctures have time to prepare.
6. When the long-awaited moment arrives, both tinctures are filtered through a filter, combined together and the defrosted honey-lemon mixture is added to them.
7. Mix thoroughly, pour into bottles, seal hermetically.

The resulting healing balm can alleviate the condition of many diseases.

Aromatic lemon tincture with vodka and saffron

Saffron is a very rare and most expensive spice. Even a very small amount can give lemon tincture an unforgettable aroma.

You will need:

• 750 ml wheat vodka;
• 200 g lemon zest;
• 80-100 ml fresh lemon juice;
• 250 ml water;
• 3 g saffron;
• 150 g sugar.

Manufacturing:

1. Lemon zest is ground in a blender and poured with vodka.
2. After 2 weeks of infusion, the resulting tincture is filtered.
3. At the same time, sugar is dissolved in boiling water and saffron is added there. After boiling, remove from heat and add lemon juice.
4. The syrup is cooled and mixed with the resulting tincture.
5. Leave for another 4-5 days in a dark place.
6. Strain and distribute into bottles.

How to store homemade lemon vodka

Lemon vodka tincture prepared at home can be stored in almost any dark place for at least 2 years. In the cool conditions of a basement or cellar, its shelf life can be from 3 to 5 years, or even with virtually no restrictions.

Conclusion

Lemon vodka is a drink that will come in handy in any conditions. Both at home dinner and at a dinner party.There is no shame in giving it as a gift, especially if it is made according to a special healing recipe.

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