AUSSIE LEMONS BEHIND LIQUEUR

Food Management News, October 2001

Kevin Howard

Retired Adelaide restaurateur Libero DeLuca went to the Amalfi Coast of Italy on a holiday, not realising that it would mean his return to the workforce.

Instead of spending his retirement sunning himself at the beach or working in his garden, he became besotted with Limoncello liqueur and a desire to make it back here in Australia. This refreshing Italian liqueur is made by a number of producers in Italy and sells well because of its refreshing taste and attractive appearance.

Knowing that Australian lemons are even better than those of Italy, and that they are grown in an area of virtually no pollution, DeLuca came back and started experimenting with local fruit from the Riverland.

Convincing his friend Paolo Nocella to join him in his venture, DeLuca set up Limoncello Australia (08 8357 7744).
To make sure he understood how Limoncello was made, he returned to Italy to the company which produced the Limoncello liqueur which appealed to him the most. He worked for six weeks, 12 hours a day to learn from the experts.

The result of his excursion is Ambra Limoncello, a succulent and refreshing Australian version of the traditional Italian liqueur, packaged in stylish frosted and clear glass bottles. At 25 per cent alc/vol, Ambra Limoncello is a little bit higher in its alcohol content than many imported products.
This means it can be successfully stored in a freezer without it solidifying. Great for summer cocktails, mixed with Champagne or sparkling wines, it makes a wonderful aperitif and poured over ice cream, it is the ultimate in sauces.

A cream version of Limoncello, a strawberry liqueur called Fragolino (made from Chandler strawberries) was served at the recent Fine Food - South Australian breakfast. A mandarin and orange blend are also available.

The typical cloudiness of the product gives freshness and adherence to the original formula. The very slight sediment occasionally visible at the top of the bottle disappears once the bottle is shaken and once again, is a guarantee that only fresh, natural ingredients are used in the manufacture of this product.

The Ambra factory is a distinctive yellow building on Goodwood Road, Adelaide, with a showroom in which the cloudy lemon liqueurs are arrayed in an assortment of unusually shaped bottles on perspex display shelves. DeLuca has imported these sleek, ice-glazed bottles from Italy, along with his exclusive bottling equipment. In the back rooms of the factory, the liqueurs are made in large 800-litre stain less-steel fermenting tanks.

The unsprayed Riverland lemons from Simarloo Growers have to be skillfully hand-peeled promptly on delivery - for the skin must not be allowed to soften or dry out at all. The whole secret lies in the freshness of the oil in the skins. The juicy part of the lemons is used. Using the rinds of plump Lisbon and eureka lemons, DeLuca steeps them in grape alcohol from the Barossa Valley in stainless-steel infusion vats. Every two weeks, some 300kg of lemons arrive from the Riverland for processing; these are lemons that were still on the tree the day before. The fruit is handpicked at the point of ripeness when the zest contains the optimum level of oil. Skins are infused in pure grape alcohol for a specific time, then mixed with a syrup of spring water and sugar with 'a few secret' ingredients.

Citrus fruits are the revolutionaries of the food world because, in the culinary process, they activate change. Their versatility plays an integral role; the skin, seeds, juice, flesh, blossoms and leaves all contribute to the chemistry of food. The lemon, cumquat, orange (navel, valencia, seville and blood), clementine, mandarin, grapefruit (ruby and yellow), pomelo, lime (Tahitian and Kaffir) and tangelo all play a major role as flavour enhancers.

Some have specific, short seasons and must be pounced on to take best advantage. The gorgeous blood orange appears briefly at the beginning of spring, as does the bitter seville (its juice is perfect for cooking and the whole fruit for marmalade), mandarin and clementine in early autumn, cumquat and rangelo in winter and pomelo in autumn and spring. Navels are best in winter and the valencia shines through the warmer months.

As well as being a rich source of vitamin C, lemons and limes are used raw or preserved in many cuisines to balance the richness of food, to preserve or to add a lift to a dish. Limes come from more tropical climates and is an essential ingredient for Asian-style flavours in food, to give the right sour/acid balance and for depth and intensity of flavour. Kaffir limes are essentially used for their zest.

In North Africa, lemons and limes are preserved in salt and their own juice to give a pickled taste to foods they are cooked with. Their colour and firm shape are retained in the liquid, but their potent acidity is changed, as is their taste. They are used with aromatic spices and herbs to provide an antidote to the richness of meat and the oiliness of fish and olives.

For a different taste sensation, try to get your hands on some Limoncello, an Italian aperitif. FMN gives it a five star rating!