Two things are true. I like to try to do something homey (or homely) and handy-like for the holidays. And, two, I’m obsessed with our lemon trees. (The rain for the last couple of days is killing me. I got crops to bring into the kitchen.)

This year’s experiments have been limoncello and lemon extract for baking.

You know what’s key about that professional packaging from the lovely image borrowed from the professionals at Cook’s? They use a brown bottle. Now, I’m sure there’s all sorts of scientific, light-breaking down, oxidizing reasons behind that brown bottle. But, I think it’s primary function is aesthetic.

Here’s a collection of some of my home-making, focus on lemon extract.

Maybe it’s the choice of jars or the lighting, but that’s some sample I have there. To put a finer point on it, here’s an Absolut vodka add you won’t be seeing in a magazine.

Absolut Piss.

Lemony flavored goodness, mind you. But, aesthetically, well they’ll be some conversation pieces gift-wise.

In further proof I will never reign as supreme as a Martha Stewart, here’s the collection with an actual bottle of limoncello a friend gave me from a recent trip to Italy. They do taste similar, and the recipes I blended from the web (which ranged from 5 days of soaking lemon zest to 80 days and a lot of theme and variation) were equivocal as a group on cloudy or clear. I don’t know if I did it wrong or right, but I can see it looks suspicious.

Oh, and I discovered I’m probably not the sort with a future on the streets. I spilled a whole slew of lemony vodka goodness all over our glass table, and I licked it not once. Nor did I suck on the rag I used to mop it up. Temperate am I.
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