You cannot go to Amalfi without visiting a lemon grove and learning how Limoncello is made.

The “sfusato amalfitano” is the most famous Amalfi lemon and arrived centuries ago from the East.

The whole coast of Amalfi is dotted with lemon groves and if you own even a small terrace, people will grow lemons such as we had at our villa.

You can book with Lemon Tours off the Main Street down in Amalfi.

As you walk up the steep road you are surrounded by lemons.

At first, they appear to be limes growing on the trees however they turned out to be lemons not quite matured yet. The tree flowers in May and the cultivation happens between October and February. The trees are carefully trimmed of dead branches.

Bitter oranges are needed to cross with the lemon trees to produce the lemons that are used today. The lemons grown in Amalfi are only for export the the EU since the embargo of WWII which is a shame.

Women used to have to carry the lemons down the steep hills while men had the easier job of picking them.

Did you know that the sweetest part of the lemon is the rind? Our guide fully shaves the rind for us to taste. As well, we taste frozen  “lemonsicles” which are small quarters of lemons frozen with a bit of sugar on them. The lemon cake soaked in lemon juice is heaven.

We then meet 83 year old Luigi Aceto known as “The boss”. Luigi embraces us all and welcomes us to his land. He doesn’t speak English but it is not necessary. His eyes, his voice and his hands express the love he has for his lemons. They are in is blood he shows us.

Then we are off to Conca dei Marini for lunch and learn how to make more Limoncello!

At Le Bonta del Capo restaurant high above Conca dei Marini, the view of the sea is breathtaking as is the restaurant.

Chef Fiore requests 2 volunteers to help him make Limoncello so up I go along with a newlywed woman from Australia. We carefully peel the lemon rinds for 3 fat lemons. Next is adding the water, pure alcohol and sugar measured in accurate quantities (though I exceeded the sugar by a whole 4 grams! The horror!).

The Limoncello must sit a week in the refrigerator or freezer depending on who you ask. Then voilà! Homemade aperitif!

A perfect end to a perfect day.