Wash and dry the lemons thoroughly.

Carefully peel the zest from the lemons, avoiding the white pith as much as possible.

Place the lemon zest in a 1-gallon glass jar.

Pour the vodka over the lemon zest.

Stir and gently press the lemon zest with a wooden spoon to release the oils.

Cover the jar and store in a dark, cool place for 10-14 days, swirling every day or two.

In a saucepan, combine water and sugar.

Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved.

Remove the syrup from the heat and let it cool completely.

Add the cooled syrup to the lemon-vodka mixture.

Cover the jar and store again for another 7-10 days.

Strain the limoncello through a fine mesh strainer, pressing the peels to extract oils.

Transfer the limoncello to clean bottles.

Refrigerate for several days before serving ice-cold.

For longer storage, keep in the freezer.