1. Ingredients: 8 medium lemons (organic or well-washed), 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar. Optional: 1–2 tablespoons water if needed when pressing.

2. Wash and dry lemons well. Using a vegetable peeler or microplane, remove the yellow zest only, avoiding the bitter white pith.

3. Place the lemon peels in a medium nonreactive bowl. Add the sugar over the peels.

4. Using a muddler, wooden spoon, or your fingertips, firmly rub/massage the sugar and peels together for 3–5 minutes until the sugar is fragrant and begins to clump and draw moisture from the peels. You should see a wet, glossy sugar.

5. Cover the bowl and let the mixture macerate at room temperature for 1–4 hours. For a stronger extraction, refrigerate and let it sit overnight (8–12 hours).

6. After maceration, press the solids to extract the liquid: transfer the mixture to a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth or a nut-milk bag over a bowl and press/strain until most liquid is extracted. If the mixture is too dry to yield much liquid, add 1–2 tablespoons of warm water, knead, and press again to dissolve remaining sugar and oil.

7. Optional: If the strained liquid is grainy, pass it through a second fine strainer or a coffee filter to clarify.

8. Transfer the finished oleo saccharum to a clean, airtight bottle or jar. Label with date.

9. Use as a sweetener/ingredient in cocktails and punches. Shake or stir into drinks; treat as a concentrated flavored simple syrup and adjust quantity to taste (start with 1/2–1 teaspoon per drink).