Oh, don’t we all love lemon curd? Here at Honest Cooking, we certainly do. So let’s take a look at how to make it! Lemon curd is egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and butter cooked over gentle heat until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. The key is patience, keep the heat low and stir constantly so the eggs don’t scramble. It takes about 8 to 10 minutes of steady whisking.
Strain it through a fine mesh sieve to catch any bits, then stir in the cold butter until it melts and makes the curd glossy and silky. It thickens further as it cools. Use it on toast, in tarts, between cake layers, or eat it straight from the jar with a spoon. It keeps for about a week in the fridge.
How to Make Basic Lemon Curd
Combine Ingredients
In heatproof bowl, whisk lemon juice, zest, sugar, eggs, salt until smooth. Add butter pieces. Set over simmering water.
Cook Stir Constantly
Cook, whisking constantly, 8-12 min until thick enough to coat spoon and reaches 170°F. Don’t stop stirring.
Strain Chill
Immediately strain through fine-mesh strainer into clean bowl. Press plastic onto surface. Refrigerate until thick, at least 2 hours.
Basic: Lemon Curd
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 1.5 cups 1x
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe
Description
Lemon curd is a luscious, intensely lemony spread that balances bright citrus acidity with rich egg yolks and butter. It is a building block of British baking, used to fill tarts, layer cakes, and pavlovas, or simply spread on scones and toast. Making it from scratch takes 20 minutes and the result is worlds better than any jar.
Ingredients
Units
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
- 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest (about 2 lemons)
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Instructions
- Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a medium saucepan (off the heat) until pale and well combined, about 1 minute.
- Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt. Whisk until smooth.
- Place the saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, whisking constantly, for 8-10 minutes. The curd will slowly thicken — it is ready when it coats the back of a spoon and registers 170°F on an instant-read thermometer. Do not let it boil or the eggs will curdle.
- Remove from heat immediately. Add the cold butter pieces one at a time, whisking each piece in until fully melted and incorporated. The butter enriches the curd and gives it a glossy, silky finish.
- Strain the curd through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean jar or bowl to remove the zest and any small lumps, pressing it through with a spatula.
- Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the curd to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until cold and set, at least 2 hours. The curd will thicken considerably as it chills.
Notes
- Use fresh lemon juice only — bottled juice lacks the brightness and complexity of fresh.
- Zest the lemons before juicing them — it’s much easier.
- The curd thickens significantly as it cools, so don’t cook it until it’s as thick as you want the final product.
- Lemon curd keeps refrigerated for up to 2 weeks and freezes for up to 2 months.
- This technique works with any citrus — try lime, grapefruit, or blood orange curd.
Category: Main Course
Cuisine: British
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
Frequently Asked Questions
Why grainy?
Eggs scrambled from too much heat or not enough stirring. Use double boiler, stir constantly, strain.
Use other citrus?
Absolutely. Same technique works with lime, orange, grapefruit. Adjust sugar for tartness.
How know thick enough?
Dip spoon, run finger across back. Line should hold. About 170°F. Thickens more as cools.
If You Liked This Recipe, You’ll Love These
- Chicken Meatballs and Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce
- How to Cook Crawfish – The Perfect Boil
- Creamy Onion Soup by Sergio and Javier Torres
- Alabama Bouillabaisse by Chef Chris Hastings
{
“@context”: “https://schema.org”,
“@type”: “FAQPage”,
“mainEntity”: [
{
“@type”: “Question”,
“name”: “Why grainy?”,
“acceptedAnswer”: {
“@type”: “Answer”,
“text”: “Eggs scrambled from too much heat or not enough stirring. Use double boiler, stir constantly, strain.”
}
},
{
“@type”: “Question”,
“name”: “Use other citrus?”,
“acceptedAnswer”: {
“@type”: “Answer”,
“text”: “Absolutely. Same technique works with lime, orange, grapefruit. Adjust sugar for tartness.”
}
},
{
“@type”: “Question”,
“name”: “How know thick enough?”,
“acceptedAnswer”: {
“@type”: “Answer”,
“text”: “Dip spoon, run finger across back. Line should hold. About 170\u00b0F. Thickens more as cools.”
}
}
]
}
The post Basic: Lemon Curd appeared first on Honest Cooking and Travel.