Lemon Curd Recipe & Video

Lemon Curd is a thick, soft and velvety cream that has a wonderful tart yet sweet citrus flavor. Traditionally it was used as a spread for scones but today it is used as a filling for tarts, pies, and cakes.

What I like about Lemon Curd is that it does not use exotic ingredients; just eggs, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and unsalted butter. It is similar to a lemon filling or custard in that it is cooked on the stove but yet it does not contain a thickener such as cornstarch (corn flour). We are going to cook the curd in a stainless steel bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water (a double boiler). This method does take a little longer, but it helps prevent the eggs from curdling which gives the curd all those annoying little specks of cooked egg. Just make sure that the water in the bottom saucepan is 'simmering' which is defined as the point just short of a boil, that is, when bubbles start to appear. Oftentimes if you find the lemon curd is not thickening fast enough, all you need to do is increase the temperature of the simmering water. Once the lemon curd has become nice and thick (like hollandaise), remove it from the heat and strain to remove any lumps that may have formed. Then stir in the butter and lemon zest and you're done. Cover immediately with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming and refrigerate. You will find that the lemon curd will continue to thicken as it cools. It will keep in the refrigerator for about a week. If you want to make the lemon curd lighter in texture and flavor, you can fold in a little whipped cream once the curd has been thoroughly chilled.

Now, lemon curd has to be made with fresh lemons. Do not use the imitation lemon juice that comes in a bottle. When choosing lemons look for ones that are fragrant with brightly colored oily yellow skins. The best ones are firm, plump, and heavy for their size. Don't buy lemons that have blemishes, soft spots, or are hard and wrinkled. Lemons consist of a yellow outer rind (skin) that can be of varying thickness and graininess, and can have either a bumpy or a smooth texture. This outer skin is where most of the lemon's wonderful tangy flavor is located. Before removing the outer rind (zest) make sure you wash the lemon thoroughly (soap and water is best). When removing the zest do not remove the white membrane (pith) that is underneath as it is very bitter tasting. Once you have removed the outer rind, inside the lemon are small vessels called 'pulp vesicles' which contain the pleasantly acidic lemon juice and seeds. Squeezing the lemon by hand or with a lemon squeezer or reamer releases this clear tart juice.


Related Recipes You May Like

Lemon Curd Tart	Lemon Tart	Lemon Meringue Tart	Lemon Sponge Pudding	Lemon Bars	Strawberry & Lemon Curd Trifle

Lemon Curd: In a stainless steel bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and lemon juice until blended. Cook, stirring constantly (to prevent it from curdling), until the mixture becomes thick (like sour cream or a hollandaise sauce) (160 degrees F or 71 degrees C). This will take approximately 10 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately pour through a fine strainer to remove any lumps. Cut the butter into small pieces and whisk into the mixture until the butter has melted. Add the lemon zest and let cool. The lemon curd will continue to thicken as it cools. Cover immediately (so a skin doesn't form) and refrigerate for up to a week.

Makes 1 1/2 cups (360 ml).

Note: If you want a lighter lemon curd whip 1/2 cup (120 ml) of heavy whipping cream and fold into the lemon curd.

Lemon Curd Recipe:

3 large eggs

3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar

1/3 cup (80 ml) fresh lemon juice (2-3 lemons) (do not use the bottled lemon juice)

4 tablespoons (56 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 tablespoon (4 grams) finely shredded lemon zest

Note: Room temperature lemons provide more juice. After squeezing, strain the juice to remove any pulp. Zest is the yellow, sweet-flavored outer rind of the lemon. A zester or fine grater can be used to remove the rind. Cold lemons are much easier to grate. Grate lemons just before using as the zest will lose moisture if it sits too long.