My Lemon Curd is a delicious homemade recipe consisting of lemon juice, lemon zest, eggs, sugar, and butter. It’s perfect not only for baked goods, but also for biscuits and pancakes!
My homemade lemon curd recipe is easy and delicious!
If there’s one thing that can brighten up any dessert or breakfast spread, it’s the zesty citrus sweetness of homemade lemon curd. It’s a versatile treat that can be used as a cake filling, pancake topping, scone spread, or just enjoyed with a spoon… I’m definitely guilty!
I love lemon recipes that are difficult at my house because I am the only one. There are many lemon recipes on my site that I love but have to share with friends and family just to bring them out of the house. There is…or I’ll eat them all! Nevertheless, I won’t stop making them because I know you love them too! Today I’m making homemade lemon curd. increase. I learned a few tips and tricks and would love to share them with you.
What is lemon curd?
It is a creamy citrus sweet spread or filling. Much like jam or jelly, but perfectly smooth, lemon meringue like his pie filling. The process of making lemon curd involves cooking lemon juice, zest, sugar and eggs together to create a luscious, velvety consistency. It becomes a true sweets. You can use it however you like, but I especially like to spread it on cakes with buttercream. The combination of the two is outrageous.
Only 5 ingredients required!
Ingredients are simple, lemon, granulated sugar, unsalted butter, eggs, salt. Beyond fresh lemons, your kitchen is likely stocked with all the other ingredients! No problem, but fresh is best for this recipe.
Tip: Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature. Add room temperature butter, eggs, and lemon juice to make everything smooth and delicious!
Special tool:
Nothing special is required to make this recipe, but having the right equipment is always the key to success. Nothing on this list is needed to make this recipe. They are all useful tools!
- zesterA zester is a very common kitchen tool. Highly recommended if you don’t have one. Inexpensive and great for grating citrus and parmesan cheese crusts. If you don’t have one, use a fine grater if you have one.
- lemon squeezerIt’s completely optional, but once you buy it, you can’t imagine not having it. Squeezers are used more than you think. You can easily squeeze a lemon/lime/small orange and get more juice out of the fruit than I get with my hands.
- ceramic coating or porcelain thick bottom pot or dutch ovenIf possible, I recommend not using a metal pan for lemon curd. However, using a metal pot can give lemon curd a metallic flavor as citrus reacts to the metal.
- silicone whiskAs mentioned above, metals can react with citrus, so use a silicone whisk if you have one.
- strainerIf you want an incredibly smooth lemon curd, strain it.
How to make lemon curd:
Preparation: Heat a small pot/dutch oven over medium heat and mix eggs, sugar, salt and lemon juice.
cooking: Add butter and lemon juice and simmer over medium-low heat until it thickens. It needs to be whipped consistently, so don’t leave it alone. This step takes him about 10 minutes. But you can tell when it starts to thicken. A quick test is to see if the curd coats the back of the spoon like syrup.
Chill: Transfer the curd to a small glass bowl. If you are choosing to strain it, this is when you do it. Allow the curd to cool at room temperature for about 15 minutes, then gently press the plastic wrap over the top and place in the refrigerator until completely cool. The texture of custard continues to thicken as it cools.
Why does lemon curd taste metallic?
This may be due to the use of uncoated aluminum utensils/cookware. Lemon juice is very acidic and can react with uncoated aluminum cookware, giving lemon curd a metallic taste. To avoid this, use cookware that is coated or made of non-reactive materials. For example, a silicone whisk or a ceramic-coated Dutch oven are easy alternatives.
Tips: If you don’t have a ceramic-coated pot, you can use a double boiler. Place a heatproof glass bowl over boiling water and whisk until thickened.
What to do if the card is stuck
If your lemon curd isn’t darkening, there could be several reasons.
- Not enough cooking time. Continue cooking and whisking the lemon curd…it will eventually thicken!
- The ratio of eggs, sugar, butter, and lemon juice in the recipe is critical to properly thickening the lemon curd. Yes… double check that you aren’t using too many oversized eggs or juices!
- Too high or too low heat: Cooking lemon curd at too high or too low heat can affect its thickness. If the heat is too high, the eggs will scramble too quickly and the curds will not thicken properly. If the heat is too low, the curd will take a long time to thicken or not thicken at all. Cook the lemon curd over low to medium heat as directed in the recipe.
Why Strain Lemon Curd
This is an optional step that helps ensure a smooth, velvety texture with no chunks or bits of overcooked eggs.
- Place a fine mesh sieve or strainer over the glass bowl.
- Once the lemon curd is cooked and thickened, remove it from the heat and gently pour it into a strainer. Clumps and small pieces of skin will get caught in the strainer.
- Throw away any debris caught in the strainer!
How to use lemon curd:
- as a spread: It is commonly used on toast, English muffins, scones, biscuits and pancakes. Mix it with yogurt for breakfast, put it on French toast, or use it as an ingredient for crepes!
- in dessert: Can be used as a filling for pies, tarts and cakes. It can also be used for stacking parfaits, trifles, cakes, etc.
- as a dip or sauce: Lemon curd can be used as a dip for fruit, cookies, or savory items such as chicken tenders. It can also be used as a sauce for desserts such as cheesecake, ice cream and pavlova.
- During baking: It can be used as an ingredient in baking recipes to add a tangy flavor.It can be used in cakes, cupcakes, cookies, or bars to add a tangy kick.It can also be used in pastries, turnovers, Or use it to fill a danish for a burst of citrusy goodness.
- for cocktails and drinks: You can mix it in cocktails or mix it with sparkling water, lemonade or tea to create a refreshing and citrusy drink.
- As a gift: You can put it in a jar and give it to a friend, family member or neighbor. Who doesn’t love fresh bread and a pretty jar of lemon curd?
Recipe using Lemon Curd:
Storing or Freezing Lemon Curd
- in the fridge: It can be stored for 10 days in an airtight state in the refrigerator. Once the curd has cooled, you can remove the plastic wrap that has been pressed into the curd and transfer it to a jar with a lid if desired.
- To freeze: For maximum freshness, move lemon curd to freezer/airtight container for up to 30 days. When you’re ready to use your frozen lemon curd, move it to the refrigerator to thaw overnight. Do not thaw lemon curd at room temperature or use the microwave. The curd may become too watery. Once thawed, gently stir the lemon curd to restore its smooth texture. If desired, it can also be lightly whipped to restore its creamy consistency.
explanation
Homemade lemon curd is so easy to make and so delicious, use it in your baking recipes or spread it on your toast!
- 3 big egg
- 1 1/4 cups Granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2/3 cup Lemon juice (3-4 medium lemons)
- 1/2 cup butter, sliced at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon lemon peel
- in a small pot (*see tips) Over medium heat, whisk eggs, sugar, salt and lemon juice until smooth.
- Add the butter and lemon zest, and continue cooking, stirring constantly, for about 10 minutes, until the mixture is thick enough to cover the back of a spoon. *See Notes
- Transfer lemon curd to a small glass bowl and let cool at room temperature for 15 minutes. If you notice clumps in the curd, use a strainer or sieve when pouring it into the bowl.
- Cover the surface of the curd with plastic wrap to prevent the skin from sticking, and chill completely in the refrigerator. (See Tip #2)
Note
*Tip #1 – I like to use a small ceramic-coated Dutch oven (like Le Creuset) to cook the lemon curd and avoid the metallic taste that can occur when using metal pans. Lemon juice reacts with metals when hot, giving lemon curd a metallic taste.
*Tip 2 – Once the lemon curd has cooled completely, remove the plastic wrap pressed over the top and transfer the curd to a lidded jar if desired.
Store in a glass container, tightly closed, in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
Airtight and freezes for up to 30 days.
keyword: Cookies and cups, lemon curd, lemons, lemon zest
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