How to Make Lemon Curd.
COOKING TIME: 5 minutes COOKING TIME: 30 minutes CANNING TIME: 15 minutes
YIELD: 3 half-pint jars
Fruit curd is a creamy mixture that is rich in eggs, butter, and the taste of brightly flavored fruit. A buddy of mine used to bring jars of handmade lemon curd to our annual Christmas get-together every year. It was decadent, but the fresh squeezed orange juice prevented it from being sickeningly sweet.
I have a feeling that it was my father who first discovered that a gingersnap cookie topped with a dab of lemon curd makes for an excellent dessert or snack. Since a friend first showed me how to make fruit curds, I’ve been making them ever since I fell in love with her lemon curd, which is a creamy dessert.
Curds may be created with a wide variety of fruits, including not just various types of citrus but also passionfruit, raspberries, and any other fruit that is juicy and has a somewhat acidic flavor.
INGREDIENTS
- Zest from 2 lemons
- 12 cup of fresh lemon juice (about how much juice you’ll get from 3–5 lemons)
- 2 big eggs and the yolk from a third egg, with salt and pepper to taste
- ½ cup sugar
- Seven tablespoons of butter (slightly less than one 8-ounce stick)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Zest two lemons and grate the peel; set the zest aside. After removing the zest from the lemons, cut each lemon in half lengthwise and press the halves to extract the juice into a measuring cup, taking sure to drain away any seeds. To get a total of half a cup of lemon juice, squeeze as many extra lemons as is necessary.
- In a separate dish, whisk together the entire eggs and the additional egg yolk that you have.
- Pour a centimeter or two of water into the bottom of the lower section of a double boiler (you may improvise a double boiler by placing a heat-resistant bowl on top of a pot that is smaller than the bowl). Get the water to a rolling boil.
- Place the top portion of the double boiler into the refrigerator to chill. After adding the sugar, mix everything together well.
- Add the lemon juice and zest to the egg and sugar mixture, and give it a good stir before serving. Include the butter in bite-sized pieces. Make sure to wait until each lump of butter has fully melted before moving on to the next one as you mix it in with a whisk.
- Continue to whisk the mixture until the sugar is entirely dissolved and the butter has melted completely. Set the whisk aside and replace it with a wooden spoon. Stir regularly (at least once every 30 seconds, but it doesn’t have to be continuous) frequently (at least once every 30 seconds, but it doesn’t have to be constant) until the curd starts to thicken. Stirring consistently isn’t necessary. This should take roughly 10 to 15 minutes to complete.
- Once the curd begins to thicken, you must remain in front of the burner at all times. You’re on duty: Continuously stir the curd until it is sufficiently thick to leave a rich film on the back of the wooden spoon you are using to stir it. If you stop stirring, you’ll end up with a texture more similar to that of scrambled eggs than of the silky, buttery deliciousness that you’re going for.
To determine whether or not the lemon curd is ready, place a little amount of it on a dish that has been chilled in the refrigerator (put the plate in the freezer for a minute). The curd should become firm and have a consistency that is comparable to pudding or custard. In the event that it does not, continue cooking and stirring for a little while longer, keeping in mind that the hot mixture in the pot will be more liquid than the finished curd. - Transfer the curd to sterilized canning jars, allowing a headspace of 12 an inch all the way around. To eliminate any air pockets, run a table knife down the edges of the jar where the lemon curd is stored to remove any excess air. Use a damp cloth or piece of paper towel to remove any residue from the rims of the jars.
- Ensure that the canning lids are screwed on finger-tight. Up to two weeks may pass without any processing being done to fruit curds if they are stored in the refrigerator. It is recommended that the jars be processed in a water bath containing boiling water for fifteen minutes before being stored. If you reside at a high altitude, you need to make adjustments to the canning time .
