The Musette: lemon curd

Posted on 06/06/2020 by

45 Comments

During lockdown my precious preserves store has been not just depleted but emptied!

I decided I would start by making some lemon curd for a friend’s husband. He loves my lemon curd and is quite a keen cook himself. He recently gave my beloved some of his homemade marmalade which was adjudged not bad! I’m not allowed to gift anyone a jar of the marmalade I make for my beloved, so lemon curd it was.

If you’ve ever made it on the top of the stove, you know it can be quite tricky, requiring your full attention, lots of patience, straining and waiting. Well, guess what? There’s a way to cut to the chase and make lemon curd from scratch in around six minutes! Rich, creamy, thick and bright this lemon curd is the real deal made with so much more ease in a fraction of the time!

Ingredients (make a large jar)

  • 115g (8 tbsp) unsalted organic butter
  • 130g (2/3 cup) caster sugar
  • 2 unwaxed organic lemons, zested
  • 120ml (½ cup) freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 3 medium organic eggs, plus 1 egg yolk

Method

1. Place the butter, sugar, lemon zest and juice into a microwave proof bowl and microwave on medium power for 4 minutes, just until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved.

2. Beat the eggs and egg yolk together until very smooth (sieve the mixture to make it ultra smooth). Stir the eggs into the butter mixture.

3. Microwave again on medium for 3-4 minutes, stirring every minute, until the curd has thickened. The lemon curd is done when it coats the back of a spoon nicely. Additionally, it will become more opaque, forming a lovely sold bright yellow colour. This is how you know the eggs are fully cooked.

4. Allow to cool slightly before pouring into a sterile jar, covering the surface to prevent a skin forming.

5. Store in the fridge.

Sheree’s Handy Hints

1. DO NOT be tempted to use store-bought lemon juice, you need the fresh flavour and acidity provided by real lemons to make the right flavour.

2. Either mix the sugar with the lemon zest in your food processor, or use a small microplane to zest the lemons. If they’re not organic, wash well beforehand to remove the wax finish.

3. Always use room temperature eggs.

4. Use raw or coconut sugar to make this with an unrefined sugar.

5. Lemon curd is one of my favourite things to keep on hand as it really dresses up everything from cakes and ice cream to fresh berries and cream.

6. The lemon curd will keep fresh in the fridge for 3-4 weeks. All you have to do is put it in an airtight container, or a sterile jar, and lay cling Film (wrap) directly onto the surface to prevent it from forming a skin.

7. It goes without saying that this makes a lovely gift, and no one will ever know you made it in a matter of minutes.

 

 

Category: Food and WineTags: , ,

45 Comments on “The Musette: lemon curd”

  10. I have to ask, what does it mean to “zest”? I always grated the lemon peel, but the picture above looks like shaved lemon peel, so am I doing it wrong, or is there a trick to getting the zest of a lemon?

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  11. When I was growing up my Mum made lemon curd I guess when there was an abundance of lemons. It was always such a special treat, and my Dad’s favourite. I am going to make Sheree’s easy recipe and share it with my Mum. Thanks Sheree, Lyn

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  17. I always wondered, how lemon curd was made, now I know, thanks to you! I nearly stopped looking for recipes with Google, because one gets battered to death with search results.

    My husband does not like me to give away homemade apple jelly (our favourite), only “over my dead body” … 😉 😀

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

      • I will probably skip it for the moment, as I am still not allowed to eat lemons, due to their acidity.
        But I will save the recipe and try it later, after my treatment is done! 🙂

        Liked by 2 people

  22. Pingback: A – Z French Food: Part II – View from the Back

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