Fruit Curds date back to well over 100 years ago and are still popular today. They are used as dessert spreads and toppings, usually using citrus fruits. The most popular is Lemon Curd and is a fairly simple recipe, easier to make than jam.
Lemon Curd can be used on scones and other bakes as an alternative to jam. It can be used as a filling in a sponge sandwich or in lemon meringue tarts. It makes a great sandwich (with two slices of buttered bread) too.
This recipe makes about 4 medium jars of Lemon Curd, but you can quarter the recipe and make just one jar (or bowl) for same-day use. The recipe uses whole eggs but for a richer curd you could use yolks only, or a combination to enrich the mixture.
Ingredients:
- 4 lemons (juice and rind)
- 4 eggs (beaten)
- 110g butter
- 450g sugar
Method:
Grate the lemons and then squeeze out the juice. I usually pass this through a sieve to catch the pips and thick pith.
Add the beaten eggs, butter, sugar, juice and lemon rind to a saucepan and place over a medium heat. Stir continuously until the mixture thickens and boils, and then simmer for about 5-10 minutes. You need to cook the mixture long enough or the final curd will not set properly. The liquid should change colour from a lemon yellow to a very light yellow.
Take off the heat and while cooling place your cleaned jars into an cool oven (gas mark 1/110C/250F) for about 5-10 minutes to sterilise the jars and warming them so that they do not crack when pouring in hot liquid.
Pour the lemon curd into the jars and fit a lid. Be careful to remember you are dealing with hot glass jars and a hot liquid. When completely cooled you can store them in the fridge.
It may take 12 hours for the curd to set fully. All should be OK, but if the curd is still runny you can try putting the liquid back in a saucepan and boiling it for about 5 minutes.
As eggs are used you should keep the lemon curd in a refrigerator and use within 2 or 3 weeks.
