Lemon curd is one of those fillings that is really versatile. It uniquely offers a sour note to desserts that can be too sweet, and give you something that is really balanced. We'll go over some tips for lemon curd recipe success and some great ideas on how to use them in your desserts. It’s quite easy to make as well, so stop buying it and start squeezing some lemons.
What's lemon curd?
Lemon curd is a very intense and sour filling made of mostly lemons, sugar, egg yolks, and butter. It is perfect for desserts that require a strong acid component to offset sweetness. Like lemon meringue tarts!
It’s different from lemon filling, which you often find in lemon meringue pies. Lemon filling is lighter in lemon flavor because it has a predominantly sugar-cornstarch base.
I wouldn’t recommend lemon curd for meringue pies, where the dish is much deeper. Bakers who say they are using lemon curd for their pies are in for a *very* sour pie - there will not be enough crust or meringue to offset the sour, and the pie be unpleasant to eat.
To make it, we mix the eggs with sugar, to form a yellow paste, then add the lemon juice and butter cubes. We heat the mixture slowly, which melts the butter and starts cooking the curd, until it thickens (your proteins coagulating!). We then strain it to remove any potential large clump-age, and finally mix with salt and lemon zest for a nice bright flavor.
Whenever I hear the word 'curd' I think of milk, as in 'curds and whey' (Little Miss Muffet...). There's no milk in lemon curd, but a curd really is just proteins sticking together (in science speak, —> coagulation). And since lemon curd contains eggs, (and eggs = protein), the mixture does indeed form curds. These curds are quite small, so all our tongues feel with a well-made lemon curd luscious, bright, silky smoothness.
To prevent large curds from forming (i.e., preventing it from 'curdling'), we want to apply heat nice and slow.
What makes a good lemon curd?
Typically in a lemon curd, we are looking for a good hit of sour followed by sweetness. It should be silky smooth but can vary in thickness: you can have a looser (more runny) curd if you're using it for trifles or on top of scones; you will, however, need a denser curd at times. I'll go over that below.
What can you use lemon curd for?
I think the question is 'what can't you use it with?!' Maybe that's just me, but I love lemon curd.
Mixed with whipped cream for Cream Tart Filling (my recipe coming soon!)
How to make lemon curd thicker?
If you want your lemon curd to have some support, I suggest using gelatin. This is what I do when I make my cream tart cakes:
If I didn’t add gelatin, the curd would ooze out from the layers and not give me the defined blobs. (For lack of a better word :))
On the other hand, leaving the gelatin out will allow the curd to maintain a more loose texture, which is great for scones and filling tarts. It will become a little firm on its own without gelatin when refrigerated.
How do you store lemon curd? Does it require refrigeration?
In a covered, airtight container for up to one week. It doesn't really freeze well.
Lemon curd does contain eggs and dairy (butter), so I'd be ok leaving it out for the day if I plan on serving it, but anything overnight definitely would need to be refrigerated.
As a topping, lemon curd is the perfect complement for everything from scones and pancakes to cheesecake and ice cream. It also works well as a filling — consider using it in crepes, pastries, tarts, or in between cake layers. Of course, we wouldn't judge you if you ate it with a spoon.
Lemon curd is a spread made out of fresh lemon juice, eggs, sugar, zest, and butter. The eggs in the recipe thicken the mixture, giving it a custard-like consistency. It's often used as a dessert topping or spread for cakes, cookies, tarts, etc. Serve this over Sponge Cake, with Strawbery Scones or Crepes.
Just be sure to put it in a tightly sealed glass or plastic container so it doesn't pick up any aromas from other things in your fridge. Fresh lemon curd will keep for one to two weeks when stored in the refrigerator in a sealed container.
This beautifully tart citrus curd is the perfect filling for cakes and tarts or quite simply, spread generously on toast. One of my favourite ways to eat it, has to be spooned on top of greek yoghurt with a handful of blueberries and a scattering of mint leaves.
It seems that, for the early recipes at least, it is easy to see why some would name the product 'lemon cheese' and others name it 'lemon curd' – it didn't really make much of a difference whether you thought you had produced a 'cheese' or whether you just named it 'curds'; what you produced was the same thing.
Yes, overcooking will make the curd lumpy instead of smooth. If your lemon curd turns out slightly lumpy, first try to put it through a blender, then strain it through a fine mesh strainer. Unfortunately, if this doesn't fix the texture, you may need to discard the curd and start over.
Curd typically has a looser texture and a milder flavour, as its fermentation process is less controlled. Yoghurt, on the other hand, undergoes a more controlled fermentation, resulting in a thicker, custard-like consistency and a distinct tangy taste.
Fruit curds are distinctly different from jams, since curds are made by cooking down fruit juice with sugar rather than the whole fruit. The result is a creamier spread.
If you don't want to use lemon curd then we would suggest using an alternative flavour of fruit curd. We have seen passionfruit, rhubarb and tart orange (or Seville orange) curds being sold online in the UK. All of these flavours would go well with summer berries.
If your lemon curd turned green, it likely had a reaction to something metal. Avoid using a copper or aluminum pan as those will react with the lemon juice and cause the discoloration in the lemon curd, and could even cause a slightly metallic aftertaste.
It's so versatile - you can use this curd as a cake filling or topping, you can use it to fill cupcakes and make my lemon cupcakes, serve it with yogurt or on top of ice cream, serve it with fresh berries and crumbled meringue or how about with pancakes or crepes for a light breakfast or brunch?
Dip a spoon into the curd then run your finger over the back of it. If it leaves a clean line in the curd, it's cooked enough and ready to cool. Curd will thicken up more once cooled completely. Spoon into a container, cover and refrigerate.
Shelf Life: Prepared lemon curd can be frozen for up to 1 year without quality changes when thawed. To thaw, place container in a refrigerator at 40°F or lower for 24 hours before intended use. After thawing, consume within 4 weeks.
Citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and grapefruits are highly acidic. Combining them with curd can disturb the stomach's pH balance, potentially leading to digestive discomfort or acidity for some individuals.
How To Make It: Mix a few drops of diluted lemon juice with some curd, and apply it to your face. Rinse off with lukewarm water once the mixture dries. Benefits: A brightening face pack, the mixture aids in evening out skin tone while exfoliating it gently. Perfect for normal to oily skin.
Introduction: My name is Rev. Leonie Wyman, I am a colorful, tasty, splendid, fair, witty, gorgeous, splendid person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
