Updated 1st August 2024
I first learnt how to make lemon curd in a home economics class at school (a long time ago, although it REALLY doesn’t feel like it). Much to my delight, when I took it home, it was a huge hit with my mum and grandparents. And because of their glee, my family then got slightly bombarded with jars of lemon curd!
Lemon curd is naturally gluten free, easy to make and can be enjoyed in endless ways. It’s a perfect tasty filler for sponge cakes, muffins and Swiss rolls and is gorgeous when swirled into a creamy yoghurt. It makes the ideal snack too, when spread on fresh gluten free bread or crackers.
When making this batch of lemon curd, I found by using a stainless steel bowl rather than pyrex one, it reduced the cooking time. Although you are also able to make lemon curd directly in a heavy bottomed pan, I prefer to allow it to cook out over a pan of water, as it doesn’t heat up too quickly, which prevents it from curdling. The texture of the curd is smoother too when using this method.
Ingredients (Makes approx. 550g)
225g caster sugar
100g butter – cubed
3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk (you can use your left over egg white up in an omelette or scrambled egg)
Juice of 3 large lemons
Method
Beat the eggs really well – this will give a smoother texture to the finished curd.
Place all the ingredients in a heatproof bowl (ideally stainless steel, as I previously mentioned, but watch as it gets hot). Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water and whisk constantly until the mixture starts to thicken (whisking rather than stirring is far better – again it’s all about getting the very best texture).
It will probably take about 10 minutes for the curd to cook out and It will resemble nice thick custard once it’s done. You can do a quick check to make sure it’s ready, by putting a tiny amount of curd onto a saucer and popping it into the fridge for 5 minutes to set and if your’e happy with the thickness after this time it’s all good to go!
Once the curd is cooked carefully pour into clean, dry and warm jars. Place a disk of baking parchment/greaseproof paper directly onto the curd, secure the jar with the lid. Leave the curd to cool for about 1hr before popping it into the fridge, where it can be safely stored for up to 2 weeks.
This lemon curd recipe I’ve shared, came from ‘The Dairy Book of Home Cookery’ – which is one of my all time favourite cookery books, and one I’d highly recommend to any keen home cook like myself!
Recipe note
If you feel the curd isn’t quite thick enough when it’s fully cooked out, you can add an additional egg yolk. Just make sure you beat the curd like crazy when you add the yolk, and also ensure you then allow additional cooking time to fully cook it out.
For now,
Liz x
