I have fond memories of the lemon curd tarts my mum used to make when we were little. Admittedly she never made the lemon curd from scratch, but if you have an hour or so to spare do try this recipe. I swear you will never buy another jar from the supermarket or deli again. Proper lemon curd does not have a long shelf life, two months, maybe three at the most, and should be kept stored in the fridge.
I have tried various recipes for curds and this one gives the best consistency and colour, helped I believe, by the mix of whole eggs and extra egg yolks.
Adding the zest of the fruit gives a real zing and freshness to the curd . When you remove the zest, make sure you only remove the thin zest layer from the fruit and not the white pith underneath otherwise you will be left with a bitter taste to your curd. I use a Microplane grater for this task, one of my must-have kitchen gadgets. Yes, they’re pricey compared with other graters but they’re worth every penny.
When it comes to citrus fruit I always use unwaxed organic fruit. I know there’s a huge debate regarding organic v. local and if I had green fingers and lived in a warmer climate, local and home grown would win hands down. But, as things stand, Yorkshire is not yet known for its lemon and orange groves, so for now I’m sticking to organic.
Whisking the lemon curd mixture
Makes 900g
375g granulated sugar
175g butter
4 lemons – juiced and grated
3 eggs
3 egg yolks
1. Cut the butter into small squares and place into a heatproof bowl along with the sugar and the grated lemon rind and juice.
2. In another bowl, beat together the whole eggs and the yolks.
3. Strain the beaten eggs through a sieve into the bowl containing the other ingredients.
4. Place the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water (do not allow to boil) making sure the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl.
5. With a wire whisk stir continuously, heating the mixture gently until the sugar has dissolved and the butter has melted. Test the mixture with a wooden spoon; you should not be able to feel any grains of sugar on it once it has dissolved.
6. Continue to cook for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally as the curd thickens.
7. When the curd is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, take the bowl off the heat.
8. Ladle into warm, sterilised jars.
9. Let the curd cool before putting on the lids.
Jars of homemade lemon curd
Keep refrigerated and use within 2 months.
