Lemon Curd

A co-worker brought me 20 meyer lemons from his tree and I have been having fun turning them into different delicious things. Today was a simple lemon curd. I spooned it onto small shortbread cookies and topped it with lemon thyme leaves = lots of yum!

Let's break it down...

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Check out some of my other lemon instructables:

Strawberry Ginger Lemonade
Flavored Water Recipes
Homemade Energy Drink
Best Way To Clean A Cutting Board
Hot Toddy Recipe
How To Juice A Lemon

Recipe

Makes approximately 3 cups (25oz)

1 cup of fresh lemon juice*
4 tsp lemon zest
1 cup white sugar
6 eggs
3/4 cup room temperature butter (1 1/2 sticks)

*I used meyer lemons

Tools

measuring cup + spoons
medium sized mixing bowl
small food processor
electric hand mixer
peeler, grater, or microplane
citrus juicer
spatula
saucepan
whisk
glass containers to store finished curd

Using either a peeler, grater, or microplane, remove the peel from 1-2 lemons until you have 4 teaspoons of zest.

Add the zest, sugar, and salt to a small food processor and grind until the zest is fine and well mixed with the other two ingredients.

Prepare 1 cup of lemon juice*.

*For detailed instructions of the best ways to juice lemons, visit my instructable.

**Most recipes ask you to just put all the ingredients into a saucepan and whisk away as it heats up. While this is a quicker/simpler method, doing it the way I'm suggesting ensures that there are fewer bits of cooked egg in the finished curd, which I prefer. But if you don't mind the egg bits, you can skip ahead to Step 7.**

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Transfer the sugar/salt/zest mix to a medium sized mixing bowl.

Add the room temperature butter and mix with an electric hand mixer until well blended.

Blend the eggs into the sugar/butter ONE AT A TIME until all six have been added.

Add the lemon juice into the mix.

Turn a front burner on your stove to JUST higher than the lowest setting and place a medium sized saucepan on the burner.

Add the curd mix* to the pan and whisk continuously until:

1. The mix heats up to just before the boiling point. You'll recognize this when a few bubbles start to come to the surface, but don't break open. (takes about 6 minutes)

2. When you drag the whisk across the surface of the curd mix, it leaves tracks (like pictured).

Once the above has been achieved, remove from heat.

*The mix will appear super clumpy at this point, but don't worry! As it heats up it will smooth out and blend together nicely.

Transfer the curd from the saucepan to the glass storage containers, via a glass measuring cup or pouring vessel of some kind.

Put the glass lid(s) on right away and place in the fridge to chill for an hour before serving.

NOTE: If you don't put the lid on right away, a skin will form on the surface of the curd.

Keep the curd refrigerated when not in use and consume within a week of making it.

Potential Lemon Curd Vehicles:

- shortbread cookies
- buttered toast
- ricotta pancakes
- crepes
- Greek yogurt w/ berries
- tart crusts
- ice cream
- scones
- a spoon!

Great things to add to Lemon Curd:

- lemon thyme
- whipped cream
- blueberries
- granola

If you try new vehicles or serving combos that you like, please let me know about them in the comment section below!

And remember, when life gives you lemons, say thank you!