It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single jar of lemon curd bought from a shop, must be in want of some zest and zing…
When it comes to the perfect jar of lemon curd, I am like Goldilocks with her breakfast porridge. Some cheaper shop-bought jars are coloured so violently that they resemble effluent from a nuclear power station; others are overly-sweet and as viscose as wallpaper paste. For it to be just right, it should be velvety smooth, buttery and with a mouth-puckering zing of lemon. Such a thing is a rare find indeed in the shops.
Thankfully, this lemon curd recipe delivers. I remember my grandparent’s making this when I was a child – gently stirring the yellow liquid over the stove until it thickened and set. This traditionally made version was a constant feature of Sunday teatimes at their house, where we would slather it on scones, crumpets and hot toast. In the 1980s, my grandfather adapted the recipe to work in the microwave – although his methodology has not been recorded in my grandmother’s kitchen notebook.
This recipe produces enough to fill a 500ml jar, which I then store in the fridge for a couple of weeks. Alongside using it on toast and crumpets etc, I also encourage you to try a generous dollop atop a bowl of natural yoghurt. I discovered lemon curd and yoghurt as a combination in the last few years and it makes a delicious occasional treat.
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Zesty Lemon Curd
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 500ml 1x
Ingredients
- 115g unsalted butter
- 225g golden caster sugar
- 3 lemons – zest and juice
- 3 eggs
Instructions
- Cube the butter into a heatproof bowl and add the sugar and lemon zest. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and allow the butter to melt completely. Stir the liquid over the heat until the sugar has fully dissolved.
- Juice the lemons and strain through a fine sieve or tea strainer. This will remove any pips and pulp, ensuring a perfectly smooth liquid. Whisk the eggs lightly with a fork (being careful not to froth them up), and pour in the lemon juice. Stir gently to combine.
- Remove the pan from the heat and pour the egg mixture over the molten butter and sugar – whisking lightly all the time to ensure that the egg doesn’t scramble. Return the pan to the heat and stir constantly over the simmering water until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon – about 10 minutes.
- Pour the thickened lemon curd into a clean 500ml jar and allow to cool before storing in the fridge. Consume within two weeks.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Preserves
- Cuisine: British
Keywords: lemon cheese, lemon curd, lemon, lemons, preserves, zest, zing
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