How to Make Lemon Curd from Scratch
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Lemon curd is a dessert spread and topping. It’s traditionally a British recipe that has gained popularity globally. The basic ingredients are egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, and zest, which are cooked together until the mixture thickens. Butter is added for richness and a velvety texture.
Lemon curd can be used as a filling or topping for desserts like cakes, cookies, tarts, and scones. It’s also great on toast and muffins.
While store-bought lemon curd is convenient, homemade is fairly easy and preferable fpor a number of reasons. Homemade lemon curd, made with fresh lemonjs and zest, has a fresh and vibrant flavor. In contrast, some store-bought versions may use concentrate or artificial flavoring. When you make your own lemon curd, you can opt for organic lemons, free-range eggs, and high-quality butter. You can also adjust the amount of sugar to your personal taste. Commercially produced lemon curds often contain preservatives and stabilizers to prolong shelf life and maintain texture. Homemade lemon curd doesn’t require these, making it a cleaner and more natural option.
While making lemon curd from scratch is not particularly difficult, it does require careful attention and some patience. Lemon curd needs to be cooked gently and slowly to prevent the eggs from scrambling, which can result in a chunky curd. Eggs should be ‘tempered’ – to do this, introduce a small amount of the hot lemon-sugar mixture into the eggs before adding them to the pot to gradually raise the temperature of the eggs. Lemon curd requires constant stirring while it’s cooking to ensure even heat distribution and to keep the mixture smooth. It can take some time (10-15 minutes) for the curd to thicken to the desired consistency, so patience is needed to resist the temptation to rush the process by turning up the heat. Take your time and you will end up with a delicious, smooth lemon curd.
Here’s a simple recipe for DIY lemon curd:
Ingredients:
- 220 grams (1 cup) sugar
- 4 lemons
- 4 large egg yolks*
- 113 grams (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
Instructions:
- Zest the lemons to get about 30 ml (2 tablespoons) of zest, then squeeze them to get 118 ml (1/2 cup) of lemon juice.
- In a small pot, combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, and sugar. Heat over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved.
- In a separate bowl, lightly beat the egg yolks. Slowly whisk in a small amount of the heated lemon mixture to temper the eggs, preventing them from scrambling.
- Gradually add the tempered egg mixture back into the pot with the rest of the heated lemon mixture, whisking constantly.
- Reduce the heat to low, and continue to cook while stirring constantly until the mixture thickens to a custard-like consistency (usually takes about 10-15 minutes).
- Once thickened, remove the pot from the heat and stir in the butter until it’s fully incorporated.
- If you want a smoother texture, you can strain the curd through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the zest and any bits of egg that may have scrambled.**
- Cover the lemon curd with plastic wrap, pressing it onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming.
- Refrigerate until chilled. It will continue to thicken as it cools.
*Note: Traditional lemon curd recipes call for egg yolks, which contribute to the rich, creamy texture and vibrant color. Egg yolks have a high fat content, which lends a velvety mouthfeel to the curd.
However, you can make lemon curd using whole eggs. This method will produce a slightly lighter curd, both in color and texture, but it will still be delicious. If you want to use whole eggs, substitute each egg yolk in the recipe with one whole egg.
**The process remains the same but using whole eggs increases the risk of getting tiny bits of cooked egg white in your curd, so strain the curd through a fine-mesh sieve after cooking to ensure it’s perfectly smooth.
