This recipe for lemon curd makes about 500g – which is enough to fill two small sized pots. It will keep in the fridge for about two weeks, although it never lasts that long in our house!
We have the Romans to thank for lemons – as for so many culinary delights.
Until they discovered a trade route from India to the Med, lemons were really only known to locals and they probably didn’t make it to kitchens further north until the end of the 1st century AD. This timing is disputed (of course) but there are frescoes at Pompeii showing what everyone thinks are lemon trees, so that’s good enough for me.
Old recipe books call it “lemon cheese” rather than curd and it was used as an ingredient for making tarts and desserts rather than spreading on toast.
Inspired by the lemons I brought back from my trip to Cyprus, the recipe is quick and easy and the curd is so delicious it doesn’t last long!
Lemon curd
Ingredients
- 4 large unwaxed lemons juice and zest
- 200 g caster sugar
- 100 g butter – unsalted or lightly salted.
- 3 eggs
- 4 egg yolks to make a thicker curd add 2 extra yolks
Instructions
- Put the lemon juice, zest, sugar and butter into a heatproof bowl.
- Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water. make sure the bowl doesn’t touch the bottom of the pan.
- Stir occasionally over a gentle heat until the butter has melted.
- Whisk the eggs and egg yolks together. If you think there may be egg shell or membrane in the mix, you can strain it as you add it to the lemon mixture, but it may not be necessary.
- Whisk gently and constantly until the ingredients are all combined then continue to cook over a gentle heat, stirring all the time, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. This should take about 10 – 15 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and stir occasionally while the mixture cools.
- Pour into sterilised jars, or you can simply leave the curd in the same bowl and refrigerate.
Other recipes you may like:
• Irish whiskey coffee cake
• Carrot and ginger cake
• Cinnamon Cappuccino Fudge