Lemon Curd Recipe

This is such a long posting that I am going to post the recipe first and then tomorrow I'll post a bunch of pictures with captions of the various steps of the process

Jennifer’s Meyer Lemon Curd

Basic Recipe:

2 medium Meyer lemons 

(around 1/3 cup juice)

1 stick salted butter (4 oz)

6 oz white sugar

2 eggs

Lemon zest

Triple Recipe:

6 medium lemons 

(around 1 cup juice)

3 sticks butter 

(1 salted, 2 unsalted, 12 oz)

18 oz white organic sugar

6 eggs

Lemon zest

Special Equipment:

Double boiler

Lemon juicer

Lemon zester or grater

Fine mesh strainer

Large enamel pot for sterilizing jars

Canning rack (optional)

Canning Tongs

4-5 8oz canning jars and lids

 

Lemon curd takes about 2-2.5 hours for the whole process and you have to be regularly attentive so you can’t really do much else.  If you want to can the triple recipe makes about 4 jars and a little extra. I use all organic ingredients which makes a huge difference in taste.

Directions: 

Set the jars in the large pot and fill with water to about 2 inches above the jars. Turn the heat on high until the jars water has boiled for at least 15 minutes and then turn the stove down to low so the water stays hot.

Cream the butter and sugar together with an automatic or hand mixer until smooth. Add the eggs and beat on low/medium until incorporated and smooth. Zest and then juice the lemons and add the juice and zest to the mixture. The final mixture will be watery with small lumps of butter/sugar in it.  

Use a double boiler and fill the bottom with water. Make sure the top pan does not touch the water in the bottom pan. Place the mixture inside the double boiler and set the stove on medium heat. Do NOT turn the stove to high during the cooking time no matter what the temptation.  It will take between an hour to an hour and a half to cook up into a creamy custard texture. You do not need to stir constantly. I usually set a time for 5-10 minutes and go back and stir whenever it goes off. 

In the first stage of cooking the butter will form a white coating on top as it melts. In the second stage the butter will incorporate and the mixture will become a uniform pale yellow color and thin gravy like texture though it will still run freely off the spoon.  When you reach the second stage you may taste the lemon curd and adjust the flavor by adding either a little more juice for tartness or sugar for sweetness. Never try to add more egg after the curd is already hot or you will have egg curdling. 

In the third stage the mixture will begin to thicken and coat the back of a spoon. As the curd begins to thicken heat water in a small saucepan and add the lids to the hot water mixture to sterilize them. Never boil the lids. Do not heat the rings for the lids because it isn’t necessary for sterilization you will want to have them cool when you twist them on.

You are looking for a thick custard like consistency where it coats the spoon and edges of the pan, and when you can see ridges left after stirring that don’t reincorporate immediately. The third stage takes the longest and is the most frustrating. One sure sign that the curd is ready is when your spoon begins to stick to the spoon holder.

Transfer the lemon curd into something you can poor from and use the tongs to remove the jars one by one from the hot water. Fill each jar to within 1/4 inch of the rim and cover with lids and rings. As the jars cool you will hear each jar pop as it becomes a vacuum. If you are not canning then just put the curd into any airtight container and place in the refrigerator.

Enjoy your lemon curd with bread, pastries, or scones. You can also use a small spoon full of it to give a fantastic flavor to sauces or steamed vegetables.

Hints: 

You can actually set the mixer on low to cream the butter and sugar while you juice the lemons. Also if you place kitchen towels down over the counter where you plan to can it helps prevent a lot of spills and stickiness. Always use a saucer or spoon holder for the stirring spoons. If you use a true double boiler you may have to stir more often but it may cook up faster. I use a saucepan inside of a soup pan, which allows the heat to escape around the edges.  If you have white pieces or egg curdling or the texture of the lemon curd becomes lumpy for some strange reason you can take a food processor or blender and run the mixture through on high to reincorporate the egg.

Curd Variations

Clementine Curd:

1 blood orange or Valencia orange

6-10 Clementines

(around 1 cup juice total)

3 sticks butter 

(1 salted, 2 unsalted, 12 oz)

12 oz white organic sugar

6 eggs

Orange zest

1-2 drops orange food coloring

Lime Curd:

1 cup key lime juice

3 sticks butter 

(1 salted, 2 unsalted, 12 oz)

20 oz white organic sugar

6 eggs

Lime zest

1 drop green food coloring

Pineapple Curd:

1 cup unsweetened 

Pineapple juice

3 sticks butter 

(1 salted, 2 unsalted, 12 oz)

12 oz white organic sugar

6 eggs

Clementine Curd Directions:

Add the food coloring into the mixture before cooking, or in the second stage when tasting. Cook just like you would for Lemon Curd. The Clementine curd will be much sweeter. During the second cooking stage be sure to taste and you can adjust the flavor by adding a little lemon or orange juice as necessary. Sweeter curds set up much faster than more acidic curds so be sure to watch the mixture closely.

Lime Curd Directions:

Add the food coloring into the mixture before cooking, or in the second stage when tasting. Cook just like you would for Lemon Curd. The lime curd will be much tarter During the second cooking stage be sure to taste and you can adjust the flavor by adding more sugar if necessary. The proper tartness should be enough for an initial pucker but not enough to leave a lingering aftertaste. You want the aftertaste to be sweet and smooth. More acidic curds set up much slower so be sure to allow enough time for cooking. Be sure not to tint the curd too dark because it somehow makes it less appetizing in a green eggs and ham kind of way.

Pineapple Curd Directions:

Haven’t tried this one yet, so I’m guessing a bit on this recipe.