How to Make Lemon Curd

Lemon Curd (Prepared by Sarah Shilhavy Photo by Jeremiah Shilhavy)

The existence of lemon curd can be dated back to as far as 18th century England, and is most often used as a filling for tarts and pastries as well as a spread or topping for bread and scones. The actual curd base is made up of eggs and sugar and is very much like a custard in cooking, taste, and texture. Lemon is probably the most well known flavoring for fruit curd, but just about any fruit juice can be used to make this classic condiment.

Something that is demonstrated in this recipe and the following video is a double boiler. A double boiler is made when a heatproof glass bowl is set over a pot of gently simmering water and used to cook whatever needs to be cooked. This method of heating is often used when the product is extremely heat sensitive (such as is the case with fruit curds due to the amount of eggs) and needs a gentle heat method of cooking. The most important things to remember when cooking in a double boiler would be to not let the water come to a rolling boil (you’ll know when the water starts spitting out of the sides of the bowl) or to let any excess water fall into your glass bowl. This could result in failure of your finished product by either the eggs “curdling” (cooking too fast and become scrambled eggs) or the water messing with the finished texture.

Lemon curd is relatively easy to make. All you have to watch out for is the temperature creeping up too high and not whisking/stirring enough. Whatever you do, don’t walk away from stirring while you make your curd. The more it is stirred, the better the texture will be. Leaving your lemon curd alone for too long is another great way to end up with sweet lemon scrambled eggs. You don’t want sweet lemon scrambled eggs.

Try making this with Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil for a unique flavor, or stick with a mild or flavorless oil such as the Green Label or Expeller Pressed if you wish. Finally, use your sweet and tart lemony custard-y curd as a filling for mini tarts or just as a fancy, classy fruit spread over scones or biscuits. Don’t fear the curd. Watch the video below for a step-by-step tutorial so you can enjoy it for yourself!

Lemon Curd 

Servings: makes 2 cups
Preparation Time: 20 minutes

• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup organic sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons virgin coconut oil

Bring a small pot with 2 inches of water in it to a simmer on the stovetop. In a bowl that will sit nicely over the water, place the eggs, lemon juice, and sugar. Place bowl over simmering water and whisk until nicely thickened (about 10 minutes).

Carefully (it’s hot) remove bowl from pan and place on counter. Or, turn heat on stove off and remove bowl after last additions. Add lemon zest and coconut oil. Stir until smooth. Pour into jars, cover, and chill.

Recipe submitted by Karen, Quincy, CA