Lemon Curd
This really is the perfect Lemon Curd. It’s smooth, luxurious, sweet, and has just the right amount of pucker. We’ve always loved sweet and sour things (we’re obsessed with sweet and sour candy too). This lemon curd satisfies that craving for tart flavors.
We love making this lemon curd and spreading it on toast, adding it to parfaits or trifles, using it for an ice cream topping, or just eating it with a spoon. It’s the perfect accompaniment to breakfast or dessert. Once made and put in an airtight container (we like using a jar), it can keep in the fridge for 1 to 2 weeks.
Ingredients in the Lemon Curd
The perfect Lemon Curd only uses a few ingredients. Because there isn’t a ton of filler, the key is to use the freshest, best quality items that will give you the best flavors. You’ll need:
- Fresh lemon juice – we usually prefer to make lemon curd with meyer lemons because we love their brighter, slightly sweeter flavor, but this recipe works really well with regular lemons too. Use whatever lemons you want!
- Sugar – you’ll need a good amount of granulated sugar to balance out the tartness of the lemon and help make this lemon curd luxurious and special. It may seem like a lot, but don’t worry. The overall flavor of the curd will still be tangy.
- Lemon zest – we like to cook our lemon curd with lemon zest too. This gives it a stronger citrus flavor.
- Egg yolks – these provide richness and a silky texture to the curd.
- Whole egg – we like to add a whole egg in addition to the yolks to give the curd additional structure.
- Butter – use whatever butter you prefer but if you’re using salted butter (like we usually do), just be aware of how much additional salt you add to the curd.
- Pinch of salt – as noted above, if you’re using salted butter, go light on this so that you don’t make it too salty.
- Vanilla extract (optional) – we like to add a little vanilla extract to our lemon curds to help round out the flavor.
How to make it
In our experience, the best, most forgiving way to make lemon curd uses a double boiler. To make a double boiler, put a couple inches of water in a pot with a heatproof bowl over it (tempered glass or stainless steel). Bring the water to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer (usually around low to medium-low heat). In the glass bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, sugar, lemon zest, egg yolks, and whole egg. Cook the curd mixture over the double boiler for 10-15 min, stirring constantly, until it coats the back of a spoon. The longer you cook it, the thicker it will be, so if you like your curd on the thinner side, make sure to stop cooking as soon as it coats that spoon.
Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk in the butter. For best results, whisk the butter for about a minute so that it fully emulsifies into the curd without breaking or splitting.
Mix in a pinch of salt to taste and the vanilla, if using. If the eggs have curdled at all, you can pour the curd through a fine mesh strainer to get it smooth. This will remove most of the zest too, but the flavor will still be good and lemony.
Place the finished curd in a jar or Tupperware and cover with a lid. Chill in the fridge until it’s cold and set. Enjoy with yogurt, toast, or even as a topping for vanilla ice cream.
Tips for making the perfect Lemon Curd
Lemon Curd
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup lemon juice, fresh
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tbsp lemon zest
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 whole egg
- 8 tbsp butter, we prefer salted
- pinch sea salt, optional if using salted butter
Instructions
- Put a couple inches of water in a pot and bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
- Place a heatproof glass bowl over the pot, making a double boiler.
- In the same glass bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, sugar, salt, lemon zest, egg yolks, and whole egg.
- Cook the curd mixture for 10-15 minutes, stirring constantly, until it coats the back of a spoon.
- Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter for about a minute, or until it’s fully emulsified. (If it’s not fully emulsified, it may cause the curd to be grainy.)
- If the eggs have curdled at all, you can pour the curd through a fine mesh strainer to get it smooth, but this may remove the lemon zest as well.
- Place the finished curd in a jar or container and cover with a lid. Chill in the fridge until it’s cold and set. This recipe makes between 1 and 1 1/2 cups of curd.
- Enjoy with yogurt, toast, or even as a topping for vanilla ice cream.
