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Lemon Curd

This lemon curd has just the right amount of pucker. It’s tangy, sweet, and velvety smooth, and it’s the perfect accompaniment for your morning toast or English muffin.
Prep Time:5 minutes
Cook Time:15 minutes
Set Time (inactive time):2 hours
Total Time:2 hours 20 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 10

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.