Homemade Citrus Curd (Lime, Lemon, Orange or Grapefruit)

I am always on the look out for easy, delicious recipes using our fresh eggs.  I love lemon curd and recently found a recipe for lime curd. It sounded interesting and limes were on sale, so I decided to give it a try.  I had never tried making curd before, but was surprised that the technique is very similar to making Hollandaise sauce, but with more of the juice and sugar.

After tweaking the original recipe a bit, here is my version. And the neat thing is that you can use limes, lemons, oranges or even grapefruit for a bit of variety from the same basic recipe. In fact, just made some lemon curd this morning, and pink grapefruit curd is just wonderful.

Homemade Citrus Curd

(yield 3 half-pint canning jars)

~Ingredients~

6 fresh eggs
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup fresh squeezed citrus juice (from approximately 6 limes, 3-4 lemons, 2 oranges, or 1/2 -1 grapefruit)

Zest from citrus fruit used above
1 stick ( 8T.) unsalted butter at room temperature, cut into 16 cubes

Set a glass bowl over a saucepan of boiling water. Whisk the eggs and sugar in the bowl, then when well blended add the citrus juice and zest.

(A few recipes I read mentioned needing a candy thermometer to be sure that the temperature doesn't go much over 175 degrees, which will curdle your curd.  After trying this recipe a few times using a bowl set over the boiling water, my curd was done just under the 195 degree point, no curdling, so you can probably get away with not using a thermometer and just use the spoon test - below.)

Continue to cook, whisking constantly for a few minutes, until the mixture is warmed through.  Whisk in the butter, a few cubes at a time, completely incorporating before adding more.  

Continue to whisk, cooking until the curd thickens and a spoon drawn through it leaves a path.  (This should happen right around 195 degrees on the candy thermometer.) 

Strain the curd through a fine mesh sifter, or leave the zest in if you wish, and pour through a funnel into sterilized half pint canning jars.  Screw on the lids and refrigerate immediately.  

The curd will keep for up to two weeks in the refrigerator, but I just dare you to try leaving it that long without eating it all!

JOIN US ON FACEBOOK

Buying Source for Zesters and Juicers:

       

Tweet