Lemon curd is very popular in California where it is usually made with Meyer lemons. A Meyer lemon is a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange, and came from China in 1908. It was planted all across California, and chefs quickly fell in love with its sweet, complex flavors.
Once a darling of the “California Cuisine” movement, it’s now common on many dessert menus. If you can get Meyer lemons, give them a try. If not, don’t worry; it is still very delicious with regular lemons. While it’s traditionally served as a topping for cakes, it’s also wonderful spooned over a bowl of fresh berries.
Homemade Lemon Curd
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon zest ( we used 3 large lemons to make the zest)
- 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice ( this will depend on the size of your lemons)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar ( we used cane sugar)
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 4 egg yolks
- 6 Tablespoons butter (3/4 stick), cut into 6 pieces , at room temperature
- (Makes about 1 1/2 cups)
Directions
- Zest your lemons.
- Squeeze the lemons.
- Seperate the egg yolks from the whites. You only need the yolks for this recipe.
- In a heat proof bowl, combine the lemon zest, juice, sugar and salt and stir together.
- Select a pan to fit the heat proof bowl and put about two inches of water in it. Bring it to the boil, then turn it down to simmer.
- Put the heat proof bowl with ingredients already in it into the pot with the heated water.
- Whisk in the egg yolks.
- Let this cook for about 7-10 minutes, whisking while it is cooking. Once the mixture thickens you can remove it from the hot water pot.
- Whisk in the butter pieces, one at a time until all the butter is in the curd.
- Your curd can now be transferred to a container.
- If you do not like the texture of the zest in the curd, you can put the curd through a strainer to remove it. We happen to like the texture so we leave it in.
- Keep the lemon curd refrigerated. The curd is now ready for you to use with other recipes.
