Easy Lemon Curd Recipe from The Food Charlatan. (2024)

FAQs

Why didn't my lemon curd get thick? ›

If your lemon curd hasn't thickened, it may not have been heated enough. It can take up to 30 minutes of constant stirring to cook lemon curd, especially if it's a large batch. Remember that curd will thicken more once cooled.

The flavor also mellows a bit as it refrigerates. It's quite sour at this point but it gets creamier as it refrigerates. You can refrigerate the lemon curd for 1-2 weeks, OR freeze it for a few months.

If you just place all the ingredients in a saucepan without beating the butter and sugar with the eggs first, the curd tends to taste eggy.

Lemon curd can also be used as a filling for cakes, tarts, and pastries, adding a burst of citrus flavor to every bite. It pairs exceptionally well with other fruits such as berries or tropical fruits, making it an excellent topping for pancakes or waffles.

Lemon curd always thickens as it cools so you may find that you end up with a lemon curd that's thicker than you hoped for. If this happens, the easiest way to thin it is to whisk in a little extra lemon juice (about ½ a teaspoon at a time as you don't want to add too much) until it is your desired consistency.

A metallic aftertaste is usually the consequence of the lemon curd coming into contact with a metal (especially while it's hot). This could be a metal whisk, a metal bowl, a metal (or metal-coated) saucepan, or a metal sieve.

If your lemon curd turned green, it likely had a reaction to something metal. Avoid using a copper or aluminum pan as those will react with the lemon juice and cause the discoloration in the lemon curd, and could even cause a slightly metallic aftertaste.

Your lemon curd could get chunky and grainy if you let it overcook. One thing you should remember while making lemon curd is that you should never let it reach a point where it starts boiling. The ideal temperature for lemon curd is 170 degrees Fahrenheit, and it shouldn't cross that.

Trouble shooting: Most Lemon Curds are runny because they don't get cooked long enough, to 170 degrees F, to thicken the egg yolks – so cook on! If your curd isn't thickened after 10 minutes, or up to 15 if using a double boiler, then increase the temperature of the stove slightly – and don't stop whisking!

To prevent the curd from acquiring a metallic taste, make absolutely sure that all utensils coming into contact with it--bowls, whisk, saucepan, and strainer--are made of non-reactive stainless steel or glass. Since the tart pan has a removable bottom, it is more easily maneuvered when set on a cookie sheet.

Can u Freeze lemon curd? ›

Shelf Life: Prepared lemon curd can be frozen for up to 1 year without quality changes when thawed. To thaw, place container in a refrigerator at 40°F or lower for 24 hours before intended use. After thawing, consume within 4 weeks.

Between the heat and whisking, lemon curd gets foamy while it's cooking. As the curd begins to thicken, the foam will start to settle down, and then the addition of the butter at the end of cooking eliminates the foam. So don't panic when you see foam, just keep whisking and cooking.

Just be sure to put it in a tightly sealed glass or plastic container so it doesn't pick up any aromas from other things in your fridge. Fresh lemon curd will keep for one to two weeks when stored in the refrigerator in a sealed container.

While perhaps not the preferred method, you can eat lemon curd by itself like I do (told you that I am now obsessed), you can spread it on toast like you would with apple butter or berry jam, you can bake it into pastries such as lemon bars or danishes, you can use it to make pies such as lemon meringue pie or you can ...

Lemon curd's texture is smooth and silky, similar to a very smooth, creamy custard, and thick enough to be spread on scones and other foods. In Britain, lemon curd is also known as "lemon cheese," and other fruit curds are known as "[name of fruit] cheese."

The temperature is too low. If the temp is below 68 degrees Fahrenheit, the cultures will not ferment properly and the milk will stay runny. The temperature is too high. If the temperature is above 80 degrees Fahrenheit, the yogurt will ferment too fast and will also render the yogurt runny.

Simply add a small amount of yogurt, like a spoonful, at a time. Stir your yogurt into the curry and keep adding a little more at a time until it reaches your desired thickness. This is great for Indian-style curries as a cream substitute.

Usually the temperature of milk determines how well your curd will set. Too cold or too hot temperature can make the curd setting process tougher. Firstly boil your milk properly and switch off the flame. Once the boiled milk cools down to 20 per cent, then the milk is ready to be set.

Use Full Cream Milk

Rich, full cream milk is considered best for making curd because of its high fat content. It results in a thicker, creamier texture often preferred by many people. Additionally, the fat in full cream milk can help create more flavour with a smooth, velvety texture.