Lemons.
The joy on a hot, sweaty day in the form of a glass of sour-sweet water.
The delectableness of zesty cookies.
The extra zing in a low country boil.
The happy yellow of a subtle rind garnish.
The refreshing scent in a reviving candle.
Lemons are one of the most versatile fruits, used in foods and fragrance. Foods vary from baked goods, jams & jellies, marinades, soups, glazes, and dressings. Fragrance includes candles, lotions, soaps and lip balms.
I’d never made this curd from scratch before – rather simply bought it to use in pie. I always thought this custard would be too difficult to prepare. True that meticulousness is still needed to ensure the correct result; but having a buddy, like my husband, the second time I attempted this recipe helped a LOT. We were very, very pleased with the result! We also watched a Youtube video several times before beginning to make sure we had all the steps correct. I’ve attached this video at the end of my post to help you, too :-)
Usually, lemon curd goes for $6+per 8oz jar at the grocery store. Today we’re going to make it from scratch and save a few bucks!
- 5 egg yolks + 2 whole eggs
- zest 1 lemon
- 110 ml lemon juice (3 lemons)
- 110 ml sugar (1/2 cup)
- 4 TBS butter
- Begin by filling a saucepan 2-3 inches with water and bringing to a simmer while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
- Chop the butter into cubes and place on a plate and put in the fridge. It needs to be COLD for the last step!
- Whisk the eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice and sugar in a heat-safe bowl (glass or metal).
- Place the bowl over your simmering pan that's on the stove. Make sure your bowl doesn't touch the water. *Essentially you are going to be using what is called a Bain-Marie or Double Boiler to gently, gently, gently cook your eggs so they are safe to eat and so they get thick and delicious! :-)*
- While keeping the water simmering gently, constantly whisk the contents in the bowl that is suspended above the water. It will take about 5 minutes but soon you will notice that the eggs will turn a pale yellow color and begin to thicken.
- When it's been about 5 minutes and the custard is thick and pale yellow, take the bowl OFF THE HEAT, and immediately whisk in your COLD butter.
- When the butter is all incorporated, push the curd through a sieve (if you want to) and pour the result into a jar. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks!
- Enjoy on toast or make a lemon meringue pie!