How to Make Lemon Curd

The use of lemon curd dates back to the latter period of the nineteenth century and the early years of the twentieth century. People then were probably aware of how to make lemon curd. Apart from being an alternative to jam, lemon curd was also used as a filling for cakes of small sizes and in breakfast pastry recipes. Unlike today, lemon curd then was made in small quantities as it did not last for long as jam does, due to the absence of refrigeration technology. Today, commercially made lemon curd is widely used as a spread for toast, muffins, bread and as a flavoring in case of yogurt or dessert recipes. Another popular and delicious recipe made from lemon curd is lemon curd tart. Let's learn how to make lemon curd.

Recipe for Lemon Curd

Ingredients Required

In order to prepare lemon curd you require, 1 cup of sugar, 2-3 beaten eggs, ¼ cup of butter, about ½ a cup lemon juice and you can also add one tablespoon of grated lemon zest if you like.

Kitchen Accessories Required

To add the right quantities of ingredients to the lemon curd, you would need a measuring cup and spoon, a whisk, one cooking spoon, one pot or vessel to cook the mixture of all the ingredients and a fully covered container or a glass jar to store the lemon curd.

Procedure to Make Lemon Curd

• Whisk the butter and sugar until both the ingredients are fully incorporated.
• Next, add beaten eggs to the mixture and again whisk it till all these ingredients form a blend.
• Now, the next step is to add lemon juice and lemon zest to the mixture and again mix all these ingredients properly.
• Further, add the whole mixture to a vessel or a pot and cook the mixture on a stove on a medium or a low flame until the mixture attains a temperature of about 165-170 degrees Fahrenheit.
• In order to avoid the mixture from sticking or burning, stir the mixture intermittently while it is getting cooked
• After cooking, let the lemon curd cool down completely.
• After making sure that the lemon curd has cooled, preserve it in a fully covered container or a glass jar in a refrigerator.

The above procedure is simple and you can easily learn how to make lemon curd. But there are some tips to keep in mind when you are preparing and storing lemon curd.

• For the first and the second steps as mentioned above, you can use an electric mixer instead of a whisk to speed up the mixing process.
• To avoid curdling of the mixture, take care that it doesn't boil.
• Ensure that the lemon curd is properly stored in a refrigerator. It would last for a long time if stored in a refrigerator.

If you are one amongst the calorie conscious people, a sugar free version of lemon curd can also be made. Instead of sugar, you can use a liquid artificial sweetener that lowers the calorie count and therefore contributes to the nutritional value of the lemon curd. Other fruit flavors such as tangerines, limes, mangoes and berry flavors such as blackberries and cranberries also are enjoyed on a wide scale. But lemon flavor still remains one of the most popular flavors.