LUSCIOUS HOMEMADE LEMON CURD
The word “luscious” is a bit overstated. It’s pretty mind-blowing that four of the most simple ingredients in your kitchen can create something as unique as this lemon curd recipe. However, they manage to make it. You can create a small container of soft sunshine to spread on your meals with only a tiny saucepan, a whisk, and a few ingredients. Knowing how easy and quick it is and that you can store it in a freezer for later use, I’ll never again spend $4 on an ounce of it in the grocery store.
WHAT IS LEMON CURD??
It’s one of the dreadful words, just like “moist,” that is never good-sounding. But I can assure you that this is the best thing you can have. It’s a sweet spread similar to lemon custard or a lovely version of the hollandaise sauce (I hope I did not disappoint you here). It’s very similar to the lemon custard filling (did I bring you back on the board?). It’s incredibly smooth and creamy but delicate and packed with a fresh lemony taste.
WHAT IS LEMON CURD USED FOR?
EVERYTHING. Well, almost. Lemon curd can be used wherever you want to use preserves or jam, for example, on toast, biscuits, scones, or other foods. It’s also a fantastic topping in yogurt (try Lemon Berry Yogurt Breakfast Bowls) and oats. It’s also great on cakes, parfaits and pies, cookies, pancakes, donuts, waffles crepes. Do I need to continue? Wherever you’d like lemon flavor, Take a scoop of your lemon curd recipe.
HOMEMADE LEMON CURD METHODS
I cooked up 578 cups (exaggeration) of lemon curd in the last week, trying various techniques from the microwave to the stovetop, including ingredients in various orders. However, I found that the recipe below produced the silky soft, lightest, and smoothest homemade lemon curd without an unnecessary amount of work (only about 10 minutes as opposed to two minutes for microwave versions).
Knowing there are many ways to make your lemon curd is essential. But the one below is my preferred one. It’s much like the memory methode the hollandaise sauce (see Almost Eggs Benedict).
FRESH VS. BOTTLED LEMON JUICE
Freshly squeezed lemon juice is and always will be superior to bottled lemon juice; however, during my million tests of the recipe, I discovered that bottled lemon juice didn’t make the lemon curd less tasty. I’m unsure if it’s the butter and sugar or all of it; however, I didn’t see the vast difference between freshly squeezed and bottled lemon juice in this recipe. If you don’t have any leftover lemons from your fridge and you’re looking to get rid of them, make sure you save yourself the hassle and pour the juice of your lemon instead of squeezing it.
INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup sugar ($0.08)
One large egg ($0.25)
12 cups of lemon juice ($0.16)
Butter 4 TBSP ($0.54)
INSTRUCTIONS
Add the egg, sugar, and lemon juice into the saucepan in a small pot. After placing the bank over the flame, whisk all the ingredients until the mixture is smooth.
Place the pot in moderate heat, and cook by whisking it continuously. The mixture will begin to become fluffy as you whisk. When the liquid gets sufficiently hot to cook the eggs, it will start to get thicker, and the liquid will not separate from the foam. The mix takes about 5 minutes of whisking on moderate heat to thicken. However, this will depend on the type of cookware you have. The mixture should be thick enough to cover the spoon (see the photos below).
Take the pot off the flame. Add a tablespoon of butter while whisking until it melts into the sauce before taking the following. When the butter melts in the sauce, it will become less creamy and more smooth in texture. It also appears more glossy than foamy.
After the butter is whisked in, transfer lemon curd into an airtight container and freeze until cool. The curd will become thicker after cooling.
