If you’ve never had fresh Lemon Curd then you are in for a treat! This rich, bright, sweet, and tart filling or spread is quick and easy to make. I use it as a filling for my coconut cake or topping for 1-2-3-4 Cake along with strawberries and whipped cream. It’s great spread on fresh-baked scones or biscuits. You could fold it into whipped cream to serve with a fruit tart. Speaking of fruit tarts, it’s a wonderful filling for a tart, especially with raspberries on top!
This recipe is quick to make right in the saucepan. There’s no tempering the eggs or multiple steps. Juicing the lemons will be the longest part of the process. You absolutely have to use fresh squeezed lemon juice for lemon curd. While bottled juice is fine for lemonade and other things, fresh lemon juice is a non-negotiable here!
Lemon Curd
- 4 large egg yolks
- 2 large whole eggs
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut in pieces
Prep eggs for making Lemon Curd
In a medium saucepan, separate the 4 egg yolks. If you’ve never done this before there are some helpful videos like this one on YouTube. I always use the egg shell halves because letting the whites run through my fingers is not something I’m interested in. Also, I was making a double batch in these photos for a party I was hosting. I’d hate for you to think I can’t count or something!
After the eggs yolks are in the pan, crack in the whole eggs. Now whisk the eggs to combine or use an immersion blender to get them really well blended. I have one like this and I use it all the time. For recipes like this I want to have completely blended eggs so there’s no bits of cooked egg white in the final dish.
Squeezing fresh lemon juice
Now on to the lemons! The number of lemons you need to get 1/2 cup will vary. It depends on how big the lemons are and how juicy each one it. I usually count on 2-3 tablespoons of juice per lemon. Then I make sure I have a couple extra on hand in case I need another tablespoon or so. I started with 5 lemons and ended up using one more for the full amount.
For juicing citrus fruit I use one of these handy squeezers. Citrus reamers are also handy although they can splatter juice if you’re not careful. Then there’s the classic juicer. You can always find these at thrift and antique shops and they are easy to use. Whatever you use, get the lemons juiced and measured up.
When I’m juicing lemons or limes I like to squeeze one half, then squeeze the second half, then squeeze both halves together to get every last drop on juice out. It’s always surprising to me how much juice you can get from the second round.
You’ll be left with a pile of spent lemons, a container of fresh lemon juice, and the best smell in your kitchen! It’s highly likely that you will have a good amount of splattered lemon juice on your countertop too. That’s all part of the process!
Make the Lemon Curd
Now, back to the pot of blended egg yolks and eggs. Add the granulated sugar, pinch of salt, and lemon juice. Whisk to combine and heat over low, whisking constantly. You want to keep the eggs moving so they heat and cook slowly and don’t curdle. The slowly cooked eggs is what makes the finished lemon curd so thick.
The lemon curd will take about 10 minutes to cook. You don’t want to let it really boil, it needs to heat slowly and become thick. The test is when the mixture will coat the back of a spoon. Now, it would be ideal if I took a photo of this stage but I forgot to do just that. After about 10 minutes, stick a spoon into the mixture and see if it’s coating the back when you pull it out. Should be a similar consistency of gravy.
Once you reach this point, remove it from the heat and start to add the butter, one piece at a time. Whisk well between additions. You don’t need the butter to melt completely before adding the next piece but it should be melting. Don’t panic if it doesn’t look smooth at this stage, a quick stir will get it straightened out. Again, I forgot to take any photos so you’ll have to imagine butter being whisked into the glorious lemony-yellow curd.
After the butter is incorporated, cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Finally pour the lemon curd into a mason jar and cover with a lid. Cool to room temperature before refrigerating. This will keep in the fridge for 4 days or in the freezer for up to a year.
Other lemon recipes on Ma-Says
I have some other lemon recipes you might like to try. We love Lemon Blueberry Muffins from my Use it Up and Save Money series. You can swap out the dairy for whatever you’re needing to use up. This classic British Lemon Drizzle Cake never lasts long at our house. One of my sons always has this for his birthday! Lemons can be used for this Yogurt Cake instead of the clementines if you’d like. The tart lemons and yogurt work perfectly!
Lemon Curd
Ingredients
- 4 large egg yolks
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- pinch salt
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter cut in pieces
Instructions
- Whisk together the egg yolks and whole eggs in a medium saucepan. An immersion blender helps fully blend the eggs.
- Whisk in the granulated sugar, salt, and lemon juice.
- Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a whisk, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. This takes 8 to 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and add the butter, one piece at a time, whisking until smooth before adding the next piece.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before pouring into a jar and covering with a lid.
- Cool completely before storing in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Lemon curd can also be frozen for up to 1 year.
