Bi-Rite Market’s selection of citrus is always something to behold, but especially when you move from California to Montana and return only occasionally. I stashed these beautiful Meyer lemons in my carry on the last time I visited.
Homemade lemon curd is one fitting way to celebrate nice lemons. So is squeezing them into a glass of ice and adding a touch of simple syrup and bubbly water. For the curd, a little heat on the stove transforms eggs, butter and lemon juice into a tangy, dollop-able yummy yum that you can enjoy with pretty much anything from breakfast to tea to dessert. On a scone, pancakes or sourdough toast, or use it between cake layers or serve with meringues. It’s your new jam.
Lemon Curd
makes 1 1/2 cups; Recipe adapted from Joy of Cooking
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- grated zest from 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice from 3–4 lemons strained of pulp and seeds
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter cut into tablespoon sized chunks
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
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Put eggs, sugar and lemon zest in a medium saucepan and whisk off heat for a couple minutes off until pale in color.
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Add the lemon juice, butter and salt and cook over moderate heat until butter is melted and mixture begins to thicken, about 6–8 minutes (160–170° F). Pour through a sieve into a glass jar for storage. Refrigerate for up to a week.
Recipe Notes / Tips
- Any lemon will work, Meyer or Eurekas. In fact, almost any fruit juice will make a great curd — lemon, blood orange, rhubarb, cranberry, you name it!
- Make just enough and keep in the refrigerator, don't try to preserve this recipe. Curd is difficult to safely preserve via canning due to the variability of the acidity and presence of eggs and butter. Commercial lemon curds use lots of sugar and processed lemon juice instead of fresh, that's how they get away with it.
