Lemon Curd is tangy yet sweet and reminiscent of custard. My recipe is a super simple method and can be used to fill and top your favorite desserts.
What is Lemon Curd?
Lemon curd is a tangy, creamy sauce made with a few simple ingredients including lemon juice and lemon zest. Once cooked and cooled, lemon curd thickens up into a custard-like treat. I always make a batch of this when spring arrives to use in different recipes. If you’ve ever had Lemon Meringue Pie, lemon curd is the yellow filling in the pie!
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What you need to make Lemon Curd
To make Lemon Curd, you’ll need just 5 ingredients:
- Lemons – you’ll need the juice of 2 lemons as well as the zest of one.
- Sugar – cane or granulated sugar is used to balance out the tartness of the lemon juice.
- Eggs – 2 egg yolks and one whole egg.
- Butter – salted butter is used to balance everything out, while adding a richness and glossy shine to the curd. Have this ingredient cut up and ready to go.
- Salt – fine sea salt is added to bring out the lemon flavor.
Do I need any special equipment?
You do not need any special equipment to make Lemon Curd. Just make sure you have a medium size glass bowl that can withstand heat as well as a small saucepan that you can set the glass bowl on top of. We’re creating a makeshift double boiler to cook the curd. If you want a smooth curd, you’ll need a fine mesh strainer to strain out the bits of zest.
Other than that, you will need a heat safe whisk and a small jar or container to store the curd. Get small jars here. A lemon zester and juicer are also helpful to have 😉
How to make Lemon Curd
To make the curd, whisk the sugar, eggs, lemon juice and zest together in a medium heat-safe bowl. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water and whisk constantly so the eggs don’t scramble.
Whisk the curd until it has thickened and is a lighter color, this will take about 20 minutes so have a little patience here. About halfway through the curd will start to get really foamy and will stay that way until it has thickened up. Don’t panic, this is normal. Trust the process. You will know the curd is done when it’s thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
At this point, carefully remove the bowl from the heat and whisk in the butter and salt until smooth. Pour the curd through a fine mesh strainer into a jar or container. Let the curd set up for at least 1 hour before using. Store lemon curd in the fridge for up to one week.
If you have never made lemon curd before, I hope I’ve inspired you to try this creamy lemon bliss. Stay tuned for a delicious recipe (or two) featuring this simple Lemon Curd.
Have you made this recipe? Let me know how you liked it in the comments below!
Simple Lemon Curd Recipe
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice about 2 lemons
- zest of one lemon
- 3/4 cup cane sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 large egg yolks
- 4 tbsp salted butter
- pinch of fine sea salt
Instructions
- In a medium heat-safe bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, lemon juice and zest. Place bowl over a pot of simmering water and whisk constantly until thickened, this takes about 20 minutes. You will know the curd is done when it's thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Remover from heat and whisk in the butter and salt until smooth. If straining, Pour the curd through a fine mesh strainer into a jar or container. Let the curd set up in the fridge for about an hour before using. Store in the fridge for up to one week.
