Any good afternoon tea needs to be served with fresh scones. Scones, in turn, are best served with clotted cream, strawberry or raspberry preserves and lemon curd. We’re sharing our tips and foolproof lemon curd recipe that’s not too runny or unspreadably thick, that’s deliciously full of tang and not overly sweet and which is guaranteed not to have curdled eggs.
As a bonus, we’re also sharing three additional recipes for three more unusual fruit curds: passionfruit, lime and blood orange.
Taste: Tart and sweet and oh so creamy
Ease: Very – follow our tips and it’s foolproof!.
Pros: You’ll want to use it for more than scones!
Cons: You’ll be remaking it very soon.
Again: Definitely!
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What is lemon curd?
Lemon curd, also known as lemon butter, apparently originated in England in the early 1800s.
Originally, lemon curd was lemon added to cream in order to make it curdle. These curds were then separated from the whey through a cheesecloth, similar to making cheese.
However, lemon curd today is creamy and tart and sweet and smooth and wonderful in so many recipes. Similar recipes for other fruit curds are also popular.
Why you need this foolproof lemon curd recipe for your afternoon tea
A traditional English afternoon tea, or even a simple cream tea, are always served with fresh scones. Yet those scones are not eaten plain. Instead, they are served with clotted cream and a fruit preserve or two.
My favourite is lemon butter – I don’t like most jams as they are far too sweet for me. It’s a favourite in many afternoon tea spreads, not just for the beautiful contrasting colour, but also because because of the delicious tangy taste and creamy texture.
I love other fruit curds, like orange butter, on my scones too – it’s similar to marmalade, but is smoother (no large pieces of orange peel) and not as sweet.
What makes this lemon curd recipe foolproof? Our tips!
Lemon curd failures abound! It can curdle if overcooked and taste like eggs. It can be too watery if not cooked enough. It can go green and taste metallic. This foolproof lemon curd recipe guarantees success.
1. Choose lemons that are firm, plump and heavy for their size, with bright yellow skins and a citrus smell. If you can, use organic lemons and wash them before using them.
2. If a recipe (such as this foolproof lemon curd recipe) calls for zest and juice, zest the lemon before juicing it. Finely zest the lemons, taking care not to remove the white pith that is underneath.
Tip: If you have more zest than you need, put it in a freezer bag and freeze it. Use good quality butter and free-range eggs.
3. Place the sugar and lemon rind into a bowl and your fingertips to rub the lemon rind into the sugar until it starts to smell like lemon candies. Alternatively, you can add the sugar and finely-grated lemon rind to a blender and whizz briefly. This will help release the oils in the rind and give the lemon butter a more intense flavour.
4. For the best flavour, use fresh lemon juice, not bottled. Pass the lemon juice through a fine-meshed sieve to strain out any pips or fruit flesh.
5. Use good quality butter. You can use salted or unsalted butter. If you use unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt to the recipe.
6. Use good, fresh free-range eggs. Whisk and then strain the egg yolks through a fine-meshed sieve to remove any chalazas or germinal discs that will cause lumps in your lemon curd.
7. For best results use a double broiler. If you don’t have one, make one: place a glass or metal bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Make sure that the circumference of the bowl is larger than that of the circle so that water does not get into the lemon curd mix.
If you can’t use or make a double broiler, use a stainless steel or non-stick saucepan. As lemon juice is acidic, it can react with copper even aluminium saucepans. If you use the wrong type of saucepan, you risk making lemon curd that will have a green tinge and taste metallic.
8. Cooked egg can ruin your lemon curd. Heat the mixture slowly over low/medium heat. Do NOT let the lemon curd boil. If you notice it getting too hot, remove the curd from the heat and stir or whisk well.
9. Do not take your eyes off your lemon curd and whisk or stir constantly. It may take 10 to 30 minutes to thicken.
10. Before you start, set aside a bowl with some cold or ice water in it. If you notice your mixture getting too hot, arrest the cooking by plunging the bottom of the saucepan into the ice bath. I have never had to use the ice bath, but always have it there, just in case.
11. When the lemon curd has reached the right thickness (like hollandaise sauce) and you see the first bubble, remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the butter. It will melt with the residual heat. Stir well.
12. If you manage to overcook the eggs and end up with specks of egg in your lemon curd, pass it through a fine-mesh sieve. You can also pass the lemon curd through a fine-meshed sieve to remove the lemon rind, if you wish.
13. When the lemon curd is ready, pour it into your jars to cool. If you leave it in the saucepan or double broiler, you will risk overcooking.
Does lemon curd keep?
Yes, lemon curd keeps.
It will keep quite nicely in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four weeks. I like to store mine in Weck jars, but you can use any jars or airtight containers that you wish.
If you are not planning to use your lemon curd within a month, you can freeze it. Spoon it into airtight freezer containers or ziplock freezer bags (it probably will not pour), leaving about 1-2 cm at the top and freeze it. You can keep it frozen for up to one year.
To thaw, defrost in your refrigerator for 24 hours before using. After thawing, it will keep in the fridge for up to four weeks. Do not refreeze.
How can you use your lemon curd?
This foolproof lemon curd recipe is so versatile. While it is most often used as a scone topping, there are so many more options:
- Between layers of cake with cream or buttercream. It is wonderful with both vanilla and raspberry.
- As a filling for tarts, topped with fresh fruit.
- Swirled in yoghurt or quark as a snack.
- On bread, pancakes, waffles or crumpets instead of jam or marmalade.
- It’s delicious on top of pavlovas or in Eton mess.
- It is a key ingredient of the perfect lemon meringue pie.
- Mixed with cream – it is delicious with a warm blueberry cake.
What about the other fruit curds?
The beauty of this foolproof lemon curd recipe is that it can be easily adapted to other citrus fruits.
Our three favourite fruit curds are.
- lime curd – it’s great with raspberries or coconut
- blood orange curd – it works well with most fruit and with chocolate, and
- passionfruit curd – I love it with mango or with custard (on vanilla slices).
Foolproof lemon curd and 3 other curd butters
Equipment
- Grater
- 2-3 preserve jars
Ingredients
Lemon curd
- ⅔ cup caster sugar
- ½ cup lemon juice
- 1 tbsp finely-grated lemon rind
- 4 egg yolks
- 85 g butter
Passionfruit butter
- 4 egg yolks lightly beaten, strained
- 85 g unsalted butter chopped
- ⅔ cup caster sugar
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ½ cup passionfruit pulp
Lime butter
- 4 egg yolks lightly beaten, strained
- 100 g unsalted butter chopped
- 1 cup caster sugar
- ½ cup lime juice
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1 tbsp lemon rind finely grated
Blood orange butter
- 4 egg yolks lightly beaten, strained
- 85 g unsalted butter chopped
- ⅔ cup caster sugar
- ½ cup blood orange juice
- 1 tbsp blood orange rind finely grated
Instructions
For the lemon curd
- Pour the sugar into a bowl and add the lemon rind (you will need teh rind of about 2 lemons). Usinging your fingers, gently rub the lemon rind into the butter until the sugar is pale yellow in colour and smells like lemon candy. Pour the lemon sugar into the bowl of the double broiler.
- Juice the lemons (about 3) and sieve the lemon juice to remove any pips or fruit flesh. Add the juice to the bowl of the double broiler.
- Separate the eggs. Whisk the egg yolks then pass through a fine-meshed sieve to remove any unwanted bits of egg. Pour the egg yolks into the double broiler.
- Warm the egg, lemon and sugar mixture in your double broiler over medium-low heat, whisking constantly. Keep stiring until the mixture thickens so that you can briefly see whisk marks in the mixture. It will also coat the back of a spoon at this stage.
- Remove the mixture from the heat and immediately stir in the butter, stiring until well combined.
- Pour into hot, sterilised jars and seal.
For passionfruit butter
- Follow as per the lemon butter and combine the ingredients except the butter in a double broiler. Stir until the mixture thickly coats the back of a wooden spoon.
- Remove fro the heat and stir in the butter.
- Pour into hot, sterilised jars. Seal.
For the lime butter
- Combine the ingredients exept the rind and butter in a double broiler. Cook as per the lemon curd. Stir in the rind and butter and pour into hot, sterilised jars.
For the blood orange butter
- Combine the ingredients exept the butter in a double broiler. Cook as per the lemon curd. Stir in the butter before pouring into sterilised jars.
Notes
Nutrition
Follow our tips for delicious, creamy and tangy lemon curd
There’s no more excuses now – you have all the tips you need for to make your own delicious, creamy and tangy lemon curd. Just follow our foolproof lemon curd recipe for the perfect accompaniment for your scones for your afternoon tea. Or try one of our more unusual fruit curds. They’re just as delicious and creamy and just as simple to make and are guaranteed to work wonderfully with your afternoon tea menu.
What are you waiting for? Do you like lemon curd on your scones? Or are you itching to try one of our other fruit curds?
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