Homemade Lemon Curd Recipe | Self Proclaimed Foodie (2024)

FAQs

How long does homemade lemon curd stay fresh? ›

Just be sure to put it in a tightly sealed glass or plastic container so it doesn't pick up any aromas from other things in your fridge. Fresh lemon curd will keep for one to two weeks when stored in the refrigerator in a sealed container.

If your lemon curd hasn't thickened, it may not have been heated enough. It can take up to 30 minutes of constant stirring to cook lemon curd, especially if it's a large batch. Remember that curd will thicken more once cooled. If your cooled curd is not thick enough, you can reheat it to thicken.

Keep in mind that Lemon Curd will continue to thicken after it has time to chill. While it's hot on the stove, it should be the consistency of pourable pudding, thick enough to run a clear path along the back of a spoon. Once it's chilled, it should be the consistency of cold pudding.

If you just place all the ingredients in a saucepan without beating the butter and sugar with the eggs first, the curd tends to taste eggy.

If your lemon curd turned green, it likely had a reaction to something metal. Avoid using a copper or aluminum pan as those will react with the lemon juice and cause the discoloration in the lemon curd, and could even cause a slightly metallic aftertaste.

Shelf Life: Prepared lemon curd can be frozen for up to 1 year without quality changes when thawed. To thaw, place container in a refrigerator at 40°F or lower for 24 hours before intended use. After thawing, consume within 4 weeks.

The most important tip for flavor is to use fresh lemon juice that's been freshly squeezed. Don't be tempted to use bottled lemon juice of any kind as it'll be far too acidic and will ruin the flavor. You'll know the curd is ready when it noticeably thickens in consistency and coats the back of a wooden spoon.

The most common reason why your homemade lemon curd split is cooking the curd on too high temperature. Because lemon curd is an egg yolk based "sauce," it requires gently cooking so that the egg doesn't become scrambled.

Place plastic wrap directly on top of the curd and let set in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving. Store in the fridge for 1-2 weeks. Lemon curd can also be frozen for several month.

Between the heat and whisking, lemon curd gets foamy while it's cooking. As the curd begins to thicken, the foam will start to settle down, and then the addition of the butter at the end of cooking eliminates the foam. So don't panic when you see foam, just keep whisking and cooking.

What is a good substitute for lemon curd? ›

If you don't want to use lemon curd then we would suggest using an alternative flavour of fruit curd. We have seen passionfruit, rhubarb and tart orange (or Seville orange) curds being sold online in the UK. All of these flavours would go well with summer berries.

In any amount of lemon curd, the proportion of unhealthy elements like carbs and fat is going to be extremely higher than good elements like protein. In any serving size of lemon curd, you will only receive a benefit of 2.2 percent of protein while getting almost 27 percent fat and nearly 71 percent carbs.

To prevent the curd from acquiring a metallic taste, make absolutely sure that all utensils coming into contact with it--bowls, whisk, saucepan, and strainer--are made of non-reactive stainless steel or glass. Since the tart pan has a removable bottom, it is more easily maneuvered when set on a cookie sheet.

Not using enough yolks

Additionally, using too many whites can cause your lemon curd to taste egg and sulfurous, which many people find unappetizing. The sulfur in the whites can also lead to an unpleasant smell, which you certainly don't want. The smell is worse in older eggs, so try to use fresh ones if possible.

If the curd changes color, has a significant change in texture (such as lumpiness or wateriness), or if it has an unpleasant smell, you should assume that it has gone bad and dispose of the remaining curd instead of eating it.

Store the curd: Lemon curd will keep in your refrigerator for up to a month according to the National Center for Home Food Preservation. You can also store it in the freezer for up to 1 year. To thaw, transfer your curd from the freezer to the fridge 24 hours before you need it.

How long can we keep curd in the fridge? It can be stored at low temperatures (less than 5 degrees C) for several weeks. You can usually store it in the refrigerator for up to two weeks but it becomes much stronger at the end of that period.

In a covered, airtight container for up to one week. It doesn't really freeze well. Lemon curd does contain eggs and dairy (butter), so I'd be ok leaving it out for the day if I plan on serving it, but anything overnight definitely would need to be refrigerated.

Once opened, a jar of lemon curd should be refrigerated and used within six months for best quality, according to the folks at the J.M. Smucker Co., maker of the Dickinson's brand of lemon curd. Unopened, the jar should have a best-if-used-by date on the label that you should follow.