Easy Lemon Curd
My Easy Lemon Curd is just that - so easy! Made all in one saucepan, there’s no tempering, and it uses whole eggs, so you have no leftover whites. Perfectly creamy, sweet, and tart, it is ready in about 20 minutes!
Servings: 24 tablespoon
Calories: 66kcal
Ingredients
- Zest from 2 lemons
- ½ cup lemon juice from 2 to 3 lemons
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs can be cold from the fridge
- ½ cup unsalted butter 1 stick, room temperature and cut into small cubes
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, whisk together your eggs, sugar, lemon juice and zest, and a pinch of kosher salt until well combined.
- Place pan over medium-low heat, whisking constantly. It will begin to thicken. Continue to cook until the mixture coats the back of your spoon and running your finger through leaves a nice clean trail, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and whisk in half of your butter cubes, waiting for them to incorporate before adding the rest.
- Transfer the curd into a bowl, using a small strainer. Gently press the curd through the strainer with a rubber spatula or the back of a spoon to remove the zest and any possible cooked egg or shell bits.
- Press plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd and refrigerate at least one hour, up to 2 weeks, or freeze for up to 2 months.
Notes
If you don't have kosher salt, use half the amount of table salt.
If you need the juice from a third lemon, zest it first and then place the zest in a single layer on a piece of parchment or waxed paper and quick freeze it. Once frozen, transfer the zest to a zip-top plastic bag. It will defrost quickly when ever you need zest.
Keep the curd mixture in motion with your whisk the whole time to avoid scrambling the eggs.
Don't try to speed the process along by increasing the heat. Low heat, along with constant whisking, will keep the mixture from scorching on the bottom and making lemony scrambled eggs.
Strain your finished curd with a fine mesh strainer when putting it in a bowl. This will remove the zest and any stray bits of cooked egg or shell that may be hiding in there.
Any leftover curd can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to two weeks, or frozen for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1tablespoon | Calories: 66kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 33mg | Potassium: 9mg | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 148IU | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 0.1mg
