Simple and quick, this is the best lemon curd recipe. When lemons are in abundance in the Winter of beautiful Southern Australia, this is a great way to use a lot of lemons all at once. I know one doesn’t always want dessert recipes, or sweet recipes to use up all their lemons, but one good sweet lemon recipe doesn’t hurt 😉 Especially one that is so versatile. Scroll down to see a list of of ways to use lemon curd below.
How long does lemon curd stay fresh once made?
Lemon curd is best used within one or two weeks after being made.
How long does lemon curd last in a jar?
- In the fridge: use within one to two weeks if kept in a well sealed jar or container
- When frozen: up to one year in a well sealed jar or container
- When sealed using the water bath (canning) method: up to one year.
Ways to use Lemon Curd:
Christmas gifts:
One fabulous way to use lemon curd is to make Christmas gifts. Simply wash and store all the cute little jars over the year as you use their contents up, then come Winter, make a double or triple batch of this Lemon Curd recipe, place some in sterilised jars (I like using jars around the 200mL size, they seem cuter and more ‘gifty’ than a larger jar, and not as stingy as a tiny jar).
Lemon curd recipe ideas:
- Lemon tart
- No bake Lemon curd cheesecake jars
- Lemon cheese cake
- Lemon meringue pie
- Crepe filling
Lemon Curd Recipe
Equipment
- 1 medium saucepan
- 1 whisk
- 1 citus reamer
- 1 cup measurement
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups lemon juice remove seeds before adding juice to saucepan, this will save you having to sieve them out later
- 2.5 cups white granulated sugar
- 8 eggs you can keep 2 to 4 egg whites aside instead of using them in this recipe if you would like to use the lemon curd as filling in a lemon meringue pie.
- 500 grams unsalted butter cut into cubes or grated if you only have salted on hand, I find that doesn’t seem to affect the taste of the finished curd.
Instructions
- Combine the lemon juice and sugar in a saucepan.
- Whilst keeping on stirring (I also like to use a whisk) bring the mixture very slowly up to a gentle heat until all the sugar has dissolved.
- Once the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is warm, but not hot, nor boiling, add the butter and eggs.
- Be careful to keep stirring and not to heat the mixture too quickly or let it boil or the eggs may curdle (though I haven’t found that curdling is an issue with this recipe).
- Keep whisking (or stirring if using a spoon) until the mixture thickens into a thick custardy texture. If once cooled you think the curd needs to be a bit thicker, you can slowly bring the curd back up to the heat and cook for a further few minutes (whilst still continuing to whisk (or stir).
- Allow the lemon curd to cool if using in as a tart filling, cheesecake or lemon meringue pie. If jarring the meringue, as soon as the curd has finished cooking, place into your prepared jars and loosely tighten the lids, continuing onto the water-bath sealing method.
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