Easy Traditional Lemon Curd From A Vintage 1932 Recipe
This traditional homemade lemon curd is wonderfully bright, tangy and bursting with fresh lemon flavour. Made with just four simple ingredients, it's perfect for spreading on scones, toast or using to fill cakes and desserts.
Equipment
- 1 saucepan
- 1 heatproof bowl - to sit on top of the saucepan
- 1 hand whisk
- 1 Wooden spoon
- 2 Jam Jars
- 1 fine grater or zester
- 1 lemon juicer
Ingredients
- 3 large lemons - unwaxed are best
- 3 large free range eggs
- 115 g butter (4 oz / ½ cup / 1 stick)
- 225 g sugar (8oz / 1 cup)
Instructions
- Pre heat your oven to 140℃ / 275℉. Sterilise the jam jars by washing and rinsing them thoroughly. While still wet, place them on a baking tray and into the oven for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave them in the oven until ready to use.
- Wash the lemons (if you want to use the sugar cube method mentioned in the post, rub them over the skins now)
- Put the sugar into a large heatproof bowl and finely grate the lemon zest directly onto it. Be careful to only grate the yellow skin and none of the white pith underneath as this will add bitterness to you curd
- Use your fingertips to massage the lemon zest into the sugar to release the essential oils, which will be absorbed by the sugar.
- Squeeze the lemons and add the juice to the sugar.
- Add the butter to the sugar as well as the 3 beaten eggs
- Place the bowl over a saucepan of lightly simmering water and gently whisk until the sugar has dissolved and the butter melted. Dont be tempted to have too much heat underneath the bowl as this will cook the eggs too fast and you'll end up with lemony scrambled eggs!
- As the mixture blends together change over to a wooden spoon and keep stiring for 10 - 15 minutes. The mixture will thicken as it gently cooks and will be ready when it's well thickened and coats the back of the spoon. This can be tested by carefully running your finger over the back of the spoon, it should leave a clean line through the mixture that doesn't fill back in.
- Remove the jam jars from the oven and spoon in the hot lemon curd. Place the lids on the jars and leave to cool. The lemon curd will thicken further when it's cold.
- Store the jars in the fridge where they will keep for 2-3 weeks
