Easy Lemon Curd Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is lemon curd the same as lemon pudding? ›

It was also called lemon cheese. While curd resembles pudding or custard, the difference lies in the way it's thickened. Custards and puddings rely on cornstarch, milk and cream, while eggs are the primary thickener for curd, making it lighter and brighter.

Lemon curd will last up to 2 weeks in the fridge, so it is great to make it in advance when you need it to fill cakes and pastries.

The main difference lies in the ingredients used. Lemon curd typically contains eggs and butter, giving it a rich and creamy texture, while lemon pie filling often uses cornstarch or flour as a thickening agent, resulting in a firmer texture suitable for pies.

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.

As a topping, lemon curd is the perfect complement for everything from scones and pancakes to cheesecake and ice cream. It also works well as a filling — consider using it in crepes, pastries, tarts, or in between cake layers. Of course, we wouldn't judge you if you ate it with a spoon.

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.

Your lemon curd could get chunky and grainy if you let it overcook. One thing you should remember while making lemon curd is that you should never let it reach a point where it starts boiling. The ideal temperature for lemon curd is 170 degrees Fahrenheit, and it shouldn't cross that.

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 few reasons to why your lemon curd may not be setting properly are not having enough eggs in the curd, too much liquid/ lemon juice, not enough sugar, not cooked long enough, scrambled eggs, and sometimes too much butter.

If you like extra thick curd, you can add an extra whole egg or egg yolk to your recipe. If you want a thinner, more pourable curd, reduce the amount of egg in your recipe.

Why do you boil milk before making curd? ›

1. Pour milk of choice into a double boiler and heat to 180°F. This will kill competing bacteria, and the whey proteins will denature and coagulate to enhance the viscosity and texture of the final product. Maintain temperature for 10 minutes for thinner yogurt, 20 minutes for thicker yogurt.

Sugar (either caster/superfine or granulated will work).

The sugar plays two roles here: it balances out the tartness of the lemon juice and also helps prevent the egg yolks from curdling.

Thus, the curdling of milk is due to the coagulation of micelles of casein protein. Thus, milk curdles when lemon juice is added. This is coagulation. Thus, the correct answer is option (B) coagulation.

Citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruits, and lemons are high in acidity. Combined with curd, which is also acidic, it can lead to an imbalance in pH levels in the stomach. This may result in indigestion, heartburn, or an upset stomach.

It's kept in jars and sold in the jam aisle of the supermarket. Yet technically, lemon curd is more of a thick custard than a traditional preserve.

What is the difference between curd and jam? Fruit curds are distinctly different from jams, since curds are made by cooking down fruit juice with sugar rather than the whole fruit. The result is a creamier spread.

Ingredients to Make Lemon Pudding

I like to use organic lemons when using the zest. Sugar: Granulated sugar sweetens your lemon pudding and enhances the lemon flavor. Milk: I like to use whole milk for the creamiest lemon pudding, but 2% fat milk will work, too. Heavy cream: For the richest, creamiest pudding.

Lemon curd is a spread made out of fresh lemon juice, eggs, sugar, zest, and butter. The eggs in the recipe thicken the mixture, giving it a custard-like consistency. It's often used as a dessert topping or spread for cakes, cookies, tarts, etc. Serve this over Sponge Cake, with Strawbery Scones or Crepes.