Use fresh farm eggs for the most gorgeous color! Simple ingredients, quick prep, freezer friendly; Easy Lemon Curd. You’ve got this!
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Homemade Lemon Curd, SO Worth It
My first experience with lemon curd was in classic lemon bars. I didn’t know it at the time, but that didn’t matter. What did matter was the creamy, smooth, custardy texture I experienced. I fell head over heels in love.
For so long I thought lemon curd was hard to make and/or not worth the time. After all, it’s right there in the store, on the shelf. Why not just buy it there? But after making homemade lemon curd, I never brought it from the store again.
Why?
It’s so easy to whip up at home and stores with ease in the freezer, so it’s always handy when you need it. Homemade makes the most flavor-rich, silky, creamy, and buttery lemon curd ever. Plus, lemons are in season and the hens are laying again. That means it’s time to make curd!
Prairie Bottom Farm hens have been on a several month hiatus due to the short winter days and all the rain. One would have to do a doubletake seeing them wade through the water. It was as if they’d morphed into ducks if only for a brief period of time. Those girls lay the most vibrant golden-yolked eggs which makes a beautiful curd.
If you can find local eggs, it’s worth the effort. Local Harvest can help you locate them and other local produce you may be after.
Ingredients for Easy Lemon Curd
- Cane Sugar
- Lemon Zest
- Lemon Juice – fresh
- Eggs
- Butter
Quick Guide: How to Make Lemon Curd
This whips up in about 20 minutes. It’s so easy and fast, and makes great gifts for any occasion. People will think you’re all fancy schmancy making homemade lemon curd. We’ll keep the secret between us as to how easy it is to make. Here’s how to do it (see recipe card for details):
- First, set up a bain marie (aka double boiler – it’s easy!)
- Second, whisk the sugar, zest, and lemon juice together. Working quickly, add the eggs and whisk briskly until all the ingredients are incorporated.
- Next, add all the butter at once and set in the bain marie, bowl touching the water, continuing to whisk every minute or so for about 13-15 minutes or until the curd reaches 170F (77C).
- Last, coat the back of a metal spoon with the curd and run your finger through it (let it cool a bit before you do this!). If the curd stays in place on the spoon and does not run.. it’s ready!
You’ll find many ways to enjoy it too, from slathering it on Dutch Babies, Sourdough Biscuits, shortbread, French toast, or filling a cake with it to swirling it into ice-cream, buttercream, ricotta, or making a tart or lemon bars with it. Or, sneak it into cute little Blueberry Lemon Curd Hand Pies!
The possibilities are endless.
If you’ve not made lemon curd, I hope you’ll give this a go. What’s your favorite way to enjoy lemon curd?
Easy Lemon Curd Recipe
Ingredients
- 3/4 C Organic Cane Sugar 166g
- Zest of 2 Lemons
- 1/2 C Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice 130g
- 2 Large Organic Eggs straight from the farm if you can!
- 1/2 C Unsalted Butter 114g
Instructions
- Set up a bain marie (AKA double boiler). If you have a double boiler, use it. If not, here's how you make a bain marie. Fill a medium pot of water 1/2 way and bring that water to a slow simmer (not boiling). You'll need to be able to fit a smaller pot into the larger pot with the curd ingredients in the smaller pot. The simmering water cooks the curd slowly and gently. The smaller pot should be stable as well because you'll be stirring.
- Have ready a fine mesh strainer and a bowl for straining the curd into.
- After the water is simmering, in the smaller pot off the heat, whisk the sugar, zest, and lemon juice together. Working quickly, add the eggs and whisk briskly until all the ingredients are incorporated. Add all the butter at once and set in the bain marie, bowl touching the water, continuing to whisk every minute or so for about 13-15 minutes or until the curd reaches 170F (77C). If you don't have a thermometer, you can cook it for about 15 minutes and notice how it thickens. Coat the back of a metal spoon with the curd and run your finger through it (let it cool a bit before you do this!). If the curd stays in place on the spoon and does not run.. it's ready!You'll want to whisk enough to cook the curd evenly and throughly. You will probably see some cooked egg.. and a bit is okay because it will be strained out.
- Strain the curd and discard the solids. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd and refrigerate. It will thicken as it cools.
- Once cool, transfer to lidded storage jars. Refrigerate for up to one week or freeze for up to six months (it won't last that long!).
I am making your recipe. I was wondering how much it yeilds (in cups) your recipe only indicates 6 servings. I’m using it in another recipe. Can you help? Thank you.
Hi Bridget! The recipe yields 3/4 C (472g). I hope this helps!
Can this lemon curd be used in Mimi hand pies
Hi Keith! Easily… try it in my blueberry hand pies https://vanillaandbean.com/blueberry-lemon-curd-hand-pies/ !
I saw this post for lemon cured way back in February and wanted to make it to use in my husband’s birthday cake in September. I have gluten-free white cake that I developed and like to do different things with it. For this birthday cake, I decided to make the curd and then layer the cake. Having never made lemon curd before, I wasn’t sure how it would come out. The recipe was really good and it came our perfectly. I cannot eat butter, but I has a very small taste – WOW – super flavorful and lemon. LOVED IT. We had a little birthday celebration for my husband in Copenhagen (we are Americans that are currently living in Denmark). Our Danish friends LOVED the cake – and noted the “lemon” flavor (which was the curd) many times! They did a lot of “ohhh, and ahhhh” with their eyes closed a tilt of the head. They said, “It was the best lemon anything” they’d ever had. I packed up a piece for each of them which they gladly took home and said they would eat for breakfast. I take birthdays very seriously. I love them and think it’s important to properly celebrate with loved ones and a nice cake. Thank you for making my husband’s cake super special with this lemon curd. Super recipe and a beautiful, beautiful blog post.
I made my first lemon curd in the 70-ties. Must been in the age 12 to 15. Lickeing the pan clean was my first action. Making toast the second. As I have a big brother I think there was no residues….
Now i feel a bit unhappy as there is no lemons in the cupboard. But there is some blood oranges!
Greetings from Sala, Sweden
Hey Maria! Blood Oranges? Do IT!! So good and an easy swap! So young making curd, you must have been in a family of cooks. And your big brother… no doubt there were no residues! Thank you for stopping by, all the way from Sweden! :D
Hi Tracy! I’m twelve and I am inspired by your recipes! I am currently loving this lemon curd. I made it by myself successfully!
Hi May! Yay YOU! Thank you for sharing your success with us and your kind words! :D
Gorgeous Traci! As always :) Lemon curd is my most favorite sweet thing. I don’t make it too often cuz I eat ALL OF IT! Im not kidding…
Thank you Julie! Oh I know! I took a few dips, gave one jar away and quickly threw the other in the freezer for future dipping… It’s easy to do… eat all of it!! I hear yoU! :D
I don’t think I’ve ever had lemon curd! I’m sure I would remember it if I had. It sounds delicious and I can imagine the ways you can use it are endless. Hopefully you’ll share a recreation of those lemon bars next! ;)
Also, I have to say that I love that you take the time to source your eggs locally, from what sounds like pasture-raised hens. My work schedule doesn’t allow me to visit any of the nearby farms but thankfully Whole Foods sells some from our local farmers so I can buy them there. If only everyone would purchase their eggs locally, we could rid of the horrid factory farms!
Lemon bars? Oh my, sounds sooo good! Agreed, Sarah. Those hens are pasture raised, over 20 acres of free roaming. They are the sweetest flock pecking and scratching in the compost heap, between rows of beans and kale, chasing each other around… and are carefully tended to. So happy to hear you have access to local eggs. I hear about more and more people raising backyard chickens for pets and eggs around the greater Seattle area. This is a good thing… but factory farms are horrid. I go without unless I know where they’re coming from… and I’m grateful for the local farms where I live who raise pasture hens, I can visit anytime and get to know them. I’m glad to see the industry shifting… however we’ve such a long way to go.
I love lemon curd any way, any day, and I know it’s a cliche, but all I need is a spoon!
No cliche at all, Sue! I’ll take a spoon too please! :D
Turned out beautifully. I had a thermometer and that helped, but I also used the spoon method Traci suggested. I doubled the recipe. I had so many lemons. It was so yummy I scraped the bowl clean after filling my jars. I do have fresh eggs from our Buff Orpingtons. I noticed a few posted about the lack of eggs in winter. We put a nice heat lamp that comes on at 5am to help them lay better. They ladies think it is still summer.
Outstanding Juli! Thank you for sharing ! I saw the gorgeous color your ladies produced on IG and wow… just stunning! I bet the warmth of the lamp makes them want to stay near the coup. So happy you enjoyed the recipe my dear! :D
Our chickens are also currently on hiatus, but once Spring rolls around you can bet I will be trying this out. Truly gorgeous, I’ve been wanting to try making my own Lemon Curd and just haven’t gotten around to it, can’t wait to finally make it!! :)
Thank you Sam! It’s good that they have a break… the natural cycle of their lives. I’ve missed them so much though. I hope you enjoy the recipe my dear! :D
Looks so nice ♥ Love the jar too ♥
summerdaisy.net
Thank you Summer! It’s a Ball jar… I use them like mad.. even to drink out of! :D
LOVE lemon curd, didn’t know it could be frozen though. Thanks for that tip. I love this on pancakes, tarts and with strawberries! The photos are beauties sandlike you said, that yellow yolk, wow!
Oh yes! It freezes beautifully Kevin! Oooo.. on strawberries! I didn’t think of it! Oh those hens at the farm lay quite beautiful eggs… so golden and vibrant. :D
You have convinced me to give lemon curd a go! The idea of creating something this luxurious from scratch, especially with the idea to give away as gifts, really appeals to me! Love this Traci! Just gorgeous!
Oh my Annie… you’ll love this and it’s so easy!! You’ll wonder why you never made it before! :D
Traci! I am so excited for tomorrow’s post! Also, so happy this recipe is up! I plan to do a lot with it! Ha! It was THAT good!
Hehe.. me too Holly! I’m so happy you enjoy it! :D I made more and crammed it into the freezer. It’s so packed! :D
I love homemade lemon curd… well any flavor of curd really! Store bought can’t hold a candle to the homemade kind, plus it’s so easy there isn’t an excuse to not make your own! I can’t wait to try yours because it looks fabulously silky, smooth, creamy and totally dreamy… overall perfection! Cheers, my dear friend! XO
No doubt, Chey! Curd for daaaayyyysss! I made orange curd last year and OMGeeeee. I figure one curd per year will just about do me in… so I will skip orange this year! Thank you my dear! xo
I’ve made lemon curd before (and yes, totally worth those extra few minutes to make your own), but never thought to give away as gifts before. Marvelous idea, Traci! I love your cute little jars. And I haven’t had a lemon bar in ages, but those are always a favorite. :)
No doubt, extra few is all it takes.. that’s what I love about it Emily. Oh yes, people love it as gifts, like for housewarming, birthday, hostess gift… I just freeze it and hand them this frozen jar, hehe! Ooo those lemon bars.. I’ve not either, Emily… I’m in the mood! :D
I love easy recipes, Traci – and this one looks fantastic. Do you think it would work with meyer lemons? My neighbors tree is overflowing with meyer lemons and I could borrow a few. I also have a regular lemon tree so if meyer lemons don’t work I could always use those. Thanks!
Yes, yes!! Whatever lemons you have and local is always best! Go hoard those lemons and make lots of lemon curd, Geraldine! I’d loooove to grab some of those lemons off your neighbors tree! That is fabulous they share! xo
I made homemade lemon curd for the first time last year, and I was ASTONISHED by how easy it is. I will never go back either :)
Right on Emma!! Agreed! It’s the best! :D