Making Fresh Fruit Curds
A good curd relies on patience and temperature control. It is less about a recipe and more about watching the eggs transform the bright fruit juice into something substantial.
Control the heat or scramble the eggs
Keep your heat low and your whisk moving. If you rush the eggs, you will have bits of cooked egg white in your finished jar.
- heavy-bottomed non-reactive saucepan
- fine-mesh sieve
- whisk
- silicone spatula
What goes in.
- 1/2 cupfreshly squeezed fruit juice (lemon, lime, or passionfruit)
- 1 tbspfruit zest
- 3/4 cupgranulated sugar
- 2large eggs
- 2large egg yolks
- 6 tbspcold unsalted butter, cubed
Watching for the coat
Dip a metal spoon into the pot; when the curd is thick enough to hold a clean line when you swipe your finger across the back of the spoon, it is finished.
The method.
Combine the base
Whisk the juice, zest, sugar, whole eggs, and yolks in the saucepan until completely blended.
Cook gently
Place the pan over low heat. Stir continuously with a silicone spatula, reaching into the corners of the pan to prevent the bottom from setting.
Thicken
After about 10 minutes, the mixture will thicken. When it reaches the nappe stage, pull it off the heat immediately.
Emulsify
Whisk the cold butter into the hot curd, one cube at a time, until the mixture is glossy and smooth.
Strain and chill
Pass the curd through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl to remove any zest or accidental bits of cooked egg. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming and refrigerate until set.
Other turns to take.
Citrus blend
Mix grapefruit and lime juice for a sharper, more complex profile.
Stone fruit
Puree blanched peaches or plums and substitute for half the juice volume.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Always use a non-reactive pan like stainless steel; aluminum will give the curd a metallic taste.
Do not skip the straining step, even if the curd looks smooth to the naked eye.
If you accidentally scramble the eggs, you can save the batch by blending it with an immersion blender before straining.
The ones that keep coming up.
How long does it stay fresh?
Keep it in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Can I reduce the sugar?
Sugar provides body and acts as a preservative. Reducing it significantly will result in a thinner, less stable curd.
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