Easy Lemon Curd Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do I know if my lemon curd is thick enough? ›

Lemon Curd should thick enough to coat the back of a spoon when it's hot and should thicken up to pudding-like consistency when it's chilled. The curd can take up to 10 minutes to thicken to the consistency of pourable pudding, so be patient (remember it will thicken more once it cools).

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.

If your lemon curd hasn't thickened, it may not have been heated enough. It can take up to 30 minutes of constant stirring to cook lemon curd, especially if it's a large batch. Remember that curd will thicken more once cooled. If your cooled curd is not thick enough, you can reheat it to thicken.

Heating milk before adding the yogurt starter ensures that only the beneficial bacteria is cultured. 2. Heating the milk creates a firm spoonable yogurt. At 195°F / 91°C the structure of the whey proteins become denatured and open up.

The time that the milk takes to convert into curd depends on the temperature. In a warm, hot and humid climate, the time taken for the curd to set will be 4 to 7 hours. Whereas in a cool or cold climate, the time taken can be 8 to 12 hours.

Don't be tempted to use bottled lemon juice of any kind as it'll be far too acidic and will ruin the flavor. You'll know the curd is ready when it noticeably thickens in consistency and coats the back of a wooden spoon. Keep the heat low, don't turn it up to quicken the process or the eggs will scramble.

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.

A metallic aftertaste is usually the consequence of the lemon curd coming into contact with a metal (especially while it's hot). This could be a metal whisk, a metal bowl, a metal (or metal-coated) saucepan, or a metal sieve.

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.

If the curd changes color, has a significant change in texture (such as lumpiness or wateriness), or if it has an unpleasant smell, you should assume that it has gone bad and dispose of the remaining curd instead of eating it.

Can you freeze home made lemon curd? ›

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.

Why did my lemon tart crack? The oven was either too hot or the tart was baked for too long. I recommend using an oven thermometer for baking to determine if your oven temperature is accurate.

Lemon curd is one of those fillings that is really versatile. It uniquely offers a sour note to desserts that can be too sweet, and give you something that is really balanced.

If you have your heat too high you will curdle your eggs and have white bits in your curd. If you do, don't worry too much about it, you can still eat it as is, and you won't really notice a difference in the flavor, you just won't have that perfectly smooth texture.

Now say you're out of yogurt, then all you have to do is mix some green chili peppers (with the stalk on, bottom cut off) or fresh lemon juice with lukewarm milk. Cover & let it set for 12 hours. This becomes the first batch and can be used as a “starter”.

When lemon juice is added to milk it curdles, a process of coagulation. The pH of milk is 6.8 and that of lemon is 3.5 due to the presence of citric acid. As the pH of the milk drops upon adding lemon, the milk curdles i.e the casein protein molecules attract one another forming curdles.

Scroll down to read about the combinations one should avoid and why. Lemon has citric acid, which when paired directly with milk or other dairy products may react and lead to curdling and spoil the texture. Apart from that, consuming the two can trigger acidic reactions and cause severe heartburn and acidity.