Lemon Curd

[stooriefit]

A friend made lemon curd a couple of days ago using the surplus eggs from her hens , she followed the recipe carefully but the curd separated in the jars.
Anyone tell what went wrong, and can she reheat the curd to get it to set properly?
Thanks
jock

[Rossa]

She won't be able to cook it again as it sounds like the eggs have scrambled, which means she got her mix too hot. Did she make it in a pan or in a bowl over a pan of hot water? Best in the bowl as then it doesn't get direct heat and is less likely to split/curdle.

The problem with making it the traditional way is that you need a lot of eggs to get it to set properly which is a waste when it goes wrong.

I use a delia recipe which uses a dessertspoon (I tend to use a tablespoon as we prefer a thicker set) of cornflour to stabilise the mixture and can be cooked in a pan and even simmered without any problems. You can make it with lemons, limes, raspberries or even apples. I always add some lemon juice to the raspberries or apple to bring out the flavour.

Lemon Curd - English - Recipes - from Delia Online

This recipe makes 2 x 450g plus a little bit left over. You can adjust the flavour to taste either adding more lemon or more sugar depending on how tart or sweet you like it. Keeps for weeks in the fridge. Just make sure to sterilise the jars first either in a microwave or medium oven.

[Glutton4...]

Stoooopid question; is home-made curd nice? One of my biggest hates as a child was Lemon Curd in a Jar (Made by Gales, possibly?) How does it compare?

Don't shout at me, it is a genuine enquiry!

[binley100]

I remember making lemon curd in DS at school way back when (we had to rub the lemons with sugar lumps) and from what I can remember it was wonderful.......never made it since but the Delia recipe looks good . I'm feeling very very tempted

[Hilary B]

Stoooopid question; is home-made curd nice? One of my biggest hates as a child was Lemon Curd in a Jar (Made by Gales, possibly?) How does it compare?

Don't shout at me, it is a genuine enquiry!

Well I like it!
It tastes very much like the centre of a really good Lemon Meringue Pie (and so it should, being almost exactly the same thing)

[Rossa]

Stoooopid question; is home-made curd nice? One of my biggest hates as a child was Lemon Curd in a Jar (Made by Gales, possibly?) How does it compare?

Don't shout at me, it is a genuine enquiry!

It's not a silly question. Gales was probably made with artifical colouring and flavourings to make it a cheaper product. A lot of commercial Lemon Meringue Pies or Lemon Swiss Rolls use the same sort of stuff. You can tell if it is a very bright yellow collour. Probably some E numbers in there. It's nothing like homemade which is very pale yellow almost cream coloured.

If you can't be bothered to make your own there are some better commerical ones. Tesco's Finest, Duchy Originals or if you have a local deli see if they have one like Cottage Delight or similar. Local farmers markets often have a stall selling homemade preserves or local craft fairs.

Sainsburys used to do a mega Orange Curd that was lovely and tangy but I haven't bought any for ages as I make my own now. If you can find it it is really yummy.

Making it is really easy using the Delia recipe. Because she uses the cornflour it can't go wrong (well you could burn it in the pan so keep an eye on it).

[grannymem]

I have to admit to loving lemoin curd but last year I used the River Cottage Bramley lemon Curdrecipe - delicious and easy...

450g Bramley apples, peeled, cored and chopped
Finely grated zest and juice of 2 unwaxed ¬lemons (you need 100ml strained juice)
125g unsalted butter
450g granulated sugar
4–5 large eggs, well beaten (you need 200ml beaten egg)
Makes 5 x 225g jars

1. Put the chopped apples into a pan with 100ml water and the lemon zest.
2. Cook gently until soft and fluffy, then either beat to a puree with a wooden spoon or rub through a nylon sieve.
3. Put the butter, sugar, lemon juice and ¬apple puree into a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water.
4. As soon as the butter has melted and the mixture is hot and glossy, pour in the eggs through a sieve, and whisk with a balloon whisk.
5. If the fruit puree is too hot when the beaten egg is added, the egg will “split”. Check the temperature with a sugar thermometer — it should be no higher than 55–60C when the egg is added.
6. If your curd does split, take the pan off the heat and whisk vigorously until smooth.
7. Stir the mixture over a gentle heat, ¬scraping down the sides of the bowl every few minutes, until thick and creamy.
8. This will take 9–10 minutes; the temperature should reach 82–84C on a sugar thermometer. ¬Immediately pour into jars and seal.

Use within four weeks. Once opened, keep in the fridge