The Best Lemon Curd Food

THE BEST LEMON CURD

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, stir together lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, and salt. Set over medium heat and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the sugar and salt have dissolved.
• Meanwhile, in a medium bowl beat together 3 eggs and 4 egg yolks. Whisk it very well.
• When the liquid on the stove is ready, slowly pour some of it into the bowl with the eggs, whisking constantly. I usually pour in about half, but you can do more or less. This is called tempering the eggs.
• Return the pot to the stove and add the rest of the eggs while stirring. If you don't stir you may curdle your eggs.
• Continue to whisk pretty constantly over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened. When you drag your whisk over the top of the mixture, it should leave marks.
• Pour the curd through a mesh strainer into a new bowl (or the same one, washed). Unless you are an expert curd maker, you will probably have a few solid egg pieces in there, which is totally okay! Just strain them out.
• Stir the chopped butter into the lemon curd until it's completely melted. This is a good time for a large spoonful of hot lemon curd.
• Press a square of plastic wrap directly on top of the lemon curd. If you just cover the bowl, you will get a film on your curd.
• Refrigerate until cold, about 2-4 hours. It will thicken up some as it cools.
• Transfer to a tupperware. Keeps for 1-2 weeks.

MARTHA STEWART'S CA. 1995 BEST LEMON CURD

Steps:

• Beat the egg yolks until well blended and lemon yellow in colour. Strain the egg yolks through a sieve into a medium-size heavy saucepan. (Sieving removes any shells or albumen; heavy saucpan prevents curdling.).
• Add the sugar and lemon juice, stir to combine, and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for about 10-15 minutes. DO NOT HURRY THE PROCESS OR THE EGGS WILL CURDLE!
• Cook until the mixture coats the back of a wooden spoon. Remove from heat and immediately pour through another sieve to catch any "scrambled egg bits". Pour into a heat proof 4 cup measuring cup and stir in the cold butter pieces, which cools down the mixture quickly.
• Add the rind, continue stirring until well-blended.
• Transfer to whatever storage container you want: either a large one or several samll ones.
• Shelf Life: MUST BE REFRIGERATED! Keeps 2 weeks.
• Variations:.
• Lime Curd: substitute lime juice and increase grated lime peel to 2 tablespoons.
• Orange Curd: Use orange juice, decrease sugar to 2/3 cup. 1 tablespoon orange peel.
• Grapefruit Curd: Use grapefruit juice, same sugar and zest as lemon curd.

LEMON CURD

Steps:

• Using a carrot peeler, remove the zest of 3 lemons, being careful to avoid the white pith. Put the zest in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the sugar and pulse until the zest is very finely minced into the sugar.
• Cream the butter and beat in the sugar and lemon mixture. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and then add the lemon juice and salt. Mix until combined.
• Pour the mixture into a 2 quart saucepan and cook over low heat until thickened (about 10 minutes), stirring constantly. The lemon curd will thicken at about 170 degrees F, or just below simmer. Remove from the heat and cool or refrigerate.

LEMON CURD

Steps:

• Add enough water to a medium saucepan to come about 1-inch up the side. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, combine egg yolks and sugar in a medium size metal bowl and whisk until smooth, about 1 minute. Measure citrus juice and if needed, add enough cold water to reach 1/3 cup. Add juice and zest to egg mixture and whisk smooth. Once water reaches a simmer, reduce heat to low and place bowl on top of saucepan. (Bowl should be large enough to fit on top of saucepan without touching the water.) Whisk until thickened, approximately 8 minutes, or until mixture is light yellow and coats the back of a spoon. Remove promptly from heat and stir in butter a piece at a time, allowing each addition to melt before adding the next. Remove to a clean container and cover by laying a layer of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

PERFECT LEMON CURD

Steps:

• In a 2 quart saucepan, combine lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar, eggs, and butter. Cook over medium-low heat until thick enough to hold marks from whisk, and first bubble appears on surface, about 6 minutes.

THE EASIEST LEMON CURD

Steps:

• Put the butter in a large (at least 6 cup) microwave-safe glass bowl or measuring cup. Set your microwave on 50 percent power and melt the butter, about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.
• Pour butter into a blender and add lemon zest, juice, sugar, eggs, egg yolk and salt. Blend until smooth. Pour mixture into the same glass bowl you melted the butter in. (You don't need to wash it.)
• Microwave the curd mixture, on full power, in 1-minute intervals for 5 minutes. Whisk furiously between intervals, especially around the edges of the bowl. It should start to thicken. (If it looks like it's starting to thicken before 5 minutes, stop and continue to the next step; microwaves can vary.)
• Reduce power to 70 percent and continue to microwave for another 1 to 2 minutes, whisking every 30 seconds, until the curd thickens enough to coat a spoon, and looks slightly puffed and spongy. (It will continue to thicken as it chills.) An instant-read thermometer should register 180 degrees.
• Whisk well and inspect the curd. If you think there are any coagulated bits of egg, strain curd through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Or if it looks smooth, you can leave it in its current bowl. Press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface to create an airtight seal and let the curd cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until cold, at least 3 hours.