295629 Wed Jan 07 12:22:28 -0800 2004 19 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1625289 Anyone have a killer recipe for lemon curd? I'm willing to splurge on Meyer lemons (although it pains me to pay NYC prices for them, when I used to get them for free off my neighbor's trees in SF...) Also, can you can lemon curd like jam, or is it strictly a refrigerate-and-eat-within-a-week sort of item? I've made it before, but never tried to keep it for any length of time. Wed Jan 07 12:22:28 -0800 2004 0 dixieday 1 1625298 I've found that lemon curd can last up to about 3 weeks, though I usually finish it before then. I start with a half cup of lemon juice and about 3 tablespoons of zest which usually takes 3-4 lemons (wash off the wax first). Put 2 whole eggs plus 2 yolks in a pan with 3/4 cup of sugar and whisk thoroughly. Add lemon juice and zest and 5 tbs butter and set over medium heat and stir constantly. As soon as it starts to bubble, remove from heat and strain into a jar. I first got excited about lemon curd after reading a short essay by Melissa Pasanen in the Art of Eating, from which the above recipe is paraphrased. Link: http://www.artofeating.com Wed Jan 07 12:46:20 -0800 2004 1625289 0 Tom Meg 1 1625302 As far as canning goes, I asked the question here a while back (see link below) and the answer was "no, not acidic enough." I did some more reading and found that it's pretty much universally accepted that lemon curd cannot be canned at home for long term shelf storage, but that kept covered in a refrigerator it'll keep between 1 to 2 months. I decided to make it and put it in sterilized (boiled) canning jars, kept them cold, and told the recipients to also keep them cold and eat it within a month. A few days ago I saw a commercial lemon curd in a store that said nothing about refrigeration, included nothing beyond what I had put in mine (i.e., no citric acid, sodium benzoate, or other preservative), and had no printed expiration date. So it's possible to do it somehow, but it's just not something I'm going to experiment with at home! I've used the recipe from John Ash's "From The Earth To The Table" on several occasions and had good results: not too sweet, nor too tart. I don't have it with me now, but I'll try to remember to get it and post later. In his recipe, Ash says it'll keep in the fridge for one month. -Nick Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/295352#1622969 Wed Jan 07 13:03:47 -0800 2004 1625289 0 nja 1 1625305 My recipe for lemon curd comes from Rose Levy Berebaum. It's a good lemon curd, but I've yet to find what I consider the "absolute best" lemon curd. Believe it or not, Trader Joe's lemon curd is still my all time favorite -- better than my own homemade!!!! This is a rarity for me -- a packaged product that is better than the fresh homemade variety, but, there it is. Have you ever made lemon curd with Meyers before? Feel free to go ahead and try it, but, having done it myself, I'd caution against it. Meyers are wonderful, fantastic fruits, but they are not the best for curd because they don't have the sharp acidity of the Eurekas. I love Meyers for many uses, but I've found that they don't deliver as powerful a lemon punch as Eurekas do. Meyers have a more delicate bouquet, and the orange-tangerine undertones which are really lost in the boiling process of making curd. I'd save Meyers for delicate things like mousses and for adding to a finished sauce, or for eating or for great no-sugar-added lemonade. Also Bill Yoss has a fantastic recipe for Meyer lemon pound cake that showcases the unique qualities of the fruit. I eat Meyers out of hand, with a little sugar (don't laugh, I'm pregnant, and it tastes good to me right now. It may not in a few months :) Of course, this is a matter of taste. I prefer a lemon curd with a really strong and forward lemon presence, which no amount of Meyer lemon can provide, in my experience. You may like a more mellow lemon curd, in which case Meyer may be more to your liking. But don't expect that lovely oranginess of the the Meyer to come through in your finished curd. It never has for me, no matter how much juice and rind from Meyers I've added. If you've made lemon curd with or without Meyers before I may be preaching to the choir. If you've never made it at home before, save yourself some money and make it with Eurekas first. Meyers are pretty dear to use in something that doesn't showcase its flavors accurately. Just my 2 cents -- I'll be interested to hear other opinions. Also -- if anyone has a better-than-Rose's recipe, I'd love to hear. Wed Jan 07 13:10:18 -0800 2004 1625289 0 Mrs. Smith 2 1625323 I agree on not using Meyer lemons for lemon curd. I have my own Meyer lemon tree in the backyard. The lemons are not tart enough to use for a good lemon curd in my opinion. Just moy opinion though. John Wed Jan 07 13:58:57 -0800 2004 1625305 0 RibDog 2 1625348 I would have the same instincts as Mrs. Smith when it comes to the Meyer v. regular lemons for lemon curd. I find that homemade lemon curd is better than bought lemon curd mostly because of its tartness. I've never tried Rose's recipe, but I love Nigella Lawson's recipe in How to Eat. Link: http://www.livejournal.com/users/amuses Wed Jan 07 15:21:13 -0800 2004 1625305 0 Caitlin Wheeler 2 1625384 Mrs. Smith, you're the lemon diva! Have you ever made sorbet with Meyer lemons? If so, what was the result? Wed Jan 07 17:23:25 -0800 2004 1625305 0 raj1 3 1625392 I've made sorbet with Meyer lemons and it was divine. However you do need to use a higher ratio of fruit to sugar and water than you would with Eureka lemons, again because they are less tart and the flavors are more delicate. Wed Jan 07 17:44:53 -0800 2004 1625384 0 Ruth Lafler 3 1625401 I made some Meyer lemon sherbet this past weekend. It was awesome. The recipe came from the same John Ash book I mentioned elsewhere in this thread (only he calls it sorbet, which I think is incorrect given the ingredients), except this one I remember. The following is actually doubled from the published recipe, and it just filled my 4qt maker: Mix and freeze in an ice cream maker: - 2 quarts half-and-half - 2 cups Meyer lemon juice - 6 tbsp finely chopped Meyer lemon zest - 2 1/2 cups sugar - 1/4 tsp salt - 1/8 tsp finely chopped thyme* *the last item was my own modification. It adds a great herbal note to the sherbet, though I'm sure it'll be just fine without. I would have used lemon thyme if I had any, which I'm sure would be better, but I just used the regular thyme I already had on hand. -Nick Wed Jan 07 18:04:15 -0800 2004 1625384 0 nja 3 1625403 I've never made one with Meyers -- but I have made one with Eureka lemons and limoncella that was fantastic. I only make sorbets occasionally. Thanks for the tip -- I'll bet Meyer sorbet is fantastic. Wed Jan 07 18:09:29 -0800 2004 1625384 0 Mrs. Smith 2 1625406 I've never made lemon curd from Meyers, but I have used them to make truly sublime lemon meringue pie and lemon bars. Thanks for the advice, though--I might try a mix of eurekas and meyers and see how that works. Wed Jan 07 18:22:36 -0800 2004 1625305 0 dixieday 1 1625320 I've only made lemon curd once, but I was so happy with the recipe I used I'd return to it without bothering to try others. It's from Alton Brown, link below. Link: http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_133,00.html Wed Jan 07 13:50:11 -0800 2004 1625289 0 DanM 1 1625339 This recipe makes enough lemon curd for a 9½-inch tart. It’s from Cook’s Illustrated. I've only ever used it for the tart and it is just delicious. I don't know how long it would keep. In a medium non-reactive bowl, whisk together 7 large egg yolks and 2 whole large eggs until combined, about 5 seconds. Add 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar and whisk until just combined, about 5 seconds. Add 2/3 cup lemon juice, 1/4 cup finely grated zest and a pinch of salt; whisk until combined, about 5 seconds. Transfer mixture to medium non-reactive saucepan, add 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with wooden spoon, until curd thickens to thin sauce-like consistency and registers 170° on an instant-read thermometer, about 5 minutes. Immediately pour curd through single-mesh stainless steel strainer set over clean non-reactive bowl. Stir in 3 tablespoons heavy cream. Wed Jan 07 14:50:42 -0800 2004 1625289 0 Deenso 1 1625341 I've used the linked recipe from Epicurious with excellent results. I doubled the recipe to use up lemons from my tree and froze the extra. I think it stayed in my freezer for a couple months, and it was just fine when I defrosted it and used it for a tart. Link: http://food.epicurious.com/run/recipe/view?id=104920 Wed Jan 07 14:56:34 -0800 2004 1625289 0 kjhart 1 1625370 This is perfect - and I think I've tried 'em all. Paraphrased from Lori Longbotham's Luscious Lemon Desserts(everything I've tried in the book is a winner): In a heavy-bottomed sauceoan over med. heat melt 1/4 lb. unsalted butter. Remove the pan from the burner and whisk in 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, 3 tablespoon's worth of finely grated lemon zest and a smidge of salt. Back on the heat, cook and whisk constantly(do not bring to boil) until thickened and curd will leave a track on the back of a spoon. Strain and cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally to release heat. Refrigerate. Wed Jan 07 16:34:16 -0800 2004 1625289 0 Heidi Claire 2 1625371 Wait! Before you start juicing and zesting, I realized that I left out a critical ingredient - after whisking in the sugar, juice, etc., you MUST whisk in the yolks of six large eggs! Proceed from there....I wish there was some way to return and edit posts. Wed Jan 07 16:40:27 -0800 2004 1625370 0 Heidi Claire 1 1625412 I've linked to a lemon tart thread from a few weeks ago; GGMora, IIRC, recommended RL Berenbaum as well, and Francois Payard's recipe, too. Her post, unfortunately, encouraged me to overuse the phrase "ne plus ultra" for the next few days ;-) Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/295315#1622610 Wed Jan 07 18:36:03 -0800 2004 1625289 0 GreenStreetThrill 2 1625484 Thanks...It's always nice to hear that someone's listening! Thu Jan 08 10:48:39 -0800 2004 1625412 0 GG Mora 1 1625419 Try lots of meyer zest with regular lemon juice.It's all about the zest!This is my curd recipe,a mixture of good tips on curd from over the years..and by the way curd is made from barely cooked eggs-no longer than a weeks' storage!whisk 6 eggs+6 yolks+1 cup sugar together.Add 1 cup lemon juice+the zest of 6-8 lemons to the mix.Whisk over gently boiling water until opaque,and a little thick.Fine strain,stir in a pinch of salt,and cool slightly.Cut 4 ounces room temp. butter into small pieces,and gradually stir in to curd.You do not want the curd to be hot enough to melt the butter,rather you are emulsifying it into the curd.Cool finished curd in a metal container. Wed Jan 07 18:55:40 -0800 2004 1625289 0 M.K. 1 1625450 I second the motion for the lemon curd on Epicurious that uses whole eggs as opposed to just yolks. Makes for a better balanced curd, in my opinion. I freeze it in small Ball jars (six or so ounces) and find it is as good in six months as when it is freshly made. Don't know about longer than that, though, as it is used up by then. I think Meyer lemons are good for certain things, but not for lemon curd, as they are too mild for this use, in my opinion. Thu Jan 08 00:29:31 -0800 2004 1625289 0 Jeremy Newel