Just before we left the states, I decided that homemade lemon curd is too hard to make. I mean, it actually isn’t at all. It’s actually super easy.
But people feel like they gotta make it all complicated and scary. It’s not.
I repeat, it’s not complicated. It’s not scary.
Don’t believe me? Read on.
This perfectly smooth, perfectly creamy, perfectly tart lemon curd, that I made at home, took all of about 30 minutes. And it only took that long because I’m easily distracted.
Seriously. Juice and zest a couple of lemons, stir up some eggs and yolks, add the lemony goodness and some sugar, cook and stir, stir and cook, add some butter, and press through a fine mesh sieve.
That’s an important step, the pressing through the sieve part. Not all recipes will include this step, which is a shame, because, frankly, it hides a lot of boo boos, should they occur. By pressing the finished curd through a sieve, you separate out any bits of egg that might have scrambled a bit during the cooking process. Don’t be discouraged if you get a few bits of egg – it happens stupid easily. Once you press it, though, it’s all good. 
Once the curd has been pressed through, transfer it to a clean, dry container that can be closed with an airtight seal, and allow it to cool completely. Once cooled, the curd stays good for up to a week in the refrigerator.
Toldja is was easy, didn’t I? And guess what?! Next week, I’m gonna give you an irresistibly delicious cookie recipe to use this bit of perfection in. Cause I love ya.
Make this curd this weekend, so you’ll have it ready for those cookies. Trust me.
Enjoy!
Homemade Lemon Curd
Ingredients
2 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
pinch of salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
In a medium saucepan, whisk together the egg yolks and the whole eggs until combined. Add the lemon juice, zest, and a pinch of salt and mix until just combined. Add the sugar and whisk until combined, then set over medium heat. Add the butter pieces and stir the mixture constantly until all of the butter melts and the mixture thickens to a jelly-like consistency, and reaches about 170 degrees.
Remove the curd from the heat and pour into a fine mesh sieve set over a clean glass bowl. Use a spoon to help push the mixture through the sieve, if necessary. Allow to cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Recipe by Darla
Must try this. Thanks for posting
So pretty! And you are right, I didnt know it was easy. Cant wait to see the cookie!
You know how I feel about lemon curd, so GIMME.
I will have to retry lemon curd. I think I cooked it for too long before and although it was tasty it was near impossible to spread!
I love lemon curd, and this recipe is lovely. Totally trying this!
You can also cheat and microwave the curd…just take it out and stir every 30 sec. or so. Looks beautiful!
Oh I love Lemon Curd. My Husband loves it and I make it on a regular basis. Then I go on and make Cupcakes and fill them with his godess. Or make Lemon Tarte. I just love this stuff. Everybody should have at least one glass of it in the fridge!
Nothing compares to homemade lemon curd. It goes in so many things.. and late at night it goes beautifully on a spoon while standing at the refrigerator door.
I love your tutorials, and as I’ve said before, your detailed description of caramel opened up a whole new world for me!. I’ve never had lemon curd fail, but I’ve always known that it was THINKING about it. It’s so nice to have a failsafe method of dealing with that.
I mix equal parts half and half and lemon curd and freeze it for what I call “lemon drop ice cream.” Really good
I love lemon curd, although I’ve never made it myself. I should try this recipe, thank you for sharing!
I made passion fruit curd with the ridiculous amount of passion fruits from the vine in my backyard. Maybe when our baby lemon tree grows up, I’ll be able to do the same with those. Anytime I make a custard-type cooked egg sauce-like situation, I always sieve it. I’m not Ina Garten. There’s probably a bit of egg in there. I think you’d be a fool not to. Your lemon curd looks gorgeous. I would love to smear it on some crepes.