Monday 1 March 2021

When Life Gives you Lemons

 ..........................make Lemon Curd.



Ingredients
zest & juice of 4 large unwaxed lemons
125g salt free butter (cubed)
4 large free range eggs - beaten gently
250g caster sugar
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put lemon zest, juice, sugar and butter into a heat proof bowl which has been place over a pan of hot simmering water i.e. a bain marie - don't allow the bowl to touch the bottom of the pan, stir with a wooden spoon until sugar dissolves.
Add beaten eggs, and continue to cook gently until thick enough to coat the back of the spoon - roughly 20mins, then pour immediately into sterilised jars.

One jar has gone to the lady whose generosity and kindness over the last few months has touched several of us. She was delighted - she loves Lemon Curd.

33 comments:

  1. I can't even remember the last time I had lemon curd. And it looks good!

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  2. Dear Rosemary
    I have heard of lemon curd but haver never tasted it. What is it served with? I would like to try making it.
    And look at your beautiful Hellebore. It has been so cold here that mine have not even shown any sign of life. Your photos are stunning.

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    1. Dear Gina - if you are a fan of lemons then I am sure that you would love this. The flavour is delicious, it tastes lovely spread on a scone. You can use it in exactly the same way as you would use any conserve. It is so easy to make Gina and requires very few ingredients. Do let me know if you give it a try and what you think.
      The Hellebores are looking wonderful - I was concerned about them as we had a very, very, cold frosty snap and they hung their heads right down until they were touching the ground. They looked sad, and I wondered if they had died, but suddenly the weather turned very warm and mild and up they popped again. I think that they must have anti-freeze running through their stems!!!

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  3. Love the Hellebore. Our lemons are still green but I must make some Lemon Curd when they ripen. I haven't made it for a few years.

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    1. I haven't made lemon curd for a while but I had some really lovely large fat lemons, so thought it was time to make it again. I now wish that I hadn't waited so long as it is so delicious.

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  4. I bought some at a local store and gave it as a gift to a friend who also loves lemon curd. So glad to hear how easy it is to make it.

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    1. It is very simple to make as long as you cook it very gently over simmering water othewise the eggs would scramble and become lumpy.

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  5. Rosemary, my mum used to make it from scratch when I was a child, so delicious, and I recall eating a lot of lemon curd tarts. I've loved lemon curd ever since! I haven't made my own in a long time but your recipe is easy so will give it a try. I sometimes warm it to drizzle over cake or ice cream.
    Meanwhile - and for those reading this who live in the US - Trader Joe's sells an excellent lemon curd actually made in England. There are other well known brands - usually English - in regular grocery stores selling imported foods, look for it on the shelf near the marmalade etc.

    Beautiful hellebores - I've not had good results with them here - in fact they disappeared years back, I think the root were eaten by voles - must try again!

    Have a great week - Mary x

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    1. Our Hellebores are pretty prolific and pop up all over the garden, but I am always happy to see them as they tell me that Spring is here.
      Do make this lemon curd Mary is is so easy and really delicious - I have never had any commercial lemon curd that comes close to the real thing made at home.

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  6. I just bought a jar of MacKay's lemon curd (product of Scotland). It's the commercial brand I like the best. I don't think I've ever had home-made lemon curd.

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    1. Try making some Debra - only four ingredients and you wont regret it.

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  7. Hello Rosemary, I have made both lemon curd and passion-fruit curd (from you recipe a while ago), and they are favorites. In the U.S. I can buy the lemon curd pretty easily, and was considering making some here, but lately I have been trying to cut out sugar, and I know if I made lemon curd I could not resist it!
    --Jim

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    1. Hello Jim - I didn't realise that you had actually made the lemon curd and the passion-fruit curd, but you are right if you want to cut down on sugar. However, this amount does not make very much, and I have given half of it away, so the rest shared between us wont overload us with sugar.

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  8. I have bought the french (bien sûr!) Petite Maman Lemon Curd for my daughter. She adores it! With your recipe I will make some from scratch! I am enticed by your suggestion for a topping on scones! Merci, Rosemary!

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    1. Let me know how it goes Mary and whether your daughter likes it - I am convinced that she will as homemade is far better than Bonne Maman.

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  9. Bonne Maman!!! not Petite Maman!

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  10. Don't think I've ever had lemon curd before although I like lemon and lime cakes and cream sponges. I'll need to buy some as I'm very frugal with puddings yet I do like them and plenty of taste variety in sweets. I tend to get stuck in a rut, food wise, these days and just spend 20 minutes cooking one single meal. I get more adventurous in the kitchen as the weather heats up outside, no idea why. It's a sunlight thing.

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    1. It is very easy to get stuck in a rut these days, especially when visiting the shops so infrequently. If I can make a meal that lasts us two or three days then I am more than delighted. If you like lemons, then you would definitely like lemon curd.

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  11. Dearest Rosemary,
    What lovely photos with this lemon curd production!
    Those Helleborus are a dream. We used to have the Helleborus Niger but some critter must have eaten its underground parts completely... Sad.
    So happy that the kind lady that treats everyone to her bakings and such, enjoyed the lemon curd! Makes one feel good.
    Hugs,
    Mariette

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    1. Dear Mariette - Mary also mentioned that something had eaten her Helleborus too and she thought that it might have been voles. Glad that you enjoyed the photos.

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  12. The sweet exchange of sweets and lemon curd is heart-warming. Your Helleborus look full of energy and beauty even after the cut. Mine are also beautiful in the garden. Though they are called Christmas Rose, they start to flower in February in my part of the world.

    Yoko

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    1. Dear Yoko - February is flowering time for Helleborus here too, but I thought that mine might have given up the ghost this year as we had a very hard cold period. They hung their heads right down to the ground, but come the warmer weather and up they popped again, seemingly none the worse.

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  13. My mouth is watering, this is definitely something to try at home :-))

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    1. Hope you try it Jane - I suspect that your lemons are particulary good too.

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  14. I just LOVE Lemon Curd...the best :)
    Lovely pictures Rosemary!
    Have a great week - take care!
    Titti

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    1. It does seem as if most people like lemon curd, but like you I love it. Be safe Titti.

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  15. Mmmmh, delicious, Rosemary - thank you for the recipe!
    When a (well-meaning) friend in a real life-shaking crisis gave me a note-book with the jocose title "Wenn dir das Leben eine Zitrone gibt - mach Limonade daraus" (roughly translated: "If life gives you a lemon, make lemonade from it") I was offended (which I seldom am) - it belittled my boundless grief which was not only "one" lemon...
    But almost six years later I am happy again! And I will buy some lemons - because I don't want that "life" will serve them -
    and will make a lemon curd.

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    1. If you do make yourself some lemon curd Britta then I hope that you really enjoy it💛

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