I love to make preserves and jams. There is something about the process of turning fresh produce into a bottled treat that really appeals to me. In our busy world of buying pre packaged items, it is very satisfying to make something from scratch and filling your pantry with homemade goodies. After checking our blog, I realise it has been a few years since I last made any jam – too long for sure! My children gave me a Ball Preserving Kit for Mother’s Day which was just the inspiration I needed to rediscover my passion for making preserves. My parents gave me a big bag of lemons from their tree so Lemon Curd was the perfect place to start.
The preserving kit came with some handy preserving tools. Lemon curd doesn’t need a water bath but the funnel and jar lifter were really handy.
Lemon Curd is a tangy and delicious spread that goes perfectly with fluffy scones; a filling for cupcakes; tart filling; or just spread on raisin toast for a delicious treat. It is made from lemons (juice and zest), sugar, egg yolks, and butter. Some recipes call for using whole eggs but I find that there is a danger in using whole eggs as the white often cooks leaving unsightly flecks of white through the curd. 
- 1 cup lemon juice (approx 5-7 lemons)
- Grated zest of 2 lemons
- 6 egg yolks
- ¾ cup sugar
- ½ cup cold butter cut into small pieces
- Pass egg yolks through a sieve set over a heavy saucepan to remove all the egg whites.
- Add sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice. Whisk to combine.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Make sure to stir down the sides of the saucepan. Cook until mixture thickens and coats the back of the wooden spoon, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Add butter, one piece at a time, stirring after each addition until the butter melts to assure the mixture is smooth.
- Ladle lemon curd into hot sterilised jars. Chill until set, about 1 hour. Twist on lids. Label.
I used my old manual typewriter to type some labels for the curd. Lemon curd lasts stored in the fridge for a few weeks, or can be frozen.
You can find our recipe for Lemon and Passionfruit Butter here. Check out our other lemon recipes here.
For the Lemon curd, do you just leave jars on the counter for an hour then put lid on or put lid on lightly and tighten after an hour. You don’t put the hot jars in refrigerator do you?
I allowed the jars to cool slightly and then put them into the fridge uncovered for an hour to cool and thicken, before adding the lids.
Perfect timing! I found a recipe that needs lemon curd I was going to do this week and now I’m sorted. Thank you
Enjoy – love recipes that use lemon curd. It is so delicious!
I first tried your lemon curd as per instructions. We have a Meyer Lemon tree. Yum Yum. Yesterday I juiced all my lemons (8 cups of juice) and made a big batch. They are in the freezer and will make great spur of the moment gifts. Love Love Love your site.
Thanks Karen! Sounds like a big batch of curd. It is so yummy – mine didn’t last long 🙂