Fruit in Season in August

Apples

Citrus

Cumquot

Lemon

Lime

Mandarins

Grapefruit

Oranges

Pomelo

Tangelo

Custard Apple

Nashi

Pawpaw

Pears

Pineapple

Rhubarb

Lemon Curd

It never ceases to amaze me when I make lemon curd that something as sour as a lemon can be transformed into the most delectable sweet.

Jars of lemon curd take me back to school fetes. I was always attracted by the combination of bright yellow curd and the pretty fabric lid-covers and ribbons that many of the mothers did so well.

Think of lemon curd on brioche. A lemon-curd tart with meringue whipped on top. Little puffs of choux pastry filled with lemon curd, piled into a bowl and dusted with icing sugar for a ‘help yourself’ dessert. Dollops next to a simple yoghurt cake and perhaps best of all - swirled through vanilla ice cream.

Ingredients

• 2 lemons
• 90g unsalted butter cut into small dice
• 175g castor sugar
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 500ml pure cream

Method

1. Wash and scrub the lemons really well
2. Zest the lemons with a fine grater - I use a microplane to achieve very fine zest
3. Juice the lemons
4. Put the zest, juice, butter and sugar in a non-reactive saucepen - stainless steel or glass - and heat till the sugar is disolved
5. Pour in the eggs and now stir constantly over moderate heat until the mixture thickens
6. Do not allow the mixture to boil or the eggs will curdle
7. The curd should coat the back of a wooden spoon when thick enough - run your finger across the back of the spoon and your ‘track’ should stay in place - it will continue to thicken as it cools
8. Place in clean glass jars or a bowl and store in the refrigerator - if tightly sealed it should last for a couple of weeks

back to top