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A Trio of Citrus Curds for Easter

I adore citrus curds. It's not just the sweet and tart combination, which I love, but they are so pretty and remind me of Easter eggs. I thought it fitting to whip up some Spring-hued curds for this weekend. I am not sure what we'll be slathering these on - brioche or biscuits are a possibility - but I wanted to share the process since you have time to make your own before this weekend's festivities.


The ingredient list is the same for each, so I'll just share the proportions and process one time...with photos of the three different kinds that I made this time around: blood orange, Bearss lime, and Meyer lemon. These are not processed or preserved, so use the curd within a week.

Ingredients makes approximately 3 cups of curd
  • 1 cup freshly squeezed citrus juice
  • 1 cup organic granulated sugar
  • 6 eggs
  • 3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) salted butter
  • Also needed: balloon whisk; clean jars with lids; plant-based food dye, optional*

*I used a splash of plant-based green food dye for the Bearss lime curd because it looked too close in color to the lemon curd. But it's not necessary.

Procedure

Place juice and sugar in a heavy-bottomed skillet. I like to use my enameled cast iron braiser for this process. Heat over medium and whisk until the sugar dissolves.

In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs to break up the yolks and create a homogenous color. This step is important as you don't want scrambled eggs in  your curd. 

Add the eggs to the juice and keep whisking. Once the mixture begins to thicken and hold whisk marks, add the butter and whisk until melted.

Cook just until the curd is thickened again. It will continue to thicken as it cools, so don't worry if it's still a little bit liquidy. As long as it hold whisk marks, you're good.


Spoon into clean jars and let cool. Cover and refrigerate. Use within a week.

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