This past summer, right after Casper was born, my mom bought me a couple of plants for the yard–a squat, red Japanese maple, a lilac, and two jasmine plants. It was our first trip out of the house and Casper was only a few days old. I wore him in my Solly wrap and wandered Portland Nursery in what I can only describe as a new-mom-haze–a mixture of emotions running from sentimental, to overwhelmed, to smitten. While we were there I spotted a wee Meyer lemon tree and always the giver, my mom bought it, potted it, and popped in my house by our back door. It’s a glass slider door that gets a ton of afternoon light and my little citrus has been growing pretty well, I think. It sprouted a few little lemons, to our surprise, but it really won’t bear much fruit for a couple of years. Until then, I will prune the waxy leaves, try to keep Casper from eating the potting soil, and buy my Meyer lemons from the store and turn them into lemon curd until my home-grown citrus dreams come true.
Lemon curd is one if my favorite sweet-tart condiments. Meyer lemons have the faintest flavor of tangerine that balances the tartness, making this curd just a touch sweeter than traditional lemon curds. It’s amazing smeared onto a cream scone or biscuit, prefect In a pastry shell, and delicious with shortbread cookies. Next week I’ll be posting a frozen treat I swirled with this curd, so stay tuned!!
- 1¼ cups granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
- 6 egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon Meyer lemon zest
- ¾ cup fresh Meyer lemon juice (about 5 lemons)
- In a saucepan combine all of the ingredients, whisk to break up the eggs. Set the pan over medium-low heat, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens. The curd is thick enough when it coats a spoon so when you run a finger over the back of the spoon the curd doesn’t run back together. Remove from the heat and scrape the curd into a fine mesh sieve set over a bowl and press it through to sieve out the zest. Pour the curd into a heatproof jar to cool. Cover and store the cooled curd in the refrigerator for 1 week.
Ahh, I have been wanting to try making lemon curd for sooo long. And yet I keep putting it off for some unknown reason. But I just bought some of those Weck “tulip” jars, and I think that some fresh curd would look awesome in those little jars! Yours looks super pretty in the other Weck jars, too. I just love that bright yellow color; it’s so springy and fresh. Can’t wait to see what you did with the curd! 🙂
Oh girl. That is so sweet of your mom. That is a cute thing, now that can be like little Casper’s tree. I cannot wait to see what amazing creation you make with this sweet curd.
Gosh, I love lemon curd. I will spread that stuff on anything. I’ve never used Meyer lemons to make lemon curd but I’m definitely going to see if I can get my hands on some to give it a go! I’m rather envious of your lemon tree!
Oh yes! Love me some meyer lemons. I have a big bag left still and this is exactly what I need to do with them!
Omg! This sound so delicous! I can’t believe I’ve never made lemon curd before. I have to try this!
Thank you for this recipe ,I want to try it I live in Scotland would any lemons do.? Thank s isobel
Yes, this will work with any lemon. With a conventional lemon, this curd may be slightly more tart, so adjust the sugar to your taste. Cheers!