How to make Easy Lemon Curd Recipe - Crazy for Crust (2024)

FAQs

Why is my lemon curd not thick enough? ›

This is often caused by improper temperatures; either you used UHT (Ultra High Temperature) pasteurized milk or your curds got too hot when you were preparing for the stretching stage, or they didn't get hot enough. The temperature of the curds before stretching should be 160° to 170°F.

What happens if I over-cook lemon curd? Overcooking will cause proteins to bond too tightly, squeezing water out from between them and giving them a rubbery, lumpy texture. If you over-heat the lemon curd, the egg proteins can coagulate and you will see little bits of cooked egg.

To fix it, remove it from heat and quickly transfer it to a blender or food processor. Blend on high speed until the mixture becomes smooth and creamy. Alternatively, you can strain the curd through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any lumps.

Thicker Lemon Curd: For thicker lemon curd, replace 2 of the egg yolks with 1 whole egg. This means you will use 2 egg yolks plus 1 whole egg. Keep the rest of the recipe and instructions the same.

*Use whole milk for thicker curd. Further simmering the milk for 10 minutes ensures that the curd thickens when it sets. However, don't burn the milk. *Ensure you use fresh, good quality curd culture and bring it to room temperature before adding it to the milk.

Simply crack an additional egg and separate the yolk from the egg white. Place the yolk in a small bowl. Gradually add a small amount of the curdled lemon curd to the bowl containing the additional egg yolk, which is essetnailly a stabilizer.

If your yogurt doesn't set up properly the first time, try treating the failed “yogurt” like milk, and starting over. (Reheat it, add new starter, and incubate again.) The texture may suffer some, but it can save you having to throw the whole thing away.

Remove from heat and pass through a mesh strainer set over a bowl to remove the zest and any egg clumps. Place plastic wrap directly on top of the curd and let set in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving. Store in the fridge for 1-2 weeks.

I cook mine for about 2 minutes because I like thick lemon curd. Test the thickness by dipping the back of a spoon into your lemon curd and drag your finger across it. If it holds the shape without dripping off too quickly, it's done!

Why does my lemon curd taste weird? ›

A metallic aftertaste is usually the consequence of the lemon curd coming into contact with a metal (especially while it's hot). This could be a metal whisk, a metal bowl, a metal (or metal-coated) saucepan, or a metal sieve.

Although lemon curd uses egg yolks and/or egg whites, the final product shouldn't taste eggy. If it does, it may mean that you've overcooked your eggs. In saying that, traditional lemon curd does have a distinct after taste which doesn't sit well with some.

Let's peel back the layers of this zesty enigma. It all comes down to chemistry. Lemon juice, a primary ingredient in lemon curd, is rich in citric acid. When this acid comes into contact with certain metals, notably copper or aluminum, a chemical reaction occurs.

There are a few reasons why your lemon curd may taste metallic. The most common reason is usual due to using aluminum or metal bowls. The acid in lemon juice tends to react with metal, and sometimes eggs can react with aluminum.

To prevent the curd from acquiring a metallic taste, make absolutely sure that all utensils coming into contact with it--bowls, whisk, saucepan, and strainer--are made of non-reactive stainless steel or glass. Since the tart pan has a removable bottom, it is more easily maneuvered when set on a cookie sheet.

Ideal for Indian curries and can be used as a cream substitute (which is also thickens sauces). This is another common thickening agent used within Indian cookery. I like to use Greek style yogurt rather than natural yogurt because it's thick, creamy and it doesn't tend to curdle in the pan.

The temperature is too low. If the temp is below 68 degrees Fahrenheit, the cultures will not ferment properly and the milk will stay runny. The temperature is too high. If the temperature is above 80 degrees Fahrenheit, the yogurt will ferment too fast and will also render the yogurt runny.

There are majorly two reasons that curd turns sticky, firstly the bacteria culture used to make curd can impact the taste and texture. Secondly, if you keep the curd at a low temperature, it takes a lot of time to set as well as forms a slimy texture. This is because curd needs a slightly warm temperature to set.