With the first recorded recipe for fruit curd appearing in an 1844 British cookbook, The Lady’s Own Cookery Book, it is safe to say this preserve has been a kitchen mainstay for quite some time. The predecessor of fruit curd dates back even further, appearing in medieval cookery texts under the delineation ‘lemon cheese’. While loosely reminiscent of what we recognize now today as curd, the transformative capacity of acid, fat, and heat, resonates through ancient kitchen history. Utilizing a few modest ingredients, basic technique, and 20 minutes of time, the season’s best fruits can be metamorphosed into an all-purpose, long-lasting preserve, whose longevity is nothing but an ironclad testament to its versatility, nutritional density, and delicious flavor.
Ingredient Breakdown: Nutrition in Disguise
Organic Cane Sugar
During digestion, cane sugar is quickly and efficiently converted into glucose, the body’s most readily available energy source that feeds every single cell! Quality sugar is the base of any great dessert, as its ability to add texture, structure, moisture, and flavor in a single ingredient is unparalleled. In curd, sugar functions to do just that!
Pasture-raised Egg Yolks
Egg yolks, a previously persecuted star ingredient, also doubles as a multivitamin! Like butter, egg yolks boast a rich nutritional profile of bioavailable vitamin A, D, E, K, Bs, and neuro-enhancing choline. Egg yolks add richness, stability, balance, and fat for that creamy mouthfeel. This curd also features a few whole eggs, whose whites add additional structure.
Grass-fed Butter
Public opinion is swiftly turning in the favor of real butter, and thank goodness for that! Butter, specifically grass-fed, is a nutrition powerhouse, full of bioavailable vitamin A, D, E, K, Omega-3, butyrate, and calcium, wrapped in a delicious luxurious little package. Butter serves to imbue fruit curd with its signature texture; emulsifying the mixture into silken deliciousness.
Locally Sourced Fruit
The central ingredient, and where each curd derives its namesake, is the fruit of choice: lemon, orange, grapefruit, strawberry, blueberry, rhubarb, cherry, passion fruit, mango, cranberry…the list goes on! Selecting in-season, local fruits is the most economical and nutritious choice. Minimal transport cost, fewer preservatives, and natural seasonal produce cycles yield the best-tasting, most mature, and most nutritionally complete fruit.
Mineral Salt
Salt, perhaps the most universal kitchen ingredient, is often a wasted opportunity to infuse extra nutrients into every meal! Mineral salts, like Celtic sea salt, contain higher levels of magnesium, potassium, zinc, iron, and other electrolytes than typical table salt. These trace minerals support hydration, immune function, enzyme metabolism, and overall well-being. In fruit curd, salt is a crucial flavor balancer, mellowing the acid, and cutting the fat.
Citric Acid
Citric acid is an antioxidant found in citrus fruits, hence the name similarity. In the body, it binds to excess calcium, supporting kidney function and reducing oxidative stress. In curd, citric acid is an essential thickening agent, natural preservative, and enhances the customary zippy flavor. Citrus curds already contain citric acid, but other fruit curds require it to be added. For softer set curds, use less citric acid; for firmer curds, use more.
“The earliest known recipe for fruit curd
appeared in the 1844 British cookbook The Lady’s Own Cookery Book, making it clear that this preserve has long been a staple in kitchens.”
A Few Recipe Notes
Cooking Method
Eggs are very heat sensitive, which carries the risk for curdling or scrambling, two death sentences for a perfect, creamy curd. To avoid this issue, this curd is cooked in a bain marie, or water bath. This technique includes fastening a heatproof bowl just above a saucepan of boiling water, diffusing the heat to mitigate this risk. To further ensure a flawless curd, I recommend sieving the final product for some extra texture insurance.
A Note on Butter
The butter is the final ingredient added to our curd. After the eggs have been cooked and the sugar has been dissolved, softened chunks of butter are whisked in, emulsifying and enriching. It is imperative to let the curd cool slightly before adding the softened butter. This ensures the butter does not melt too quickly, jeopardizing the final texture. Allow the curd to cool to 80–90°F before adding the butter!
Citric Acid Powder
The recipes on the next page tackle any type of curd you could desire! Lemon is the most classic and my favorite, but by substituting lemon juice with other fruit juice of choice you can curd-ify anything! When working with less acidic fruits, like berries or mango, adding 2-5g of citric acid powder will help the curd to set firmly, as well as enhance the flavor. For a firmer, tangier curd, use close to 5g, for a soft-set, more mellow curd, use closer to 2g.
High Water Content Fruits
When working with fresh fruits that contain a high water content, I recommend reducing the juice separately before making your curd. This will concentrate the flavor and color of your curd. To do this, blend and strain 400g of your fruit of choice and pour it into a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring your juice to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer the juice until it reaches 160g of total volume.
I love adding fresh and dried herbs, extracts, powders, or experimenting with fruit combinations! A few of my favorites are: firm-set Lemon Chamomile,
firm-set Matcha Mango, medium-set Rhubarb Elderflower, firm-set Blueberry Thyme, and soft-set Balsamic Cherry.
Enjoy fruit curd on top of yogurt bowls, toast, tarts, pancakes, pavlovas, cheesecakes, scones, in salad dressings, or simply with a spoon. The only limit is your imagination! Happy curd-ing!!
Lemon Chamomile Fruit Curd
Ingredients
160 g granulated sugar
Zest of 2 lemons
4 egg yolks
2 eggs
Pinch of salt
160 g lemon juice
85 g unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract or paste
Method
1. Place your lemon zest and granulated sugar in a small bowl. Using your hands, massage the zest into the sugar to release the essential oils.
2. Place your sugared zest, egg yolks, eggs, and salt into a large heatproof mixing bowl.
3. Using a balloon whisk, vigorously beat the egg mixture until smooth.
4. Add the lemon juice and whisk again to combine.
5. Place the mixing bowl over a double boiler or bain marie. Cook, whisking continuously, until the mixture has thickened and no longer appears frothy. A thermometer should read between 180-190°F when inserted into the center of the curd, not touching the bottom of the bowl.
6. Remove the cooked curd from the heat. Allow the curd to sit, whisking occasionally to prevent skin formation, for 5-10 minutes, or until a thermometer reads between 80-90°F. The curd should feel warm to the touch but not hot.
7. Add the butter and vanilla and whisk vigorously until smooth.
8. Pass the curd through a fine mesh sieve to remove any solid chunks of zest or accidentally cooked egg from the curd. Straining the curd is integral to a velvety-smooth final product.
9. Allow the curd to cool fully at room temperature before pouring into an airtight container of choice. Store the curd refrigerated for up to 2 weeks. Enjoy!
Ingredients
400 g fresh blueberries, washed
160 g granulated sugar
Zest of 2 lemons, optional but recommended
4 egg yolks
2 eggs
Pinch of salt
4g citric acid powder
6-8 fresh thyme sprigs, washed
85 g unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract or paste
Method
1. Blend your blueberries on high until smooth. Pass your blueberry puree through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the skin and seeds.
2. Pour your strained blueberries into a medium saucepan. Place the saucepan over medium-high heat and bring the puree to a boil.
3. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer the blueberry puree for 15-20 minutes, until only 160g of liquid remains.
4. Pour your reduced blueberry juice into a heatproof container and set aside. Allow the juice to cool entirely before continuing.
5. Place your lemon zest and granulated sugar in a small bowl. Using your hands, massage the zest into the sugar to release the essential oils.
6. Place your sugared zest, egg yolks, eggs, salt, and citric acid into a large heatproof mixing bowl.
7. Using a balloon whisk, vigorously beat the egg mixture until smooth.
8. Add the reduced blueberry juice and whisk again to combine. Add the thyme sprigs.
9. Place the mixing bowl over a double boiler or bain marie. Cook, whisking continuously, until thickened and no longer frothy. The curd should reach 180-190°F in the center, without the thermometer touching the bottom of the bowl.
10. Remove the cooked curd from the heat. Allow the curd to sit, whisking occasionally to prevent skin from forming, for 5-10 minutes, or until a thermometer reads between 80-90°F. The curd should feel warm to touch but not hot.
11. Add the butter and vanilla. Whisk vigorously until smooth.
12. Pass the curd through a fine-mesh sieve to remove chunks of zest, accidentally cooked egg, thyme sprigs, or blueberry pieces. Straining the curd is essential for achieving a velvety-smooth final product.
13. Allow the curd to cool fully at room temperature before pouring into an airtight container of choice. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. Enjoy!
This piece was written by by cèilidh from the clove coterie. Subscribe here for more of such recipes. You can also follow her on Instagram @theclovecoterie or on TikTok @theclovecoterie.
This piece was first published in Issue 42 of the WARKITCHEN, explore the rest of the issue here. Enjoy the experience 🥂
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