Lemon Curd Perfection: 5 Mistakes To Steer Clear Of While Making Lemon Curd (2024)

FAQs

Lemon Curd Perfection: 5 Mistakes To Steer Clear Of While Making Lemon Curd? ›

Avoid Over-cooking The Curd

If your lemon curd hasn't thickened, it may not have been heated enough. It can take up to 30 minutes of constant stirring to cook lemon curd, especially if it's a large batch. Remember that curd will thicken more once cooled. If your cooled curd is not thick enough, you can reheat it to thicken.

The curd was overcooked, or the uncooked ingredients sat too long and the acidity curdled the eggs. How to fix it: Try straining, then immersion-blending your curd to bring it back together or smooth it out.

There will be little bits of cooked egg and lemon zest that will make the curd lumpy, if not strained out. Why is my lemon curd grainy? Grainy curd is a sign it's been over-cooked. It can also be a sign that it wasn't covered tightly in the refrigerator.

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.

One of the most common mistakes when making lemon curd is overheating the mixture. This can cause the eggs to curdle and ruin the texture of the curd. To avoid this, make sure to cook the curd over low heat and stir constantly.

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.

Lemon Curd should thick enough to coat the back of a spoon when it's hot and should thicken up to pudding-like consistency when it's chilled. The curd can take up to 10 minutes to thicken to the consistency of pourable pudding, so be patient (remember it will thicken more once it cools).

Always beat the butter with sugar, eggs, lemon juice, and zest before cooking. This will prevent the curd from tasting eggy. Use a pan with a heavy bottom when cooking the curd.

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!

What if my lemon curd is too sour? ›

My lemon curd is too sour.

If you measured correctly according to the instructions and still feel it is too sour, you can add about ¼ cup more sugar next time you make it.

In a covered, airtight container for up to one week. It doesn't really freeze well. Lemon curd does contain eggs and dairy (butter), so I'd be ok leaving it out for the day if I plan on serving it, but anything overnight definitely would need to be refrigerated.

Curdling in lemon curd can occur if the mixture is heated too quickly or if the eggs are cooked at a very high temperature. But there are certain ways to fix curdled lemn curd. Usually, in case of a light separation of liquids, there's a good chance it can be fixed.

The few reasons to why your lemon curd may not be setting properly are not having enough eggs in the curd, too much liquid/ lemon juice, not enough sugar, not cooked long enough, scrambled eggs, and sometimes too much butter.

My lemon curd is too sour.

If you measured correctly according to the instructions and still feel it is too sour, you can add about ¼ cup more sugar next time you make it.

Tip: Stirring constantly over low heat is the secret to a smooth and creamy custard. It helps the eggs cook consistently without clumping. If the stove is too hot, or if you stop stirring, the eggs can scramble.