25 January 2010

Canning Citrus: Lemon Curd

This month was going to be terribly exciting because I was going to be able to try my hand at a marmalade. Alas, the shipment of citrus Chris and I were supposed to get two weeks ago has still not arrived. Fortunately, while we were visiting Stosh, he had a couple extra lemons and some tasty eggs, so I was able to whip up a batch of a different citrus preserve, lemon curd. I've never had any sort of fruit curd before, so I was operating with no idea of the outcome--but what an outcome it was! Silky, smooth, tangy with a hint of sweetness! It was Yum. Here's the basic proportions I used:

3 egg yolks, beaten until lightened
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon (on a small-holed grater if you don't want to strain before jarring)
1 fl oz limoncello, added after you pull it off the heat

It was suggested that I cook the beaten yolks with the zest first, but I thought that was silly, so I put everything together (except the liquor, of course) on the stove and cooked until it thickened. The recipe above gives about 3/4 c. of product, and a relatively thin set. I think I'll up the egg yolks to four when I do this again, but I still call it a wonderful success.