Fresh Lemon Curd

Fresh Lemon Curd
Yield 3 cups
Eggs room temperature 4Lg (200g)
Yolks room temperature 4Lg (56g)
Sugar 1 cup (200g)
Lemon Juice 6 fl oz (3/4c)
Lemon Zest from 1 lemon
Butter 1 Stick (112g)

Mix Method:
For this recipe you WILL NEED a DOUBLE BOILER! I know, I know, You Don’t HAVE a double boiler.

Ok Great. Now that you DO HAVE a double boiler, we can proceed.
Set up your ice water bath ahead of time, as you will NOT have a single minute to spare once this curd is cooked.

In the bowl of your double boiler, combine all the ingredients together and stir constantly with a whisk an/or a wooden spoon. I actually like to use both utensils in the preparation of this recipe, as I find the whisk is great to start out and get it all nice and incorporated, and then as we reach 170 degrees F I switch to the spoon to make sure I get the sides and the bottoms and the corners of the bowl or pot really well. As this custard thickens, and it will thicken intensely as we reach 170 degrees F, you will want to work quickly and vigorously.

But I am getting ahead of myself.
Let’s rewind to the part about putting all the ingredients in the double boiler! Over med-high heat, or whatever it takes to keep your boiler at a constant steamer, you will stir constantly.
Every so often using your instant-read thermometer, Oh yeah, YOU WILL NEED ONE OF THOSE TOO! Unless your finger has the capabilities of reading when food is at precisely 170 degrees F, not a degree less or a degree more,

Once you have cooked your curd to 170 Degres F, pour the entire mixture through the sieve to strain the lemon zest and any cooked eggs that may have gone

Be sure to get that custard into a shallow pan to cool. It must reach 45 degrees F in less than 2 hours or you have the risk of developing some bacteria in your egg dish. Any cake or pastry that is made with Fruit Curd MUST be kept refrigerated at all times.

Lemon Curd that is stored properly, which means wrapped airtight and kept refrigerated at all times will be good for up to 5 days.
I do not freeze lemon curd, as it will have a tendency to break down and become loose and watery on the thaw.

Now you can go ahead and start BUILDING ON RECIPES and make a fabulous Lemon Meringue Pie, Lemon Chiffon Cake with Lemon Curd Filling, or simply serve this curd with your morning scones and muffins as an alternative to Jams and Jellies!
Or if you are like me, you will just eat it by the spoons full!