10-Minute Stovetop Lemon Curd

The real question for this week is, why have I not made lemon curd before?!

I feel like you all are terrible friends for not making me try this earlier.  Because, GUYS, this lemon curd is so easy and so delicious, and takes less than 10 minutes.  You can do it while you’re waiting for your coffee to brew, or…other things that take around 10 minutes?  I don’t know at this point.  Regardless, it’s fast.

This lemon curd is quite sharp, but light and creamy.  It’s perfect as a filling in simple crepes, topping a pavlova, or swirled through yogurt.  Go nuts…layer it between cakes, spread it on toast, top coconut milk ice cream with it.  

You might also like this pink grapefruit curd and blood orange curd!

In doing some research, I picked up a couple tips that were helpful (and mentioned in the recipe card below).  First, don’t use aluminum cookware because it reacts with the lemon juice.  I used a small stainless steel saucepan, which works perfectly.  It’s important not to use too much heat…a good medium flame should work.

And then I recommend stirring together the sugar with the egg, and then add the juice right as you’re putting on the heat.  If you add the juice to eggs without the sugar, the acid in the juice will “cook” the eggs and you’ll get those little white bits.

Add the sugar and egg to your pan and whisk together until smooth.  Then add the lemon juice and zest, and turn the stove on medium heat.

Whisk continuously.  The mixture will become frothy as you whisk.  When the liquid becomes hot enough to cook the egg, the mixture will begin to thicken and no more liquid will separate from the foam.  It will take at least 5 minutes of whisking over medium heat for the mixture to thicken, but will vary depending on your cookware.

The mixture should be thick enough to coat a spoon.  Be patient and don’t be tempted to turn the heat up too high.

Remove the pot from the heat.  Add one tablespoon of butter at a time, whisking until it has fully melted into the sauce before adding the next. 

As the butter is melted into the sauce, it will become less frothy and more silky in texture, and look more glossy rather than foamy.

Once all of the butter has been whisked in, transfer the lemon curd to an air-tight container and refrigerate until completely cooled.  The curd will thicken further upon cooling.

It will last in the fridge for a week or two, or you can freeze it for longer.  This makes a fairly small batch, which is nice…you’re not forced to put lemon curd on everything to try and use it up!

Other delicious citrus goodies you’ll love:

• Super Moist Lemon-Orange Pound Cake
• Smitten Kitchen’s Whole Lemon Tart
• Meyer Lemon Syrup Cake with Jam Swirls
• Lemon Cupcakes with Raspberry Frosting
• Lemon Zucchini Bread

Adapted slightly from Budget Bytes

10-Minute Stovetop Lemon Curd

Yield: 1 cup (4+ servings)

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Cook Time: 6 minutes

Total Time: 8 minutes

This creamy, sharp lemon curd is super easy and comes together in less than 10 minutes...no special equipment necessary!

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Ingredients

• 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon of sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/3 cup of lemon juice (1-2 lemons)
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 4 tablespoons of butter

Instructions

1. Add the sugar and egg to your pan and whisk together until smooth. Then add the lemon juice and zest, and turn the stove on medium heat.
2. Whisk continuously. The mixture will become frothy as you whisk. When the liquid becomes hot enough to cook the egg, the mixture will begin to thicken and no more liquid will separate from the foam.
3. It will take at least 5 minutes of whisking over medium heat for the mixture to thicken, but will vary depending on your cookware. The mixture should be thick enough to coat a spoon. Don't be tempted to turn the heat up too high.
4. Remove the pot from the heat. Add one tablespoon of butter at a time, whisking until it has fully melted into the sauce before adding the next. As the butter is melted into the sauce, it will become less frothy and more silky in texture, and look more glossy rather than foamy.
5. Once all of the butter has been whisked in, transfer the lemon curd to an air-tight container and refrigerate until completely cooled. The curd will thicken further upon cooling.

Notes

• Don't use aluminum cookware, as it will react with the lemon juice
• It helps to stir together the sugar and egg first, before adding the lemon juice and then putting it on the heat...the acidity can "cook" the egg a bit, causing those tiny bits of white cooked egg that need sieved out.
• You can use either fresh or bottled lemon juice. It's definitely better and brighter with fresh, but I've done both and they're fine.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1/4 cup
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 170