Lemon curd seems unlikely but tastes marvelous

My first exposure to lemon curd happened in chef school. One class had us making up this yellow spread that called for what I thought at the time was a wild mixture of ingredients that couldn’t possibly go together successfully. Boy, was I wrong! 

Well-made lemon curd has a velvety mouth-feel, with zippy tanginess, and satisfying body. Imagine what you could do with other fresh fruits. 

We have 10 blueberry plants that are absolutely loaded with blueberries this year. Why not make up some blueberry curd?

One problem with the batch of curd was there was not near enough to satisfy everyone properly. I’ll be happily making more.

LEMON CURD

8 egg yolks

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 cup lemon juice

2 lemons, zested

12 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces

Set up a double boiler to a strong simmer. Place the egg yolks into the top and beat vigorously for a minute. Add sugar and beat for another minute. Add lemon juice and zest and continue to stir. Cook, stirring, until the mixture thickens, maybe as long as 20 minutes. Place in the butter a piece at a time, whisking until each is nearly melted before adding another. Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a storage container. Allow to cool slightly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. 

BLUEBERRY LEMON CURD

2 cups fresh blueberries

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice 

3 egg yolks

1 whole egg

3/4 cup sugar

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the blueberries and lemon juice. Cover and cook until the blueberries burst and the liquid bubbles, about 5 minutes. Pass through a strainer, pressing well with a spoon. Be sure to scrape down the outside of the strainer. Pour the puree back into the saucepan and set aside to cool. Whisk together the egg yolks and egg until combined. Stir in sugar and whisk to a light yellow color. Add the egg mixture to the puree in the sauce pan, and whisk until creamy and well blended, about a minute. Return to a medium heat, whisking constantly, until the it thickens and can coat the back of a spoon, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from the heat, and stir in the butter, one cube at a time. Strain into jars, cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour. Will keep for about 5–7 days in the refrigerator.

RASPBERRY CURD

4 cups raspberries

3/4 cups sugar

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 eggs

4 egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch of salt (needed only if using unsalted butter)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

In a food processor, puree the raspberries. Strain out the seeds through a sieve. Mix the puree with the sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan over medium heat for about 2 minutes. 

In a bowl, whisk the eggs and yolks together. Temper the eggs by adding 1/4 cup of the heated raspberry puree, stirring well, then pour the eggs into the saucepan. Whisk constantly and heat until the curd reaches 170 degrees. Strain through a sieve, then add the vanilla and salt. Let cool slightly, then stir in the butter, one cube at a time. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour. Will keep for about 5–7 days in the refrigerator.