Fruit curds combine juice with eggs, butter and sugar for a decadent, silky spread. Tangy fruits offset the richness and sweetness, making lemon and lime curds popular choices. For garden-fresh curds, I’ve run the scale from tart rhubarb to sweet strawberries with delicious results every time.
Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, huckleberries and even raspberries and gooseberries benefit from a little acidic lemon juice in a curd, but the berry flavor dominates. I puree the berries and then press them through a fine-mesh colander to remove most of the skins and seeds but create a liquid thicker than just juice.
I’ve scaled this recipe to make alongside Gingerbread Pancakes. It uses the two egg yolks left after separating out the whites for the pancake batter. The curd tastes best with fresh lemon juice; zest the lemon before you squeeze it to use the curls as a bonus garnish for the pancakes. I often crumbled homemade farmer’s cheese over the gingerbread and berry curd pairing as well.
For all-in-one prep, puree and strain the berries before you mix the pancake batter, and then heat and thicken the curd while the batter rests. The curd should set smoothly if you keep the heat on the lowest setting and the spoon moving continuously. If chunks do form, press the finished curd through the fine-mesh colander.
If this multitasking feels to rushed, make the curd ahead of time – and consider a larger batch to spread on other baked goods, fold into whipped cream or shake into a cocktail. Berry curd keeps in the refrigerator for several weeks and freezes well even longer. The fat and sugar keep the curd as soft as gelato in the freezer, so pack it into lidded freezer-safe containers rather than an ice tray.
Your Choice Berry Curd
Makes about 1 cup
4 ounces berries, fresh or frozen and thawed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Using an immersion or upright blender, puree the berries. Set a fine-mesh colander over a large glass measuring cup, pour in the berries and then press and scrape them through the mesh with the back of a spoon until you have at least 3/4 cup of smooth puree.
In a small heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the sugar, salt and egg yolks; whisk in the lemon juice. Place the pan over low heat and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon to prevent boiling, for 10 to 15 minutes, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of the spoon. Add the butter a piece at a time, stirring until each melts. Fold in 1/4 cup of berry puree at a time to keep the curd from becoming too thin; save any remaining puree for another use.
Remove the saucepan from the heat. Serve the curd warm, or let it cool to room temperature and store it in a lidded jar in the fridge for up to four weeks.
Julie Laing is a Bigfork-based cookbook author and food blogger at TwiceAsTasty.com.