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English Lemon Curd Recipe

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By Janine Waite ·
Affiliate Disclosure: This Post May Contain Affiliate Links.
This English Lemon Curd Recipe is one of my all-time favorites. Spread it on a freshly baked scone or even a yummy piece of toast with butter. And, I have the best Magnolia Table Scones recipe that will go nicely with a dollop of lemon curd.

This is the Best Lemon Curd Recipe You'll Ever Need. This wonderful lemon curd recipe is from an old English Cookbook. It is such a refreshing lemon recipe that you'll want to add it to all your toasts, crepes, and scones! Fresh lemon zest and juice is the perfect combination for a wonderful recipe. #lemon #lemonrecipe #lemondessert #dessert #baking #recipes

Lemon Curd Recipe

I love this recipe. My good friend Mindy gave me this recipe, and she found it in an authentic and wonderful English cookbook that her mom gave her years ago. This cookbook was published in the mid-’60s. The recipe is easy, and you only need five ingredients, which makes it one of my favorites.

Did I mention that it only takes about 30 minutes to make? I know that Trader Joe’s sells delicious lemon curd, but I love this recipe more. It has a smooth, buttery consistency that melts in your mouth. Also, I always have many lemons on hand, so I love to make my own curd.

Tips for a Perfect Lemon Curd

I just made this recipe again, and I made a few important revisions. So, now you’ll get a fabulous lemon curd. Before my latest change, the eggs would scramble, so now you shouldn’t get this.
  • You’ll want to cook it over low heat; in the last bit, you’ll turn it to a medium-low temperature.
  • Use a double boiler to cook your curd. It provides a more even temperature.
  • Also, use cold butter when cooking your curd. The cold butter slows the cooking of the egg, so you’re less likely to get scrambled eggs in your homemade curd!
If you get bits of scrambled eggs, strain your curd or pick them out afterward. It is a personal preference. But if you cook it for 30 minutes, you should have a smooth, creamy curd!
This is a Creamy Lemon Curd Recipe Rich with Butter and Lemon Zest. This wonderful lemon curd recipe is from an old English Cookbook. It is such a refreshing lemon recipe that you'll want to add it to all your toasts, crepes, and scones! Fresh lemon zest and juice is the perfect combination for a wonderful recipe. #lemon #lemonrecipe #lemondessert #dessert #baking #recipes

Meyer Lemons

So, I used my fresh Meyer Lemons from my garden. Do you know anything about Meyer Lemons?

What is the difference between a Meyer lemon and a lemon?

Meyer Lemons are a hybrid of a lemon crossed with a mandarin orange. The acidity is less than lemon, but it tastes like a lemon.

Do Meyer lemons look different than lemons?

So, they are rounder than a lemon and definitely more orange in color. I used my Meyer lemons in all these photos to see that they are more orange in color.

Can you substitute Meyer lemons for lemons when baking?

Yes! The Meyer lemons are less tangy, which is a bonus in my book. Also, since they are half orange, you can use them when a recipe calls for oranges.

This wonderful lemon curd recipe is from an old English Cookbook. It is such a refreshing lemon recipe that you'll want to add it to all your toasts, crepes, and scones! Fresh lemon zest and juice is the perfect combination for a wonderful recipe. #lemon #lemonrecipe #lemondessert #dessert #baking #recipes

Lemon Curd Ingredients

I love making these little posters! This recipe has very few ingredients, and the results are homemade yummy goodness!

Fresh Lemons

I used my Meyer lemons, but regular lemons are fine, too.

Eggs 

You’ll need to bring the eggs to room temperature. You can leave them out to get the right temperature or place them in a bowl of warm water. Keep the water running on them for a couple of minutes. Room-temperature eggs mix better with the other ingredients, thus preventing scrambled eggs in the curd.

Butter

I opted for salted butter, but feel free to use unsalted. Either kind will work. I adore that subtle hint of salt; it enhances the buttery goodness. Funny story—I decided to go with cold butter straight from the fridge recently, which turned out fantastic. The cold butter slowed the egg cooking process, preventing unwanted scrambled egg mishaps!

Lemon Zest

Add as much zest as you wish. The more zest, the more lemon flavor your curd!

Sugar

I used regular granulated sugar, but I have also made it with organic sugar, and the texture is the same despite the sugar’s coarser grains.

This Easy Lemon Curd Recipe Uses Only 5 Ingredients. This wonderful lemon curd recipe is from an old English Cookbook. It is such a refreshing lemon recipe that you'll want to add it to all your toasts, crepes, and scones! Fresh lemon zest and juice is the perfect combination for a wonderful recipe. #lemon #lemonrecipe #lemondessert #dessert #baking #recipes

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Lemon Curd

This buttery Lemon Curd has the perfect blend of sweetness and citrus. It is an easy recipe to make, and the taste is so delicious that you won't stop eating it. Enjoy the curd on scones, toast or just on a spoon! They make the perfect gift.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time12 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: British Baking, Dessert, LemonCurd, Scones
Author: Happy Happy Nester

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter Cold butter works best. Also, cube the butter.
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 eggs room temperature
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • zest of 2 lemons

Instructions

  • Get all your ingredients ready.
  • Thoroughly whisk eggs in a bowl.
  • Add whisked eggs, sugar, lemon juice, and zest to a medium-sized saucepan. Whisk ingredients thoroughly. Next, add the butter cubes to the egg mixture. Note that the butter will melt while cooking.
  • Turn on the burner to the lowest heat setting. Next, place water in the bottom of a double boiler.
  • Place the saucepan on the double boiler and constantly stir with a rubber spatula. The heat should be at the lowest setting. Do not boil the curd; it will split, and you'll have scrambled egg bits.
    Stir with a spatula for 20 minutes.
  • After 20 minutes, increase the heat to a low-medium flame. Stir constantly. In the last five minutes, the curd will go from liquid yellow to an opaque creamy color and thicken up quite nicely.
  • Once it thickens, remove it from the stovetop and immediately transfer the cooked curd to a bowl. Make sure to keep stirring for a couple of minutes as it cools. If you get bits of scrambled egg, strain the curd or pluck out the bits of egg. The scrambled egg won't doesn't affect the flavor but is just an aesthetic choice.
  • This recipe makes 2 cups of lemon curd. Pour into a clean jar and place in the fridge once cooled. The lemon curd should last 1-2 weeks in the refrigerator.
Tried this recipe?Mention @happyhappynester or tag #happyhappynester!

Eggs and Butter Make This Creamy Lemon Curd. This wonderful lemon curd recipe is from an old English Cookbook. It is such a refreshing lemon recipe that you'll want to add it to all your toasts, crepes, and scones! Fresh lemon zest and juice is the perfect combination for a wonderful recipe. #lemon #lemonrecipe #lemondessert #dessert #baking #recipes

I like to prepare the ingredients before I start since it can be a little hectic once things start on the stove.

Meyer Lemons Make a Yummy English Lemon Curd. This wonderful lemon curd recipe is from an old English Cookbook. It is such a refreshing lemon recipe that you'll want to add it to all your toasts, crepes, and scones! Fresh lemon zest and juice is the perfect combination for a wonderful recipe. #lemon #lemonrecipe #lemondessert #dessert #baking #recipes

Here is how I grated the lemon peel. Did you know I have a blog post about my favorite kitchen tools? The right tools make your experience in the kitchen go so much better.
This is the Best English Lemon Curd Recipe. This wonderful lemon curd recipe is from an old English Cookbook. It is such a refreshing lemon recipe that you'll want to add it to all your toasts, crepes, and scones! Fresh lemon zest and juice is the perfect combination for a wonderful recipe. #lemon #lemonrecipe #lemondessert #dessert #baking #recipes
I used Meyer Lemons for this batch of Lemon Curd, but the regular lemons are perfect, too! We have a ton of lemons on our trees, and I thought I would make a fresh batch of curd and use some of our Meyer lemons. I still have many more lemons on the trees, so maybe more lemon recipes will pop up on the blog.
creamy lemons

easy recipe

This photo has the Magnolia Table Orange Scones, so check out that recipe too. And my friend Leslie has a wonderful citrus Stained Lemon Tart that you might enjoy.

delicious lemon spread
My family is ready to dig into this beautiful jar of fresh English Lemon Curd. I hope you have a chance to make it this spring. I crave lemon recipes in the spring and summertime.
Oh boy, now I need to pour a glass of my sparkling lemon ice tea! I’m so easily distracted.
Or maybe we should have a piece of Lemon Sour Cream Pie instead? Yes, I have lemon recipes on my mind these days!
Cheers,
signature
This wonderful lemon curd recipe is from an old English Cookbook. It is such a refreshing lemon recipe that you'll want to add it to all your toasts, crepes, and scones! Fresh lemon zest and juice is the perfect combination for a wonderful recipe. #lemon #lemonrecipe #lemondessert #dessert #baking #recipes
Janine Waite
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Comments

  1. Lcudak

    How long does it keep in the fridge ? It is delicious!

    Reply

    • happyhappynester

      It lasts up to one to two weeks in the fridge! I hope this helps.

    • Helene Matthews

      I was thrilled to find the Meyer Lemon Curd recipe which I received as I am on your mailing list. No. 1 I too absolutely love lemons, especially Meyer Lemons. I learned about Meyer Lemons in a cooking course I took. Since I live in Ontario, Canada it is somewhat difficult for me to find Meyer Lemons other than in January. How do you get these lemons in the Spring?? What part of the world do you live in? Thank you so very much for all the great lemon recipes. I hope to be making quite a few of them soon.

    • happyhappynester

      Hey Helene! I’m not sure if you can find Meyer Lemons in the store since they are considered a hybrid type of lemon. But in all honesty, regular lemons will do the job just fine. I live in California around the Bay Area 🙂

  2. Christine

    Oh!!! I love everything lemon!! I so need to try your recipe! Pinned!

    Reply

    • happyhappynester

      Thanks for your sweet comment. This recipe is so delicious and comes from an old time English cookbook! It is a pretty authentic recipe. I hope you enjoy it!

  3. Claire

    I love lemon curd we normally have it on crumpets for an after school /afternoon snack. I’ll have to try your recipe next time my mum brings me a bag of lemons from her trees in Portugal. Too cold to grow lemons here in the UK!

    Reply

    • happyhappynester

      Oh, sounds lovely, lemon curd with crumpets!

  4. Sarah

    Lemon curd is easily one of my favorite things in the world – right after creme brulee. Thanks for sharing your recipe!

    Reply

    • happyhappynester

      Creme Brulee sounds so yummy right now!

  5. Alison

    How much does this recipe make? Can you multiply the ingredients and still get the desired result?
    Looking forward to trying this.

    Reply

    • happyhappynester

      Gosh, I seriously need to make this recipe again. I think it makes maybe two medium to smallish jars. Sorry, I don’t have the exact amount. I’ll try making it again and I’ll be sure to measure. Also, I think it should be fine to double the recipe.

  6. Ashley

    This look so good! I am going to make some and give to my mom – she loves lemon curd. xoxo

    Reply

  7. DENISE

    I’ve never tried making lemon curd. It looks easy enough so I’m going to try it. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

    • happyhappynester

      Hi Denise,

      So happy you are going to try the recipe! Let me know how it comes out. Adding the eggs are the tricky part, so make sure you read my note. 🙂

  8. Laurie

    is the label still available for download? i subscribed to your newsletter, tried to contact you, but still dont see
    where to download the label. did i miss something?

    Reply

    • happyhappynester

      sorry, I’m getting to this so late. I will get back to this in an email, I promise.

  9. Colette

    So beautiful! I want to hang these pics on my walls!

    Love your recipe, too. Can’t go wrong w Meyers.

    Reply

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