...throw them at someone! Just kidding, that would be a waste.
I've been really behind on posting! Eeks! After the holidays, I spent about 3 weeks traveling Southeast Asia (Singapore & Malaysia), China and Hong Kong on a primarily food tour. And on a somewhat related note, Southeast Asia has these mini limes that are about the size of a gumball and has a really sweet and tangy flavor within the sourness. Anyway, I'm back and I promise this year, there will be more recipes and posts!
Most people have a lemon tree which is really handy to have around when you're cooking but what do you do with those extra lemons? I could think of at least a million things to do with them. Lemon Pound Cake, Blueberry Lemon Muffins or Scones, and Lemon Coconut Cupcakes are just a few but those recipes only call for a small amount of lemon juice and/or zest off your tree. A recipe I love is Lemon Curd, something that I keep in my refrigerator.
What is Lemon Curd? It is sweet and sour in taste, creamy and buttery in texture and the fragrance is intoxicating. And what do you do with it? It's most commonly used in a classic French dessert called Tarte Au Citron, where a flaky tart crust is filled with the lemon curd and baked, then served chilled. Delicious. The English eat it on English muffins, toast, or scones.
I love making this and having it around because I think its a great way to start off your day with something fresh and light. It's the perfect ZING! to get a great day started, and I usually spread it over a slice of toast.
Got a ton of lemons and don't know what to do? Then lets get started!
The materials you'll need:
(1) 8oz jar per batch. This recipe makes approximately 1 jar but hey, if you've got a ton of lemons, make several batches, can them, and they will keep for a darn long time inside or out of the refrigerator.*I haven't tried it yet, but theoretically, if you pasteurize the curd it shouldn't need to be stored in the refrigerator. Just follow the canning instructions.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice *
grated zest of one lemon
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
3 oz butter, cubed
In a medium saucepan whisk the lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar, eggs and egg yolks over medium heat until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Next immediately remove from heat to prevent curdling and continue to whisk. Now, begin whisking in the butter, about 1 tbsp at a time until all the butter has melted.
Before the curd cools, put a sieve over a jar and fill. The sieve will ensure a smooth creamy consistency to remove any lumps in the mixture. Once the curd cools, it becomes harder to strain it through the sieve. Now, it is ready for canning (completely optional). If you're just make one batch that you're going to eat right away then just let it cool, and put in the refrigerator. It is probably best to eat it within a week or so but I've kept it much longer in the refrigerator and it still tastes delicious.
Enjoy!
* Depending on what kind of lemon you have on hand, you may need to adjust the sugar. I typically love using Meyer lemons for this because it has a much more fragrant flavor and also sweeter and Eureka lemons tend to be more sour so I would suggest adding about 1/8 to 1/4 cup extra sugar to sweeten.
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