Non-Citrus Curds

[andiesenji]

For those who are enthusiastic about quince the following site has several interesting recipes.

It also has some other unusual fruit recipes and combinations.

Recipes from Tazmania

[Zucchini Mama]

If you are interested in making some other things, I have a number of recipes...quince paste is quite costly to buy - my husband and I figured, based on a retail price, that I made close to $500 worth in an afternoon for about 12 dollars in quince. 

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Badiane, Wow! Talk about the golden fruit!

Thanks everyone,

Wow! Now I'm more informed and inspired. I did peel them, and I like the idea of grating them. I think I let them become too ripe, because they didn't taste acidic any more. However, I had some of my "curd" on a toasted bagel this morning, and enjoyed it anyway.

ludja, I'd love to make the jam you posted the recipe for in the other thread. Now I'm going to have to head to the market and find some more quince!

Zuke

[Aria B.]

I'm wanting to try more curds besides good ol' lemon. I can imagine lime, but what other citrus or other types of fruit curds have you made? Where do you find the recipes, or do you make from experimentation?

[gfron1]

Here's a previous topic on orange curd. I've also had guava and mango.

[Patrick S]

I made a passion fruit curd once, using a frozen sweetened puree. I made little tartlets with little discs of banana cake, topped by strawberry jam, topped with the curd.

Mine turned out a little too sweet, but were still good. I was trying to duplicate something called the tart Maeva I had at Vanille Patisserie in Chicago, which was delicious.

Edited August 9, 2007 by Patrick S (log)

[JeanneCake]

Years ago I found a recipe for raspberry curd online - it had the strained juice, butter, sugar, yolks and the standard procedure. (You can make a firmer curd by using whole eggs and adding the butter at the end, or with just yolks and having everything in at the same time and bringing it to a specific temp - 186 is what I use for citrus).

So by experimenting with the level of sugar you could probably make a curd or rough approximation of one with unsweetened juice of almost anything..... consider the possibilities - berry, pineapple, tangerine, even juiced melons probably.

[Pam R]

So by experimenting with the level of sugar you could probably make a curd or rough approximation of one with unsweetened juice of almost anything.....  consider the possibilities - berry, pineapple, tangerine, even juiced melons probably.

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I agree - you could probably use any number of juices - but you may need to mix in some lemon juice to get it to set up. I've made orange curd many times, and it will not set up well unless I add some lemon juice. I'm played around with sugar and egg quantities, and nothing worked.

I made a batch of key lime curd a couple of days ago and froze it for use next week. With lime, it's just a matter of replacing the lime juice for lemon juice in your recipe.

[lunatuna]

A few days ago, I found myself with some leftover rhubarb stalks and berries. Was in the mood for some kind of curd, and there were some decent-looking lemons in the fridge, so: I made the recipe for lemon curd in the newish Joy of Cooking, adding two (chopped) stalks of rhubarb along with scant handfuls of both raspberries and blackberries. (I added the extra fruit at the same time as the lemon juice.) Once it seemed to have curd-i-fied, I took it off the heat and whirred out the chunks with my immersion blender. Some tiny bits of fruit remained, but didn't bother me; if you're a nut for smooth consistency, you might want to push the curd through a strainer. Really delicious stuff--I've been eating it by the spoonful and on toast, but I could also see using it as a tart filling.

[maggiethecat]

A few days ago, I found myself with some leftover rhubarb stalks and berries.  Was in the mood for some kind of curd, and there were some decent-looking lemons in the fridge, so: I made the recipe for lemon curd in the newish Joy of Cooking, adding two (chopped) stalks of rhubarb along with scant handfuls of both raspberries and blackberries.  (I added the extra fruit at the same time as the lemon juice.)  Once it seemed to have curd-i-fied, I took it off the heat and whirred out the chunks with my immersion blender.  Some tiny bits of fruit remained, but didn't bother me; if you're a nut for smooth consistency, you might want to push the curd through a strainer.  Really delicious stuff--I've been eating it by the spoonful and on toast, but I could also see using it as a tart filling.

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OK, that sounds wonderful. I want some Right Now.

I've made pink grapefruit curd and it went over well.

[etalanian]

They're out of season now, but blood oranges make a beautiful and delicious curd.

Eileen

[sazji]

Blackberry! They are in season now. I've never tried curd with them but have juiced them by cooking them down and straining - get some red fruit ifyou pick them yourself to get a bit more tartness. I've used it for a junket with the addition of cream and cream cheese - a sort of blackberry pudding, and used it to fill tarts. I also made a blackberry merengue pie, the flavor was really intense. I think it would make a great curd.

[chezcherie]

cranberry curd

[dystopiandreamgirl]

Chez Panisse Desserts has recipes for apricot, blood orange, gooseberry, loganberry, raspberry, red currant, and wild blackberry.

I've made the blackberry and raspberry, and both were a rather ghastly color, probably due to the juices blending with the bright orange yolks of free range eggs.

Recipes for lemon, lime, orange and passion fruit curds are in The Cake Bible; the orange calls for reducing 1 cup of juice to 2 tablespoons. I found it too sweet (the others are delicious). In The Pie and Pastry Bible there is a version using sour seville oranges - not only an improvement but one of the best things I've ever tasted.

I made a guava curd which tasted fantastic but was the color of...mustard. I hid it inbetween the layers of a coconut milk cake, and despite the color it was well received.

My preference is not to hide them:

lemon:

meyer lemon:

[maggiethecat]

Chez Panisse Desserts has recipes for apricot, blood orange, gooseberry, loganberry, raspberry, red currant, and wild blackberry.

I've made the blackberry and raspberry, and both were a rather ghastly color, probably due to the juices blending with the bright orange yolks of free range eggs. 

Recipes for lemon, lime, orange and passion fruit curds are in The Cake Bible; the orange calls for reducing 1 cup of juice to 2 tablespoons.  I found it too sweet (the others are delicious).  In The Pie and Pastry Bible there is a version using sour seville oranges - not only an improvement but one of the best things I've ever tasted.

I made a guava curd which tasted fantastic but was the color of...mustard.  I hid it inbetween the layers of a coconut milk cake, and despite the color it was well received. 

My preference is not to hide them:

lemon:

meyer lemon:

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Ok, my socks are officially knocked off -- you might find them on Saturn. Those are beautiful photos.

I'm totally with you about Seville orange curd. The same oranges that give you the best marmelade give you amazing orange curd.

[gfron1]

Wow! What else can you say to those beauties!

[Lisa2k]

I was going to experiment with substituting pomegranate juice for lemon juice in a basic lemon curd recipe, but was told it doesn't work (doesn't set up). I know there has to be a way around this. Although I would like to avoid cornstarch, if I have to use it, so be it, but I was thinking all egg yolks plus half lemon juice cut in with the pomegranate juice might make it work? If anyone has made pomegranate curd with success, and/or has any suggestions, I would be incredibly grateful.

[Tri2Cook]

Upping the acid via citrus juice should help. I've wondered before (but haven't experimented yet) if simply working in some citric and/or ascorbic acid would do the trick without having to dilute the base juice with lemon juice. I'll have to get back to that one of these days.

[Lisa2k]

Upping the acid via citrus juice should help. I've wondered before (but haven't experimented yet) if simply working in some citric and/or ascorbic acid would do the trick without having to dilute the base juice with lemon juice. I'll have to get back to that one of these days.

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Thanks, Tri2! Do you think using blood orange juice in lieu of the lemon juice would also work? Enough acid?

[alanamoana]

check with gfron1 (rob) as he has made it recently.

[jackal10]

I don't see why it needs acid to set; its essentially a custard/hollandaise.

I worry much more about the keeping properties if not acid,

[Tri2Cook]

In theory any fruit juice with a PH lower than 3 should work without acid embellishment. So if you can check the PH of your juice that should steer you in the right direction. Otherwise, a little extra acid is cheap insurance that won't hurt. In my experience, higher PH juices just don't seem to work too well without additional acid... for whatever reason. Bolster the acid and pretty much any fruit works just fine. I don't know the science, I'll take a look later and see if McGee has anything to say on the subject. I don't remember seeing anything on that in the book but that doesn't mean it's not there.

[Lisa2k]

gFron1, where are you? I hope he sees this thread!

In any event, I need a a solid, somewhat sturdy curd, and I don't want to take a chance of even the least bit of 'the runs' since I'll be pouring it over a lot of $$$ worth of chocolate used in a ganache. Silly me for not thinking this out and testing beforehand.

As for the scientific aspect, it's all a little confusing to me, as I'm also stumped as to why an acid is needed to set a fruit curd.

[Tri2Cook]

When I need a sturdy curd, I usually use a very low level of gelatin, agar+gelatin or agar+xanthan with gelatin being my mouthfeel preference if I don't need tolerance to warmer temps but that's when I want to do a sliceable curd or for a tart or entremet or things of that nature. I've never used a curd in a ganache so hopefully someone else that has will see this thread.

[Lisa2k]

Actually. I'm pouring the curd over the set ganache I thought of using gelatin leaves but I don't want it to even come close to a gelee, just a nice, smooth curd. With my luck, no matter how small the amount of any gelatinous component, I would end up with JELLO LOL

Edited April 6, 2009 by Lisa2k (log)

[Tri2Cook]

It's definitely a fine line and maybe a line not to be crossed for the true purist. I usually use .5% by weight to the combined weight of the juice, sugar and egg. I dissolve the hydrated gelatin in the hot curd then incorporate the butter with a blender. It may still cross the line for what you want, it will hold it's shape on a plate, but it's not jello.