Lemon/Lime/Citrus Curd: The Topic

[FoodMan]

I made a few jars of Meyer Lemon marmalade from my tree this season. I love it's taste but I do not eat it as much as other preserves. So, I decided to use in desserts. I am thinking gelato and curd. Yesterday I made lemon curd using the marmalade. I based the recipe on Robert Wolke's in his 'Einstein' book. I simply substituted all the sugar in the recipe with the marmalade. I have to say it was pretty good with an nice bitter edge from the peel and great color. The curd went into pre-baked small tart shells. Did I even make lemon curd or is this called something else now?

Elie

[TurtleMeng]

I am diggin this up because I made a lemon tart yesterday.

It is too runny. I was reading all the recipes and comparing. I used a blind baked tart shell and just poured the curd in. Is this what most people do, or like Neil said, bake briefly in the shell?

Wendy mentioned the metallic taste, which was DEFINITELY there. All people eating the tart was like "good good", I was like "UGH". I could not find the other thread...so this is not from a reactive pan? I was about to go buy a stainless steel pan to see if that would help. If that's not the problem, what should I do?

Thanks for helping. I have so little time to bake now as it's flu season...not like I can actually DO anything for these patients...

[Wendy DeBord]

If you make all the lemon curd recipes we all offered, you'd discover that it was the recipes that made the curd taste metalic or not. It has nothing to do with the pan (believe it or not).

If you have time, go back to the beginning of this thread and read all the results we had, it's a good read I think. The finecooking recipe (I hope I'm remembering correctly) turned out to have a non-metalic taste compared to others and the only differences lay in ingredient quantities. I still don't know the exact reason behind the metalic taste of some curd recipes and I wish I did have the answer.

[yellowmnm81]

hello, i made the fine cooking lemon curd recipe today..... sooo good!! thanks for posting it up. i have made lemon curd only once so i don't have much to compare with but this recipe was fantastic.. easy to make, although it did take quite some time for all the butter to melt.. i got really impatient and increased the heat before i was supposed to and then i didn't sit there stirring the entire time b/c i started to work on the crust for my tart.. but it still turned out silky smooth and oh so delicious. :)

[slacker]

Nigella's Recipe:

4 organic lemons

4 eggs

4 egg yolks

300 g sugar

200 g unsalted butter (Sorry for the metric for you USers, I have the UK version of the cookbook)

Zest and juice the lemons. 

Beat the eggs, yolks and sugar together until the sugar's dissolved.  Add butter,  lemon juice and zest and heat gently over low heat, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens and grows smooth. 

I don't have a chance to test this weekend, but the recipe's there for anyone else's testing pleasure.

←

I used this recipe this morning with lemons from Malta. I gather they were from someone's garden, so possibly not truly organic, but natural, certainly. Look at their misshapenness. I also used these eggs, which were given to me last weekend by the farmer and his wife. Nice.

Recipe worked a dream. Didn't quite boil....sieved finally.....and potted.

I have also eaten slightly too much: most of it in warm spoonfuls, but some on Maltese galetti, or water biscuits. It has the most delicious, creamy texture, and given the ingredients, I can't believe it doesn't taste rich.

Mmmmm eggs. :)

P.S. Moderator, why can I not upload pics here?

[slacker]

Brief addendum:-

I tried the curd from the fridge last night, and it's gone grainy. I think next time I might beat the butter in after cooking, and stir till cold over ice for the silkiest of textures.

And when I say tried.....4 dessertspoonsful before by conscience kicked me.

:)

[chefcyn]

Here is a recipe I've used for years--I can't remember where I originally got it, but it might have been Pierre Herme. It cooks up perfectly creamy every time, and does freeze very well. I've used it between cake layers, in tart shells with a layer of dark chocolate ganache, in little cshortbread cups, and all by itself by the spoonful! It's rich, but also very tart and fresh tasting. I also have made it with both salted and unsalted butter, and I prefer the salted, but both were excellent.

Tart Lemon Cream

(2 ½ - 3 cups)

1 c sugar

zest of three lemons, chopped very finely

4 eggs

3/4 c fresh lemon juice

10 ½ oz soft butter, in cubes

In the top of a double boiler, rub the sugar and zest together until moist and grainy. Whisk in the eggs, then the juice. Cook over simmering water until it reaches 180°and is thick. Set aside to cool to 140°, then strain into the bowl of a blender and blend, adding the butter, five cubes at a time, then continue blending for 3-4 minutes.

Will freeze for 1 month, or keep in the refrigerator for 4 days.

Hint--line cupcake tins with plastic and freeze the cream in them, wrapping each frozen cupful tightly for storage. Then, to serve, make and cool tuille cups on the outside of the muffin tins and the cream will fit inside to thaw for service.

[Patrick S]

Yep, that's Herme's lemon cream. Easily one of the best-tasting substances in the known universe.

[Behemoth]

Joining in a little late here...

Herme's recipe looks very similar to the one from Rose Levy Beranbaum's Pie and Pastry Bible. That's the one I always use. It is delicious -- nice and tart.

edit: no wait, she does a very Beranbaum thing. She whips the yolks with sugar, adds the butter over low heat, and then strains it into the unprocessed lemon zest. It gives a very nice fresh taste.

Edited April 3, 2005 by Behemoth (log)

[Sethro]

I'm sure I'm having a brain fart and there's a simple solution to this.

Basically I'm doing a layered dessert, and the top layer is a yuzu curd. I'm making half sheet size batches with a rectangle mold, so I have to pour the curd before it's too cool, and then set it in the walk in.

Of course its forming a skin (which I wish I had though of before) and I can't wrap the surface because it's the top layer of the dessert and the glossy surface is what I want. Pulling off plastic wrap would obviously ruin that.

If I wrap over the rectangle mold (not touching the surface) I'm afraid I'll get alot of condensation that will drop onto the surface and leave those discoloration spots.

I'm at a mental roadblock and I'm about to say F it and just give it a clear napage next time, but I'd rather not.

Any ideas?

[akwa]

perhaps you could mount it inverted, or upside down

use fine tefal silpat or acetate to line the tray

that way the top is protected and charged to be shiny

and you can wrap the bottom

ps i find mounting inverse to be superior in almost all regards

[chromedome]

Try paper towel over the frame, plastic wrap over the paper towel (and around and underneath, so it'll hold). Don't know if that'll keep it from forming a skin, but it should solve the condensation issue.

[Sethro]

perhaps you could mount it inverted, or upside down

use fine tefal silpat or acetate to line the tray

that way the top is protected and charged to be shiny

and you can wrap the bottom

ps i find mounting inverse to be superior in almost all regards

←

That's not a bad idea, but unfortunately it's a layered dessert, and the bottom two layers are baked (shortbread and yuzu mascarpone cheesecake). I actually bake it again briefly with the curd layer too, so it sets a little firmer.

I guess I could do it right side up, freeze it, and then invert it out of the frame onto a acetate to store it. Then I could invert and cut what I need for service from that...

I may try it, thank you!

[ruthcooks]

Have you tried spraying the plastic wrap with Pam? Or how about a garnish element to mask the marred surface? I've used cookie crumbs, crushed nuts, citrus zest, or whatever goes with the dessert.

[jsolomon]

You could also elevate your plastic wrap over the curd using toothpicks strategically placed at about 2-inch intervals along the curd.

[Wendy DeBord]

Maybe I'm not totally following this, but it seems to me the problem lays with what your using as your top layer, the curd. Typically curd isn't used as a finishing layer on tortes because of the reasons you sited.

So basicly you just need to re-work it alittle.

If you mold it wrong side up as mentioned I'm not aware of any mirror or high gloss finish that won't be dulled by assembling that way, nor would your curd retain it's shine. Upside down assembly works great if your freezer area gets a beating, that will protect your cake top from dents or scratches, as would keeping them in your ring or pan while frozen. You can assemble tortes upside down but the nappage or mirror still gets put on last when you have it right side up. You can do a gelatinized glaze as your top layer that you can freeze the assembled torte on upside down, but it won't be a high shine.

Why not pour a clear mirror glaze over your curd to seal it?

[Sethro]

Maybe I'm not totally following this, but it seems to me the problem lays with what your using as your top layer, the curd. Typically curd isn't used as a finishing layer on tortes because of the reasons you sited.

So basicly you just need to re-work it alittle.

If you mold it wrong side up as mentioned I'm not aware of any mirror or high gloss finish that won't be dulled by assembling that way, nor would your curd retain it's shine. Upside down assembly works great if your freezer area gets a beating, that will protect your cake top from dents or scratches, as would keeping them in your ring or pan while frozen. You can assemble tortes upside down but the nappage or mirror still gets put on last when you have it right side up. You can do a gelatinized glaze as your top layer that you can freeze the assembled torte on upside down, but it won't be a high shine.

Why not pour a clear mirror glaze over your curd to seal it?

←

Well I wanted to try to avoid a glaze or napage, because frankly I just don't like them (not a huge fan of fruit tarts as you can imagine). Eventually I'll sucumb if nothing else works. I know curds aren't usually used as a top layer, but it looks so damn pretty. The whole way I'm doing it this dessert is kinda convoluted, but I'm really happy with the finished product except for a couple servings I have to put out for familly meal due to patches of skin.

Thanks to everyone for the response so far, btw.

[Matsu]

I'm sure I'm having a brain fart and there's a simple solution to this.

Basically I'm doing a layered dessert, and the top layer is a yuzu curd. ...

Any ideas?

←

How firm is the curd after it sets up? Might try letting it set up in a bowl covered with plastic wrap so you don't get a skin, then after it's cool, mix it just enough to spread into your mold. I've done this with extra lemon curd to fill tarts, etc. but it's not a really firm set.

[scott123]

I'd break out my handy dandy plastic spray bottle and mist it until it's chilled and then cover with wrap.

[divina]

In my past life as a pastry chef.. we would rub the top of the pastry cream with a stick of butter, which would prevent the forming of a skin.

Hold the stick up butter in your hand and lightly run across the top, this also smooths the cream.

[Sethro]

It sets enough that I can cut it and have clean layers.

Those are some interesting ideas.

I'm not sure I understand the spray bottle suggestion though--I'd be misting it with water and then covering it?

I need to make another batch tommorow, so I'm going to make some exrta and try some of your suggestions. I'll be back to let you know what turns out.

[scott123]

Mist it with a tiny amount of water until it's chilled. Once it's completely chilled (i.e. when condensation is no longer an issue) put a layer of wrap over the pan, but not touching the curd.

[Sethro]

Funny story:

I added a little cornstarch to the mix to adjust the firmness, and behold--NO SKIN!!!

Now I can just wrap over the mold till it's cut, and then just pack it in a plastic case.

YAY!!!

[CanadianBakin']

I tried making a double batch of PH's Lemon Cream. It tastes great but I stirred over a double boiler for almost 2 hours and still never got the mixture to 180 as the recipe states it should. I think I managed 170 and by that time I'd had enough. The recipe says it should take 10 minutes. I figured it would take a bit longer because I doubled it but what's going on? I used a digital timer and a candy thermometer. The candy thermomter actually never read over 150 but it could be because it was on the edge of the pan.

I used half of it in a mousse which tastes great and the other half is in my fridge to be used in tarts. It is very thick and I'm wondering how I get it into tart shells now. I'd like it to have a smooth top so I can finish it with apple jelly and berries. Can I heat it up until it's fluid enough or will this negate the effect of the time spent in the blender? Any ideas from someone who's used this recipe?

Edited June 6, 2005 by CanadianBakin' (log)

[K8memphis]

Hmm, greater minds than mine will answer but I crank up the fire under my double boiler considerably so I can get the temperature up. My arm would have flat fallen off after one hour--I'd of never lasted for two! I don't know about re-heating it though. Test a little bit--maybe zap it in the microwave. Could you easier slice it for a nice level finish--or freeze it & slice it???

Hey, y'know what?? I got my lemon cream out of the freezer--had a little leftover--and I grabbed a knife still hot from the dishwasher drying cycle--it cut smooth real nice--y'know what--you could even get creative with a few strips & stuff too--they might, might not stand up at room temp--but they could still curl around & look cool.

Ooh ooo, pour it out on a sheet tray, get it the depth you want for the tarts--freeze it then use cookie cutters--maybe??? Or even mound it up in the tart shell & smooth it with a hot knife.

But but but I made like four times the recipe or something and I used a quick read thermometer and it took a while but maybe like 20-30 mins. And I dipped the thermometer down into where the heat was--because a lot of my pan was up out of the heated area --y'know??? Just a rigged up double boiler--not a lot of the lemon stuff was directly over the heated water--more was hanging out above the heat--Plus I have to make myself slow down while whisking so I don't cool it as I stir.

Random lemon cream thoughts. That should work out for you though--a hot knife.

PS. It'd be a shame to have to eat it all and make more

Edited June 6, 2005 by K8memphis (log)