Meyer Lemon Curd

Obsessed as I am with all things lemon and curd, when I came home with a few bags of meyer lemons I thought – the people need a meyer lemon curd! To be clear, the people are me ;p

the difference between meyer lemons and regular lemons

 Meyer lemons are less acidic than eureka lemons and are sweeter, more floral. They are a cross between a mandarin and a ‘regular’ lemon so they have a bit of orange and a bit of lemon in them. A common question people have is, are they interchangeable? 

The answer is it depends: zest is always interchangeable but the juice itself (because meyer lemons have a higher pH than standard) is not always a reliable substitution. In cakes for example, where acids are balanced with leavening, using an ingredient that is less acidic can throw off the rise and flavor. 

Meyer Lemons with Lemon Curd 

Because they are a tad sweeter, when I make meyer lemon curd I reduce the sugar in my basic (and best!) lemon curd recipe as I like a tart curd that’s very lemon forward. 

If you were to ask, how could I achieve the flavor of a meyer lemon without them? I’d say use equal amounts of a mandarin (or orange) and a standard lemon. 

Recipe Ingredients 

Meyer lemons: Look for juicy meyer lemons, test them by lifting them: the heavy ones always have more juice. 

Sugar: fine granulated sugar. You can increase the sugar for a less tart flavor (to make it sweeter) to ½ cup instead of the ⅓ cup listed. 

Eggs: whole eggs. 

Butter: any kind, if using salted butter omit the added salt. It can be cold or at room temperature. 

Salt: fine sea salt, this isn’t super necessary but it helps bring out the flavors and break up the eggs. 

How to make meyer lemon curd 

Into a pot, zest the lemons and rub into the sugar, this releases the oils from the zest so you get more of that lovely flavor: 

Juice the lemons and beat the eggs very well with the salt, do your best to break up all those white bits (but if you can’t it’s ok – we’ll sieve them out later). 

Combine all the ingredients – except the butter! – and cook over medium low heat. You want to stir it very often so it doesn’t overcook then burn on the bottom. 

It will thicken first on the bottom and as you stir, it will get thick all over. Thick enough to cover the back of a spoon. If you have a thermometer, stop cooking it at 165 F. 

Pour through a fine mesh sieve; this is to remove the zest bits and the egg white bits. 

Slice the butter and then stir it into the curd. As the butter melts and you stir, the curd will become shiny and thick. 

Once the butter is fully melted, set it in the fridge to chill for a few hours. 

How to store meyer lemon curd? 

In a sealable jar, like a mason jar and keep it in the fridge. It’ll last about 2 weeks. For longer storage, freeze in a freezer-safe container. 

Sam’s tips to making perfect lemon curd

1. Rub the zest into the sugar: 
2. Beat the eggs with a pinch of salt: 
3. Cook until 165 F – no more! 
4. Stir in the butter after cooking: 

Want a tiny batch of meyer lemon curd that you can make in the microwave? Use this microwave lemon curd recipe but drop the sugar to ¼ cup. 

How to use meyer lemon curd 

Use it on anything you would use lemon curd: over a pavlova, french toast or pancakes, spread it over the frosting on your lemon cake, bake it into a batch of bread rolls to make a meyer lemon roll, bake it over some shortbread to make meyer lemon bars, use it in a cheesecake…. Stuff it into some cookies, spoon it over ice cream… the list is endless!

Meyer Lemon Curd

Silky smooth, buttery meyer lemon curd made in ten minutes in one pot. This recipe uses whole eggs and a lot of meyer lemon juice to achieve a lovely tart flavor.

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 10 minutes mins

2 hours hrs

5 from 4 votes

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Ingredients

• 66g or ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• Zest of 3-4 meyer lemons
• 120g or ½ cup meyer lemon juice freshly squeezed
• 3 large eggs
• Small pinch fine sea salt
• 57g or ¼ cup unsalted butter cold is fine

Method

• Set a fine mesh sieve over a bowl and slice the butter into pats. Set aside.
• Pour the sugar into a pot then zest the lemons over it. Rub the zest between your fingers into the sugar as much as you can, until it becomes like wet sand. This releases the oils for better flavor.
• Juice the lemons and add the juice to the pot.
• In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with a pinch of fine sea salt using a fork. Do your best to break up all the egg white bits.
• Pour the eggs into the pot and whisk until everything is well combined.
• Set over medium heat. Cook, stirring very frequently and keeping a close eye on the texture of the curd: at 155 F the curd will start to thicken. Whisk or stir well until it fully thickens and reaches 165 F. Take it off the heat.
• Pour the curd through the fine mesh sieve into the bowl. Stir the curd through the sieve to get all of it out, pressing on the zest bits to extract the flavor. Scrape the underside of the sieve to capture all of the curd.
• Add the butter pats to the bowl and stir until they fully melt. Let the curd come to room temperature then seal and set in the fridge to chill for a few hours before using.
• The curd keeps in the fridge, sealed for about 2 weeks.

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