Recipe
1890s Lemon Curd
Sharp, buttery lemon curd from late Victorian and Edwardian kitchens: eggs, sugar, butter, and juice cooked gently until thick.
Context
Lemon cheese, as many period books called it, filled tarts and spread on bread for tea.
Curd recipes appear throughout British household manuals of the 1890s. The method is a gentle stir over low heat so the eggs thicken without scrambling. Modern cooks should use a double boiler or very low flame and refrigerate the finished curd promptly.
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- ¾ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice (2 to 3 lemons)
- 1 tbsp finely grated lemon zest
- 6 tbsp butter, cut in pieces
- pinch salt
Instructions
- Whisk eggs, sugar, lemon juice, zest, and salt in a heatproof bowl set over barely simmering water.
- Stir constantly until the mixture thickens and coats a spoon, 10 to 15 minutes. Do not boil.
- Remove from heat and whisk in butter until smooth.
- Strain if desired. Cool, then refrigerate in a clean jar. Use within 1 to 2 weeks.