I love the mixture of creaminess, sweetness and a bit of a tang you get with fruit curds. So I thought I’d get a wee bit festive and make this Christmas cranberry curd. It’s something different to use up those cranberries.
Christmas Cranberry Curd
Okay gang it is the run up to Christmas so let’s get this party started with some ideas for gorgeous gifts, and you know me, these just have to be foodie! What could be better than this Christmas Cranberry Curd. If you always think of curd as being of the lemon variety then this one will get your taste buts all a tingling!
Cranberries for Christmas!
I bought a huge batch of cranberries the other day. I just love their colour and can’t resist when I see them in the shops, it’s a case of ‘Wayhey Christmas is coming’. So anyway I trotted home with my berries and thought I would play around with something different to make with them instead of my usual cranberry sauce.
Uses for homemade Christmas cranberry curd
On toast for breakfast or with croissants too
Stirred into Greek yogurt or swirled through ice-cream
As a filling for sponge cakes or tarts
Slathered on a scone with cream on top
Stirred into cream cheese with sugar as a cake frosting
How long does homemade cranberry curd keep?
Curds aren’t really preserves at all in the true sense of the word. While they sit alongside jams and jelly in the supermarket they don’t have the same shelf life when made at home. Store curd in the fridge in sealed jars for up to 2 months. However once jar is opened it must be used up within 2 weeks. It tastes so delicious mine never lasts long anyway!
Can you freeze cranberry curd? Yes you can. Just spoon it into freezer proof bags or little plastic boxes or jars (leave about 1cm head space for expansion), label and pop it in the freezer for up to a year. Defrost thoroughly before use.
Need more help
Then check out my How To Make Cool Curds page for full information on how to make these simple sweet treats.
Other fruit curds
You can make curds out of any juicy fruit. From lemons and limes to oranges, pineapple and cherries. Here are some of my favourite fruit curd recipes.
Finally, if you try this easy recipe for Christmas cranberry curd do leave a comment/rating below. I love to hear from readers and respond to everyone as quickly as I can. Want more Larder Love, then follow me on Instagram and Facebook and sign up for my free weekly newsletter too.
PS – Here are some other cranberry recipes you might like to try;
Cranberry and Orange Marmalade
Christmas Cranberry Curd
Ingredients
- 300 g/11oz cranberries
- 2 oranges the zest and the juice which should be about 100ml/3 1/2fl oz
- 4 eggs beaten
- 125 g/4oz unsalted butter
- 450 g/1lb caster sugar
Instructions
- Put the berries, grated zest of the orange (avoiding the bitter white pith) and the orange juice in a pan and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the berries are soft and mushy.
- Whizz with blending wand or carefully pour into a blender.
- You can pour this back in the pan and add the other ingredients that way, but to be honest I prefer to set a bowl over a pan of bubbling water (a double boiler) as I feel it means I have a bit more control over the eggs when adding them.
- So I pour my smooth berry and juice/zest mixture into my double boiler bowl and add the sugar and butter and stir until they have dissolved.
- Now comes the bit that always scares people about making curds, adding the eggs. Don't panic, just add the beaten eggs to your mixture and
- keep stirring, , that is the key to making a curd. Stir your mixture until it thickens up.
- Spoon into sterilised jars, cover with a waxed paper disc and pop on a lid.
- Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks
PIN ME FOR LATER
You’re back! And with a dang good recipe, too! Yay for us! I love the sounds of this – I’m making a white cake for a friend’s birthday and I was going to use lemon curd as the filling between the layers – now I think I’ll use your Cranberry Curd – what a stroke of genius this is! On another note, I’ve been thinking about you, wondering how things went the other day – when I saw this post I thought you must be doing okay, faking-it-till-you-make-it kind of okay…cooking is good therapy! xo, Nan
how big were the jars you used for thus recipe?
Hi Naomi,
These are just small sized jars as curd doesn’t keep for long so I only ever make small quantities.Hope this helps.
K x