This super easy homemade lemon and ginger curd recipe takes a classic, lemon curd, and makes it even better. Proof that you can indeed make something good even better!
I love lemon curd. That tang and sweetness on toast in the morning is just the perfect wake up call. But this lemon and ginger curd takes things one step further. The ginger adds a touch of warmth and a bit of a kick to the sharpness of the lemon, mmmmm yumm!
This super easy lemon and ginger curd is the perfect wake up call on your morning toast.
What is lemon curd?
For those more familiar with jams and jellies, fruit curds are another member of the fruity preserve family. Lemon curd dates back to the early 1800’s and hails from England. Back then it was actually lemon cheese, the lemon juice being added to cream causing the curds and whey to separate. Hence the name lemon curd.
Nowadays lemon curd does not contain any cream at all. It’s luxurious creaminess comes from eggs and butter.
Pro tips for making homemade curd
Use a Bain Marie/double boiler
What the hell is that? Well quite simply it’s a glass or ceramic bowl (don’t use metal as it can leave a slightly metallic taste in your lemon curd) which just sits on top of a pan of simmering water. The water mustn’t touch the base of the bowl. It’s exactly the same way you melt chocolate.
Why use a bain marie? Because this is a gentler way of cooking instead of using direct heat. If you use a pan directly on the stove you could very well end up with lemon scrambled eggs which is not what we are looking for.
Waxed lemons vs unwaxed lemons
You can buy unwaxed lemons in the supermarket. These are lemons that have not been treated with the wax preservative that is sprayed on all our store bought fruit. If you don’t have the unwaxed type of lemons don’t panic.
To remove the wax from a normal lemon simply wash it in soapy warm water, rinse thoroughly and pat it dry. Voila! You now have an unwaxed lemon and the zest will be so much nicer to use for making your homemade lemon curd.
Strain the eggs
Yes, I know, this sounds a tad odd but makes a difference if you want really smooth silky curd. Simply whisk up those eggs then press through a plastic kitchen sieve.
Any little stray bits of egg white will be kept behind. It just stops you getting any little stringy bits in your homemade lemon and ginger curd. This step is optional.
Sterilise your jars
You want to sterilise your jars before you use them. This will kill any bacteria lurking in the jars which would spoil your homemade lemon and ginger curd and might make you ill. Just follow the easy steps for sterilising your jars in this article – how to sterilise jars.
Uses for easy homemade lemon and ginger 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
Use in savoury dishes too like lemon chicken
Can you make lemon and ginger curd in a microwave?
Yes you can. Melt the butter in microwave for 30 seconds. Whisk the other ingredients together then add to the butter and stir well. Heat at 1 minute blasts and stir between times till it thickens. Strain through a sieve.
Lemon curd fixes
If your curd is too thin then try cooking it for longer. Or add a little more butter. Some folks add cornflour but that can make your lemon curd have a nasty taste.
If your lemon and ginger curd is too thick then try adding a teaspoon of extra lemon juice and whisking this in.
Lumpy curd? Then strain the curd through a fine plastic sieve. Or blitz with a hand blender.
How long does homemade lemon and ginger 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 this homemade curd in sealed jars in the fridge where it will keep for up to 2 months. However, once the jar is opened it must be used up within 2 weeks. It tastes so delicious mine never lasts long anyway!
New to preserving? Then don’t panic, I can take you from zero to hero in no time at all.
Just check out these handy articles to get you heading in the right direction fast;
How to make great jam and marmalade
How to make chutney and relish
How to sterilise jars and bottles
Can you freeze 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.
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 do try this recipe don’t forget to leave a comment/star rating below as I just love to hear from readers. Want more Larder Love? Then follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter and sign up for my newsletter too of course.
Easy homemade lemon and ginger curd
Ingredients
- 4 large lemons unwaxed or wash thoroughly first
- 225 g caster sugar
- 115 g unsalted butter
- 1 tsp stem ginger plus 1 tsp syrup from jar
- 4 medium eggs
Instructions
- Zest the lemons and squeeze out the juice. Put this into a bowl that sits on top of a pot of simmering water. Add the sugar, ginger (finely chopped) and ginger syrup and butter (also chopped). Stir to mix thoroughly and let everything melt together.
- Take the pot and bowl combo off the heat once it has got to this stage. Whisk the eggs in a jug and pour this gently into the lemony mixture. Put it back on the heat and keep stirring with a wooden spoon until the curd sticks to the back of the spoon
- Pour into a couple of sterilised jars
Sounds lovely! I am going to try this this week for Christmas pressies!
Just enjoying my first ever homemade lemon curd sandwich so thank you for inspiring me! 3 jars ready for teachers’ christmas pressies too! Just a couple of questions, I did have to sieve it before pitting into jars, as I noticed as curd was thickening a few bits of cooked egg white! I did whisk – should you leave melted mixture to cool first before adding eggs or is it prone to get egg pieces in as it thickens? Another question, I found the stem ginger turned a bit brown?! It tasted a bit cardboard too once all cooked, but as I sieved it for the eggs, I also lost the ginger and all the zest too! Did I do something wrong!? Curd tastes lovely but not especially gingery now it is all removed! Thanks so much!
Karon, thank you very much! I really liked the recipe, I took it to my recipe book)
Glad you liked the recipe so much
K x
What is stem ginger with syrup? I can make it but have never seen it.
Hi Nicole
It is ginger preserved in syrup that you buy in jars in the supermarket.
K