Easy Orange And Cardamom Fruit Curd

This deliciously rich and creamy orange fruit curd has the gentle warmth of cardamom spice running through it. Perfect for your toast in the morning.

Winter fruits are seriously citrus so make the most of them by whipping up some fruit curds. But step away from boring old lemon curd with this delicious orange and cardamom version instead.

Why you’ll love this

Orange and cardamom curd is different and delicious

Quick and easy to make

It makes a great wee foodie gift for family and friends

What are fruit curds

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. Its luxurious creaminess comes from eggs and butter.

Ingredients

First the all-important citrus element. I’ve used 3 oranges and the juice of a lemon here. Then there is the spice. I adore cardamom and use it in all sorts of recipes from savoury dishes to cakes. The cardamom adds a wonderfully warming addition to this tangy orange curd.

The only other ingredients are eggs, caster sugar and butter.

Pro tips

How to remove the wax from fruit

You can buy unwaxed oranges and lemons in the supermarket. These are fruits 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 don’t panic. To remove the wax from a normal orange or lemon simply wash it in soapy warm water, rinse thoroughly and pat it dry.

Voila! You now have an unwaxed orange and the zest will be so much nicer to use for making your 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 fruity scrambled eggs which is not what we are looking for.

The complete list of ingredients and full instructions for making this recipe can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

How do you make this

Orange and cardamom curd is super easy to make. If you can hold a whisk and have about ten minutes to spare then you can make this tasty fruit curd.

First crack open the cardamom pods and crush the seeds to dust.

To make things a bit quicker start with boiling water from the kettle in your pan and pop the bowl on top. It will warm gently while you are whisking the eggs. The bowl is therefore warmed up nicely before adding the butter, cardamom, sugar and orange zest and juice to it and allowing the butter to melt then stirring well so all the sugar and zest were well mixed in.

Whisk up the eggs and egg yolk in a small bowl and then stir this into the melted mix of butter, sugar and spiced orange zest in the pan.

It only took 12 minutes with me stirring it occasionally.

How do you know when the curd is ready?

The curd is ready when it coats the back of a spoon without dripping off. Remember it will set up and become more solid once it has cooled in the jars.

Next, strain the curd through a sieve by pressing through with wooden spoon. This gets rid of any tiny strands of egg etc and makes for a lovely smooth curd. This step is optional though.

Finally, ladle the curd into sterilised jars and pop on the lids.  I made 2 x 200ml jars from this recipe.

Can you make this curd microwave?

Yes you can. Melt the butter in the 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.

Uses for orange and cardamom curd

On toast for breakfast or with croissants too. Stirred into Greek yoghurt 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. And finally, use this orange and cardamom curd in Moroccan style dishes that go so well with these two amazing flavours.

Storage of curd

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 your orange and cardamom curd in the fridge in sealed jars 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!

Can it be frozen?

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 Curds page for full information on how to make these simple sweet treats.

This recipe makes a great foodie gift, so why not check out my post on how to make Christmas hampers.

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.

Apricot and almond curd

Rhubard & Ginger Curd

Super easy lemon curd

Cherry Curd

Cranberry Curd

Lemon & Ginger Curd

Simple strawberry curd

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.