Passion Fruit and Lemon Curd

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Everyone knows lemon curd but when you add something as wonderful as passion fruit to the mix you just make something good even better. This easy homemade passion fruit and lemon curd ticks all the boxes and more.

passion fruit and lemon curd in jar with spoon at side

Passion Fruit and Lemon Curd

It’s time to get back to the larder and this Passion fruit and lemon curd takes your usual lemon curd into a whole new dimension. It is so tasty and is super simple to make. Once you’ve tried this one you will be adding it to your curd recipe list and making it again and again.

spoon of curd on top of jar

What are fruit curds?

If you are unfamiliar with fruit curds (lemon curd is the most famous) then you are in for a treat. Fruit curds originated in England and date back to the 1800’s. Back then they really were curds.

Lemon juice was added to cream which separated it into curds and whey. Hence the name lemon curd. Nowadays lemon curd and all others are made without cream but there is butter in there instead.

ingredients for curd, lemons and passion fruit

Ingredients for passion fruit and lemon curd

There are only a few ingredients for this homemade curd. Lemon, passion fruit, butter, sugar and a pinch of salt.

Selecting passion fruit

When you are selecting your passion fruits the wrinkled ones are best as they have more flavour (just like people really!).

spoon in jar of passion fruit and lemon curd

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.

How to remove wax from lemons

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 passion fruit and lemon curd.

spoon on top of jar

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 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.

spoon in jar of curd

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 cool curds

How to make great jelly

How to make chutney and relish

How to sterilise jars and bottles

Sticky situations – troubleshooting your preserves

Different types of preserves

My favourite preserving kit

Uses for homemade passion fruit and lemon 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

spoon standing at side of jar of passionfruit and lemon curd

Can you make lemon 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.

How long will homemade curd keep?

This passion fruit and lemon curd should be stored in the fridge in a sealed jar where it will last for up to 2 months. However, once the jar has been opened it must be used up within 2 weeks.

Can you freeze homemade curd? Yes you can. Simply make sure there is room for expansion if you have it in a jar and pop it into the freezer for up to 1 year. Defrost thoroughly before use.

larder links

Looking for more creative curd recipes? Then check these out;

Lovely Lemon Curd

Lemon and Ginger Curd

Cherry Curd

Christmas Cranberry Curd

Apricot and Almond Curd

Rhubarb and Ginger Curd

Coconut Curd

Need more help?

Then check out my How to make fruit curds article for more information.

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, and Pinterest and sign up for my newsletter too of course.

Photos And Tips AboveMost of my recipes have step by step photos and useful tips plus videos too, see above.
passion fruit and lemon curd by larderlove

Passion Fruit and Lemon Curd

Karon Grieve
A super simple recipe for passion fruit and lemon curd packed with zesty flavour.
4.82 from 11 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course curd
Cuisine British
Servings 2 jars
Calories 1011 kcal

Ingredients
 

  • 3 passion fruits
  • 3 lemons zest and juice
  • 3 eggs
  • 100 g unsalted butter cut into small pieces
  • 200 g sugar
  • pinch salt

Instructions
 

  • Open and scoop out the flesh of the passion fruits
  • melt the butter in a Bain Marie/bowl over pan of simmering water
  • Beat the eggs then press them through a sieve (optional but avoids any stringy bits of egg)
  • whisk together the eggs with the passion fruit flesh, lemon zest, juice and sugar and pinch of salt
  • Add the mixture to the melted butter and continue to stir. The sugar will dissolve and everything will come together like a custard. This can take up to 15 minutes.
  • The passion fruit and lemon curd is ready when it coats the back of your spoon without all sliding off. Remember it will become firmer as it cools in the jars
  • Ladle into sterilised jars

Notes

calories shown for all passion fruit and lemon curd made

Nutrition

Calories: 1011kcalCarbohydrates: 145gProtein: 13gFat: 48gSaturated Fat: 28gTrans Fat: 2gCholesterol: 353mgSodium: 139mgPotassium: 772mgFiber: 18gSugar: 118gVitamin A: 3263IUVitamin C: 124mgCalcium: 107mgIron: 4mg
My Top Tips*Always read the full recipe first. *Assemble all your ingredients and everything you need before you start. *For baking check the size of tins I’m using as this makes a big difference to your cakes. * I use medium sized eggs unless otherwise stated. * I use extra virgin olive oil unless otherwise stated. * I use unsalted butter unless otherwise stated. * Check out My Preserving Kit!
Tried this recipe?Mention @LarderLove or tag #LarderLove

 

30 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    G’day from Oz! I have just made a batch of your wonderful recipe. I was able to fill two small jam jars. I will give mum one, which she’ll scoff it down fast lol. I have made Lemon Curd before but this is so much better. I will be having some on my toast later and I can’t wait! Licking up the bowl after ladling in jars is a must! Thank you for this recipe and I certainly will be making this on a regular occasion! – Shell.

    1. Hi Shell,
      So glad you like the recipe. I agree, adding the passion fruit lifts this curd to new levels of amazingness! Why not try some of my other curds too.
      K x

  2. 5 stars
    Brilliant passion fruit and lemon curd recipe. Made a huge jar today, looking forward to toast, butter and curd for breakfast tomorrow. Tastes superb, just nicely tart.

  3. Hello, and thanks for the recipe! What do you think about preserving/canning this passion fruit curd in a water bath, in order to leave it out at room temp longer, to sell or give as gifts?

  4. 5 stars
    Karon,

    What a wonderful recipe. I never made a curd before but I sure will again. It’s 01:30 AM. I couldn’t sleep, so I decided to make your recipe. Thanks to Pres. Trump here in the U.S. we don’t go out very much. That is if we have half a brain. He doesn’t even have a quarter of a brain. So we don’t expect much from him. (It’s four years later and I still can believe he was elected.) By the way I got the idea to look for a lemon passion fruit curd recipe from watching the Great British Baking Show. This was also the first time I ever had passion fruit. Thank you ever so much for sharing this marvelous recipe. God bless you all across the pond.
    Mary

    1. Hi Mary
      Glad to hear my recipe gave you something interesting and tasty to do/make in the middle of the night. You have brightrned my day with your funny Trump comments. Stay safe and keep smiling and having fun in the kitchen no matter what time it is.
      K

      1. Karon, I will be making this curd recipe to celebrate Joe Biden winning the election. Apparently Mr. Trump’s quarter brain hasn’t got the message yet. One question, I had a very slight graininess in my curd. What can I do to eliminate it?
        Praying for you all across the pond. Stay safe and healthy. Blessings, Mary

  5. 5 stars
    Hiya,

    I think my curds curdled because it has a grainy texture.

    I’m not sure if it’s because my butter separated when I heated it, maybe I didn’t stir quite enough when it was all in the double boiler, or if it was because I tried to get it up to 160 degrees, which took a whole half of an hour…

    Basically I learn by doing everything wrong first.

    I don’t want to strain it because I’d probably lose the lemon zest bits & crunchy seeds,
    I don’t want to just put it into a blender because then I’ll lose the fun crunchy seeds too,

    Have any experience needing to ‘save’ it by adding either a certain amount of lemon juice, egg yolk or even water or cream? I know I wouldn’t want to do all of the above, one solution may conflict with another…

    1. Hi cedric
      You could try adding some butter and reheating. Sometimes curd can get grainy when it is overheated rather than not having ever got to the correct temperature. The straining is the only other option really on this one I think.
      Hope you can sort things out. Bet it tastes great anyway
      K

  6. Hi, I wanted to ask for step 5 when you add the mixture into the butter, does this need to be over heat.

    Also do you know the nutritional value in the curd or fat content? Just curious

    1. Hi Shelby,
      I have to add nutritional content manually to each and every post and I have over 600 recipes to update. I’m doing this every day but it’s a slow process I’m afraid, I will get to this post and the info will appear, re the butter it is in the bowl of the Bain Marie as in step one over a heat and you add the ingredients into this bowl so it is still on the heat. Hope this helps
      K

  7. 5 stars
    Hi Karon, what a lovely recipe! Can just eggs yolks be used instead of whole eggs, and if so how many?

  8. I am so excited to try this! I already juiced my passion fruit and lemon and have them in the freezer. Do you have a ball park idea of how much each (in weight) i would need for this?

  9. This looks great! In stead of cooking it over a Bain Marie, could you do it successfully in a pot in low heat?

  10. 5 stars
    Hi there,
    I’ve used this recipe twice now and everyone loves it! Both times I’ve made it specifically for a pavlova and then used the left overs for crepes for the following weekends. Thank you so much

4.82 from 11 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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