English Lemon Curd Recipe (2024)

This English Lemon Curd Recipe is one of my all-time favorites. Spread it on a freshly baked scone or even a yummy piece of toast with butter. And, I have the best Magnolia Table Scones recipe that will go nicely with a dollop of lemon curd.

Lemon Curd Recipe

I love this recipe. My good friend Mindy gave me this recipe, and she found it in an authentic and wonderful English cookbook that her mom gave her years ago. This cookbook was published in the mid-’60s. The recipe is easy, and you only need five ingredients, which makes it one of my favorites.

Did I mention that it only takes about 30 minutes to make? I know that Trader Joe’s sells delicious lemon curd, but I love this recipe more. It has a smooth, buttery consistency that melts in your mouth. Also, I always have many lemons on hand, so I love to make my own curd.

Tips for a Perfect Lemon Curd

I just made this recipe again, and I made a few important revisions. So, now you’ll get a fabulous lemon curd. Before my latest change, the eggs would scramble, so now you shouldn’t get this.

• You’ll want to cook it over low heat; in the last bit, you’ll turn it to a medium-low temperature.
• Use a double boiler to cook your curd. It provides a more even temperature.
• Also, use cold butter when cooking your curd. The cold butter slows the cooking of the egg, so you’re less likely to get scrambled eggs in your homemade curd!

If you get bits of scrambled eggs, strain your curd or pick them out afterward. It is a personal preference. But if you cook it for 30 minutes, you should have a smooth, creamy curd!

Meyer Lemons

So, I used my fresh Meyer Lemons from my garden. Do you know anything about Meyer Lemons?

What is the difference between a Meyer lemon and a lemon?

Meyer Lemons are a hybrid of a lemon crossed with a mandarin orange. The acidity is less than lemon, but it tastes like a lemon.

Do Meyer lemons look different than lemons?

So, they are rounder than a lemon and definitely more orange in color. I used my Meyer lemons in all these photos to see that they are more orange in color.

Can you substitute Meyer lemons for lemons when baking?

Yes! The Meyer lemons are less tangy, which is a bonus in my book. Also, since they are half orange, you can use them when a recipe calls for oranges.

Lemon Curd Ingredients

I love making these little posters! This recipe has very few ingredients, and the results are homemade yummy goodness!

Fresh Lemons

I used my Meyer lemons, but regular lemons are fine, too.

Eggs

You’ll need to bring the eggs to room temperature. You can leave them out to get the right temperature or place them in a bowl of warm water. Keep the water running on them for a couple of minutes. Room-temperature eggs mix better with the other ingredients, thus preventing scrambled eggs in the curd.

Butter

I opted for salted butter, but feel free to use unsalted. Either kind will work. I adore that subtle hint of salt; it enhances the buttery goodness. Funny story—I decided to go with cold butter straight from the fridge recently, which turned out fantastic. The cold butter slowed the egg cooking process, preventing unwanted scrambled egg mishaps!

Lemon Zest

Add as much zest as you wish. The more zest, the more lemon flavor your curd!

Sugar

I used regular granulated sugar, but I have also made it with organic sugar, and the texture is the same despite the sugar’s coarser grains.

I like to prepare the ingredients before I start since it can be a little hectic once things start on the stove.

Here is how I grated the lemon peel. Did you know I have a blog post about my favorite kitchen tools? The right tools make your experience in the kitchen go so much better.

I used Meyer Lemons for this batch of Lemon Curd, but the regular lemons are perfect, too! We have a ton of lemons on our trees, and I thought I would make a fresh batch of curd and use some of our Meyer lemons. I still have many more lemons on the trees, so maybe more lemon recipes will pop up on the blog.

This photo has the Magnolia Table Orange Scones, so check out that recipe too. And my friend Leslie has a wonderful citrusStained Lemon Tart that you might enjoy.

My family is ready to dig into this beautiful jar of fresh English Lemon Curd. I hope you have a chance to make it this spring. I crave lemon recipes in the spring and summertime.

Or maybe we should have a piece of Lemon Sour Cream Pie instead? Yes, I have lemon recipes on my mind these days!

Cheers,