A traditional lemon curd, flavoured with native lemon myrtle leaves makes this beautifully tangy but sweet curd recipe a refreshing condiment.
This classic tangy, creamy curd is still the most popular of all the curds. It is delicious, spread thickly over freshly baked brioche, pancakes or waffles.
Lemon myrtle curd also makes a wonderfully rich, zesty sauce spooned over pavlovas and cakes.
Living in Australia and being surrounded by beautiful native ingredients, I like to incorporate them into my cooking whenever I can. Honestly, what can be better than adding the dried lemon myrtle leaves to the already lemony lemon curd recipe!
Jump to:
Well, let me tell you, it is better! 'Lemonier than lemon', lemon myrtle adds a sweet, yet spicy flavour with intense yet refreshing citrus notes to this buttery curd - a fantastic next level lemon flavour that you will absolutely love!
WHAT IS LEMON MYRTLE
This famous native Australian plant, is also called a superfood and is known to have health benefits like antioxidants and vitamins besides others. The leaves of the lemon myrtle tree can be used for cooking, in form of a powder or dried.
Lemon myrtle has many other uses than just in a curd, especially when prepared as a tea, you can enjoy it's wonderful aroma.
The so called "Queen of the lemon herbs" has a distinct fresh lemon smell and lemongrass like flavour. Give it a go if you haven't already!
INGREDIENTS NEEDED
Lemon Myrtle leaves or powder are available online or in speciality shops. If you use powder, make sure to only add half the amount in the recipe, as it is quite intense.
Lemon preferably organic but not a must since we only use the juice in the recipe.
Eggs are needed to thicken the lemon curd. Fresh medium sized eggs are best.
Butter unsalted butter to make the curd extra creamy.
Caster Sugar or granulated sugar works best for this recipe and a pinch of salt to balance the sweetness.
AS A NOTE: If lemon myrtle is not available to you, add 2 more lemons to the recipe and make a lemon curd instead or add 4 passionfruit's for a passionfruit curd.
HOW TO MAKE LEMON MYRTLE CURD
Lemon myrtle curd does not take long to make but you will have to keep an eye on it like a hawk, especially when the mixture is cooking to avoid the curd from curdling.
Hence my advice is to have all ingredients ready and prepared before you start working on the recipe.
preparing the ingredients
Cut the lemons in half and squeeze out the juice. Pour the juice into a pot and add the sugar.
For the recipe, we need 2 whole eggs and 2 egg yolks. Combine both and whisk lightly.
Cut the butter into dices and leave at room temperature close to your stove.
which cooking method to use?
There are 2 ways to make curd, one is in a double boiler (a bowl sitting on top of a simmering pot with water) and the other is straight in a pot.
I prefer the latter, as it is faster, unless you walk away from the stove! Otherwise just keep stirring it and it will work out fine!
If you want to try the double boiler method, I have used it in this lemon curd semifreddo recipe. You can see how it is done!
cooking the curd
Ok, get your whisk ready and let's get to work!
To cook the curd - add the lemon myrtle to the pot with the lemon and sugar mixture.
Now add the eggs to the pot and whisk well until thoroughly combined.
Next, place the pot on low heat on the stove and whisk while the curd is heating up. It is important that the bottom of the pot doesn't get too hot to avoid the eggs from scrambling.
when do you know the curd is ready?
The curd will take somewhere between 8-12 minutes to start thickening. It will seem long but don't be tempted to increase the heat. Do a test by running a wooden spoon through the curd, it should coat the back of the spoon.
Also, keep in mind that lemon curd thickens more when it has cooled down.
finishing the curd
The moment you see the curd thickening, you can start adding the butter. Add 1-2 cubes at a time and whisk well before adding more.
When the curd is thick and all the butter has incorporated into the curd, take the pot off the stove and strain the curd through a fine sieve.
The crushed lemon myrtle leaves will prevent the curd from running through the sieve smoothly, so you will need to use a spoon or ladle to press the curd through the sieve.
Transfer the strained curd into a jar and leave it in the fridge to cool down. Cover the jar once the curd has cooled down.
The curd will be creamy and thick with a spreadable consistency!
FAQ's
Lemon curd can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Make sure to label your curd container so you always know the production date.
Yes you can. Though It is unlikely you will have any leftovers after 2 weeks! But if you do then freezing is a good idea! Freeze the curd in a tight-sealed container for up to 6 months. After freezing, thaw it in the fridge overnight before using.
Unless the texture has completely changed and the curd has separated, it is hard to tell if lemon curd has gone bad from just looking at it. So I highly recommend using the sniff and taste method to determine if it has changed from the time you originally made it.
LEMON CURD USES
There are many ways to enjoy lemon myrtle curd, like in this dessert below with coconut sponge and blow torched Italian meringue. A creative dessert using left overs from our Bombe Alaska recipe testing😉. Turned out to be supa' delicious!
Here are some more uses for this lemon curd:
- on toasted sourdough with homemade ricotta
- In a frozen dessert like this lemon curd semifreddo
- with yoghurt and berries
- in a choux pastry with whipped cream
You get the idea! There are endless possibilities so don't limit your imagination😉
If you’ve tried this Lemon Curd Recipe then you will love our yuzu curd recipe or lemon myrtle cheesecake too, let us know what you think!
Until then, take care and Happy cooking!
Lemon Myrtle Curd Recipe
Equipment
- small pot
- whisk
- fine sieve
Ingredients
- 2 lemons
- 2 tablespoon lemon myrtle (crushed dried leaves)
- 175 gram caster sugar
- 2 whole eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 115 gram unsalted butter
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Cut the lemons in half and squeeze out the juice. Cut the butter into cubes and set aside. Pour the juice in a pot and add sugar and lemon myrtle.
- Lightly beat the whole eggs and yolks in a bowl with a whisk. Then pour the eggs into the pot with the lemon mixture. Whisk well until thoroughly combined.
- Now place the pot on low heat on the stove and whisk while the curd is heating up. It is important that the bottom of the pot doesn't get too hot to avoid the eggs from scrambling.
- The curd will start thickening after 8-12 minutes. Do a test by running a wooden spoon through the curd, it should coat the back of the spoon.
- Now that the curd has thickened, you can start adding the butter. Add 1-2 cubes at a time and whisk well before adding the more.
- When the curd is thick and all the butter has incorporated into the curd, take the pot off the stove. Strain through a fine sieve into a glass jar or glass bowl.
- Cool down the curd in the fridge and cover once it has cooled. The curd will be creamy and thick with a spreadable consistency.
Kiara
I love the lemon myrtle in the curd recipe.
Renu
Worth trying !
Lucette
I love it.
Maria
I recently made the lemon myrtle curd for the first time to inject into the centre of freshly baked cruffins for an extra yummy flavour boost. I followed the recipe exactly as written though I used concentrated powdered lemon myrtle so only used half a teaspoon. The curd turned out lusciously creamy with a wonderful hint of myrtle which tasted absolutely sublime as have your other recipes I’ve made - Pea and Mint Pesto and your Mandarine Marmalade with Kaffir Lime. Such great recipes thank you !
Shilpi & Etienne
Thank you Maria for your heart warming feedback. We are so happy you are enjoying making our recipes!
The lemon myrtle curd is one of our personal favourites😋 And as much as we love Basil pesto, the pea-mint version seems to be getting more popular in our house!
So glad you also liked the Mandarin and Kaffir lime marmalade, the flavour combo is so refreshing!
Thank you again for your support and we can't wait to see what you make next!