Lemon Curd
This silky lemon curd is made from fresh lemon juice, eggs, sugar and starch. It cooks gently over a water bath, resulting in a smooth, thick citrus cream that can be served as a dessert or used as a filling.
Updated : 14 October, 2026
Easy
About 30 min.
Ingredients
3
Eggs
200 milliliters
Lemon juice
1 teaspoon
Lemon zest
200 grams
Sugar
20 grams
Cornstarch
Table
Table of volume measurements:
- teaspoon - 5 ml
- dessert spoon - 10 ml
- tablespoon - 20 ml
- glass - 200 ml
Preparation
Step 1
Prepare the ingredients. Use 3 large or 4 medium lemons and wash them thoroughly. You can use potato starch instead of cornstarch; in that case, approximately 15 g will be enough.
Step 2
Finely grate the zest from 1 lemon. Avoid grating the white pith underneath, as it can taste bitter.
Step 3
Squeeze the juice from all the lemons. You can use a manual or electric citrus juicer. You will need approximately 200 ml, or ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon, of juice.
Step 4
Strain the lemon juice through a sieve to remove any seeds.
Step 5
Crack the eggs into a heatproof bowl, add the sugar and whisk by hand. Add the starch and lemon zest and mix again. Pour in the lemon juice and whisk until smooth.
Step 6
Bring a little water to a boil in a saucepan and place the bowl with the egg mixture over it, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Reduce the heat so the water simmers gently. Cook while stirring constantly until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes.
Step 7
Pass the finished lemon curd through a sieve to remove the zest and any small lumps.
Step 8
Pour the curd into a glass jar and refrigerate until completely chilled. The original recipe yields approximately 350 ml, or about 1½ cups.
Step 9
Serve the lemon curd on its own or use it as an addition or filling for other desserts.
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