I want to bring up two things I’ve taken issue with over the past week: dating, and the word curd. I don’t like either of them, and have no solutions to propose, but let’s discuss.
Topic one: dating. I loathe dating. Sure, it has always been laced with thrill and misery, but I propose that my fellow generation’s way of approaching dating is fundamentally different from that of my parents, grandparents or grandparents. Men and women are pretty much on the same level now, thank goodness. With equality, however, comes massive ambiguity.
These days men are no longer obligated to make the first move, and I am told that they often are too intimidated to try. This is unfortunate because I don’t have the guts to try, either. Official dates are rare and most often, I find myself confused at the proposed prospect of hanging out. Just what does he mean, let’s hang out?
In my experience, these repeat undefined casual dating experiences don’t turn into relationships of substance. Rather, they tend to blow up in a poof of smoke that leaves me with a black cloud overhead and bleak hopes for finding a mate. From nothing to nothing, I find myself, once again, mourning The Thing That Never Was and wondering, why do I care? Does it really matter? Top that off with exes smattered over my Facebook feed and I can’t help but feel like I’m truly cursed. Cue Extraordinary Machine, extra-large glasses of wine and snuggles with my sweet dog, my ever-present and loyal companion.
Second topic of discussion: the word curd. It’s not a sexy word, and I assure you that this curd is very much so (not unlike the tall, broad-shouldered boy who has me all fired up and writing about the throes of dating). It’s silky smooth and tart, infused with puckery citrus flavor that is mellowed by sweet honey.
The technique I use here skips the straining step required in most curd recipes. Straining is a pain and it’s wasteful, so why bother if you don’t have to? Thanks to some magical chemical interactions between butter, eggs and natural sugars, you’ll be blessed with perfectly smooth curd from the second you take the pot off the burner. I made two batches of curd right after another, the first with Meyer lemons and the second with blood oranges.
Which of the curds do I prefer? I like the tartness of the blood orange; Meyer lemons are a little too sweet here. The zing of the blood orange curd keeps me coming back for more.
I really hope you’ll give this recipe a try because if I can do it, you can do it. Twenty minutes of standing in the kitchen, juicing, zesting, mixing and stirring produce deliciously sweet-and-sour spreads that you’ll enjoy on all kinds of sweet treats. Cheery jars of curd beckon every morning when I open the refrigerator for breakfast, and I can’t resist the temptation to mix it with a big dollop of Greek yogurt and serve it on top of a slice of home-cooked molasses bread. I also love it swirled into my oatmeal, whether steel cut or old fashioned, again with Greek yogurt.
You’ll find more serving suggestions in the notes below, so hurry and get some beautiful organic citrus before citrus season ends! Locals, you can find the supplies at Native Roots Market. The owners kindly provided the citrus fruits and local honey for this recipe (thanks Sara!).
Honey-Sweetened Citrus Curd
- Author:
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 7 minutes
- Total Time: 12 minutes
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
- Category: Dessert
Easy recipes for luscious, honey-sweetened blood orange curd and Meyer lemon curd. No straining required!
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- ⅓ cup honey
- 4 large egg yolks
- 2 large eggs
- ⅔ cup fresh blood orange or lemon juice (about 4–6 blood oranges or 6–8 lemons). Be sure to zest the citrus before juicing it!
- 1 tablespoon finely grated blood orange or lemon zest
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, cream the butter and honey until fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs slowly.
- Pour in the fresh citrus juice, and pour the mixture into a medium-sized, non-reactive saucepan.
- Cook over moderate (medium-low) heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Cook until the mixture has thickened and becomes jelly-like, which took about 5 to 7 minutes for me. This happens in a flash so pay attention! You really want to let it teeter on the edge of boiling, but pull the pan off the stove before it gets to a rolling boil. It’s done when your finger leaves a clear path on the back of a wooden spoon (be careful, it’s hot!).
- Immediately remove from heat and stir in the citrus zest. No straining required!
- Pour the curd into a glass jar(s) and let it cool completely before you screw on the lid(s). Store the curd in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Adapted from Green Market Baking Book and Fine Cooking’s foolproof method for lemon curd.
- Yields 2 cups of curd.
- Since you’re using citrus zest, it really is best to buy organic citrus fruits. I also recommend buying fresh, organic eggs (always). They taste better!
- Wondering what to do with those extra egg whites? These macaroons (my favorite cookies!) will use up three of them!
- Fine Cooking says that curd freezes well, so you can save extra for later! They say that it does not freeze solid so it’s easy to scoop out what you need.
- Suggested uses for citrus curds: Serve on honey or molasses bread, buttered toast, scones, pound cake, gingerbread, shortbread, or molasses cookies, either on its own or with a dollop of whipped cream, crème fraiche, cream cheese, vanilla ice cream or Greek yogurt (as shown). It also makes a great filling for tarts, crêpes, stuffed French toast and sandwich cookies! It would be a lovely addition to a berry parfait as well. The options are limitless!
▸ Nutrition Information
Vegetable enthusiast. Dog lover. I'm probably making a big mess in my Kansas City kitchen right now. 
Gina
I have never seen so much curd as I have over the past 2 weeks on the internet and I’m loving it! The flavors in yours look like the perfect combination of sweet & tart which is totally my kind of thing. At least in desserts..not so much in a partner.
kate
Sweet and tart is better than rotten! I have had some rotten experiences lately. Oh well, at least there’s dessert! ;)
Katherine Martinelli
I also love Fiona Apple and believe that Extraordinary Machine and loads of wine can fix almost everything. I also love curd, and agree that it’s just about the least sexy name on the planet. I just spotted the elusive blood oranges in the Tel Aviv market last week and need to rush back and buy a few pounds before they disappear for another year. This will be one of the first things I make with them!
leaf
Love the sound of the blood orange one!
Re: dating. I think I may be the opposite of you. It can be scary making the first move, but I don’t mind if I want to, badly enough, and I kind of like a pursuit. And I’m a fan of the “let’s hang out” – there’s no pressure, but it still opens the door to the possibility of something more.
kate
Hope you get a chance to make blood orange curd soon! I don’t know if I ever really initiate a date, but I do make it obvious that I’m open to hanging out. I guess it just seems like hanging out never leads to anything real, but I’ve probably been hanging out with the wrong ones!
Annie
This looks incredible! This would have so many wonderful uses for different dishes- probably both sweet and savory!! Yum, it sounds amazing, I love blood oranges. And beautiful pictures!
erin
Bah… dating. Even though I’m all “whoo women’s rights” I am still slightly old-fashioned when it comes to dating- probably because I get really nervous and say ridiculous things to men :)
As for this curd- it looks delicious! The tartness of the blood orange sounds amazing (and one I’m putting on my to-make list!)
kate
Haha, I want to know about these ridiculous things you say to men! I’m glad you understand my dating woes.
genevieve
However disappointing the word itself is, curd is absolutely delicious. And however disappointing the dating world may be, we still have to try, right? I feel your pain, though. Things look bleak at the moment! I keep telling myself summer will be here soon. Everything seems possible in the summertime.
kate
I can’t help but try, try again! I am looking forward to warmer temperatures in a new city. I hope to move by summer time! I’m eager for new opportunities.
Margarita
Hanging out seems to be the new thing indeed… first it’s super exciting and then it just gets awkward after you realize it’s not going anywhere. Then, you feel like you can never find anyone who has something in common with you. The cycle repeats and then disappointment. But despair not, one day, you’ll find the right person. I’m in an wonderful relationship right now and I hope it will last… four girlfriends just got engaged in the past few months and I don’t know where our relationship is going, but I’m just enjoying the moment. :) Cooking and baking always fulfill me and with all your beautiful food, I’m sure you feel the same.
kate
I’m glad you’ve found a good guy and a wonderful relationship, Margarita. I look forward to finding the right one and putting all this disappointing dating nonsense behind me.
Heidi @ Food Doodles
Beautiful! I absolutely agree with you about the word curd. I really wish I could just replace it but then I’m not sure people would know what I was talking about :( At least it’s amazingly delicious stuff or else I’d just ignore it all together, haha. I love that you used honey in yours! I tried that not too long ago and love it, but mine wasn’t as beautiful as yours(thus, why it was never posted). The blood orange one is especially pretty!
Lesley
I know you say I can do it, but I don’t want to clean up after it! So I just need you to send one of those jars to me. Ha! Actually, my friend, Lindsay (loveandoliveoil.com) just made some meyer lemon (and probably blood orange, too since I know she has some) curd, so I’m trying to coax some out of her. No shipping charges since she’s here in Nashville. :)
kate
At least with this recipe, you don’t have to pull out the mesh colander! Hope Lindsay agrees to share her curd because it is perfect this time of year.
Kelsey
This is one my favorite posts from you. I love your dating candor, honestly it just seems like a total wasteland right now. I have so much empathy for my friends fighting the good fight out there. This broad shouldered figure… I’d like to hear more ;) – Oh and curd. Love.
erin @ yummy supper
Hey Kate,
I have always wanted to make citrus curd (despite that unappealing name) and for some reason I’ve never done it. And here you are using two of my most beloved citrus. I also so appreciate the simplicity and honest ingredients you are using. Yum!
-Erin
Erin M
That is one beautiful recipe! Can’t wait to try it. I love curds, especially topped with a meringue (minus the crust). Will be making this one ASAP.
athena
I just made blood orange curd a few days ago and am totally hooked. Love this post, the colors of the curds are so beautiful. Going to try your recipe as soon as I get my hands on more oranges (and maybe lemons)!
thelittleloaf
Two of the most gorgeous seasonal fruits…’curd’ may not be sexy but this looks pretty darn delicious! :-)
Joanne
I am SO absolutely 100% with you on the dating front. Also – going out for DRINKS?!?!? What is that? Is there food involved? Should you eat dinner first? and why do guys think it’s okay to try to convince you that it’s totally normal to “hook up” on the first, second, or third date when you’ve JUST.MET.
I have a lot of dating frustration. Obviously.
And/or not enough curd in my life. I actually made meyer lemon curd just a few days ago…but I think I need some blood orange mixed into my life!
kate
Gahh, going out for drinks. I hate that. I think it means, yes, definitely eat dinner beforehand so the drinks don’t go to your head and he gets what he wants on the first date! I don’t think guys know how to take girls on proper dates these days.
Sarah
I loved this post.
1.) The curd (which is totally an unsexy and awkward word) looks divine. And your pictures as just so, so lovely. I made mango curd over the summer, so I’ll have to bust out a citrus version this winter.
2.) The dating stories are spot-on! Last winter, I thought I was dating this guy for four months. We talked every single day, cooked, went skiing, on it goes. He was leaving for a ski trip to Japan for a month, and before he left, told me that we were just “hanging out” and not anything official. Ugh. In addition, the difficulty of dating in an age of technology! I have to “defriend” at times which feels so juvenile. Ha!
3.) Pets rock.
kate
1.) Mango curd?! That exists? I want to know how you did it!
2.) That guy sounds like a total scoundrel. I “hung out” with a guy this summer, only to get upset when he talked to another girl at a party for an hour, and he told me didn’t want to be “a boyfriend.” Ug! I shouldn’t be so hesitant to defriend. I think it’s my fault for simultaneously wanting to keep an eye on them and despising what I see!
3.) Thank goodness for pets. I don’t know what I’d do without Cookie.
Sara
Kate, the right guy will be the one that cooks for you (or at least with you). That’s how Matt hooked me! :)
kate
That would do it! Thanks, Sara. :)
Alissa
Oh Honey! Serve these curds to any man and he’ll be in deep smit. I’m imagining these curds between soft angel food cake too. Love it!
kate
Oh, angel food cake is my favorite! My grandmother bakes me one every year for my birthday. It would be fabulous with some lemon curd!
janet @ taste space
My experiences with guys tells me they are dumb. It sucks. When you find a smart one, keep it! Hopefully if they taste this curd they’ll be smitten with you. It looks delicious!
kate
Agreed!
Kimberley
Girl, I feel your pain! (Perhaps we can discuss that more in email.) I really wanted to make a curd last winter but didn’t. (And yes, that word is so unfun to say and write.) This one’s gorgeous. I’m so with you on eliminating unnecessary and wasteful steps.
Ashley
You’re too perfect to not have an equally amazing mate just waiting out there… these things take time: trust me on that one, girl!
Now, get over here with some of that unsexy named utterly gorgeous curd; I’ve got muffins in the oven that would love a little dollop of that beauty!
kate
Thanks Ashley! Wish my curd and your muffins could get together; sounds like they are perfect for one another!
Rachel
Yum! I made the blood orange curd last night and it is amazing! I took it off the stove before it was jelly-like, because it reeeaally wanted to boil, but once I let it sit & cool and of course this morning when I tried it out of the fridge, it was the perfect consistency! I made a cinnamon maple bread as the something not to sweet to compliment it..
Another success from your blog (the stuffed peppers/globe zucchini are a repeated favorite of mine) Thanks for sharing it with us!
-Rachel
kate
Yay, I’m happy to hear that the curd turned out nicely for you! My Meyer lemon curd actually did boil for a second before I yanked it off the stove, and it firmed up a little more than the blood orange curd did (which did not quite reach a boil). I bet that’s why!
Mercedes Pederson
Hi There,
I made the blood orange curd last night! Doubled the recipe (lots of blood oranges collecting from our CSA deliveries) and it is a little soupy for my definition of curd. Can I put it back on the stove and bring to a boil for a thicker curd?
★★★★
Kate
Hi Mercedes, I’m sorry to hear that. It sounds like your curd needed more time on the stove. I haven’t tried reheating curd, but it just might work!
Bonnie
I saw this recipe and just had to make it right away. And I happened to have a freshly squeezed container of blood orange juice in the fridge. Unfortunately I hadn’t zested the oranges so didn’t put that in. But it turned out beautifully. I’m thinking about the eggs and butter so that I won’t just eat it all in one sitting with a spoon :)
kate
Thanks for commenting, Bonnie! I had forgotten about all the butter and eggs until now… but I think you could call it healthy if you add it to your oatmeal tomorrow morning!
L.
I just made this and blogged about it =) Love the recipe, thanks!
Kirstie
Beautiful photography and a delicious recipe – I can’t wait to try it! I was wondering if you knew how long this recipe would keep?. I’m thinking about doing small jars of lemon curd as a wedding favor, but I’m not sure if it’s really feasible.
kate
You know, I’m really not sure how long the curd will keep. Since it’s full of citrus, I suspect it’ll last a few weeks, and I intend to freeze half of each batch for later. My only real concern about curd as a wedding favor is that the curd needs to be refrigerated, and I’d worry that your guests wouldn’t all be able to get it home and put it in the fridge before it spoils.
chinmayie
Love the beautiful pastel colors.
Katherine @ eggton
Preach it, girl. I’ve taken issue with something related in the past week: this wack article in the New York Times suggesting that people who live alone become eccentric and need to be resocialized before they can cohabitate.
I mean, puh-leeze.
I do NOT mean to throw my site around on your page– it’s just too a propos not to point you to (plus, it has strawberry cake on it, so. . . ): http://eggton.com/2012/02/25/even-journey-sings-journey-in-the-shower/
kate
I’m so glad you shared that, Katherine!
Amy
This looks amazing, and I really would like to try it with the molasses bread you mentioned. I searched your site for the recipe but didn’t find it. Any chance you’ll post it or maybe send it to me?
Thanks!!
kate
Hey Amy! Thanks for the extra motivation to work on that molasses bread post. Here’s the recipe: http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/14/recipe-of-the-day-quick-whole-wheat-and-molasses-bread/. It’s dense and not too sweet, but really great. Don’t use blackstrap molasses, any other molasses will do.
BusyWorkingMama
That looks heavenly! I just picked up some blood oranges at the store.
Kasey
Oy. Dating. I totally agree with you on the frustrations with our generation, especially when it comes to dating. It’s true, I think, that with equality, comes ambiguity, but I also think that there are a lot of opportunities for women to be bold and pursue what they want. Even though he’s a Midwestern gentleman through and through (who still opens doors for me, offers me his jacket and brings me flowers), my husband did not make the first move. We went on a ‘date’ but only because I made the first move. I’ll tell you what I told a friend shortly before I met my husband: if nothing else, it’s kinda thrilling to go after what you want and make it clear that if the feeling’s not there, there’s no point in sticking around, but if it is, to be clear about your intentions. I meant to say something about curd, but, alas…Dating is a tricky thing and I can’t say I miss it, but I definitely think there’s this magic moment that happens when you realize, you don’t have to question his intentions…
kate
Thanks for the great comment, Kasey. I want to be bold! How did you go about making the first move? I am guilty of suggesting that we “hang out,” so I concede that I am totally part of the problem. I would like to experience that magic moment.
Kasey
Actually, after our first date, we didn’t see each other for a while and I randomly decided to drop him an email! It wasn’t anything big…just a few lines that said, “i enjoyed hanging out with you and I’d like to know if you’d be interested in doing it again.” I think he was totally taken aback…but in a good way! I think being clear about your desires and intentions is never a bad thing.
kate
I completely agree that being clear about desires and intentions is a good thing. I think it’s especially important these days, when we don’t follow or can’t rely on old dating norms to interpret one way or the other. Maybe I’m not totally gutless when it comes to dating, because I have reached out in a similar fashion, and it worked!
Jen Kim
just found your blog through Healthy Green Kitchen and am in love :-) gotta agree with you about dating and thinking about the tall, broad-shouldered boys. sigh…time to eat more curd (yes, true, it’s a funny word)…
Tiffany @ Savor Home
YOU READ MY MIND! I share the exact same feelings about dating. I totally prefer snuggles on the couch with my cat as opposed to endless text messages (why do guys text so much??) and figuring out who is going to ask who out first. I have a busy life and zero time for the runaround game.
Now about the curd- it looks amazing and anything lemon-y makes me happy. This is my first visit to your blog and it makes me happy, too! Your photography is beautiful.
Erin@TexanerinBaking
Thank goodness that I saw this linked over on Thinly Sliced Cucumber. I missed this the first time around and it looks amazing. Love the picture of the oranges!
Curd is a nasty word and I can’t think of any food with a nastier name. Just… gross.
I can’t wait to get my hands on some citrus so I can make this. I love your skip-the-straining method. It was always kind of a pain.
ann
just made this; i’m planning to use it to top some whole-wheat angel food cake. thank you, it was wonderful! who knew fruit curd was this easy!?
kate
So glad to hear it, Ann! I adore angel food cake and I’ve been wondering if it would be possible to create a whole wheat one. Might I ask where you found your recipe?
ann
It’s a hand-written recipe from a friend, and quite lovely. Enjoy!
.75 c whole wheat pastry flour
.25 c cornstarch
1.5 c sugar
2 c egg whites (12-14 eggs)
.5 tsp salt
1.5 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp almond extract
preheat oven to 325
Separate egg whites and place in a bowl to bring to room temp. Meanwhile, sift flour, cornstarch, and .75 c sugar in a separate bowl; set this aside. To egg whites, add salt and cream of tartar. Whip at high speed to soft peaks. Gradually add .75 c sugar and almond extract, sprinkling small amounts over whites while continuing to beat. Whip on high to stiff peaks. With a balloon whisk, slowly fold in flour mixture a bit at a time, just until mixed. Fold into angel food cake pan and bake 35-40 min.
kate
I am so excited to try your recipe, Ann! My brother’s birthday is coming up in a couple of weeks so I think I’ll bake him a whole wheat angel food cake. Thank you so much!!!
Beastie
Just made this, first time from orange. I like it so much. So my family. They were eating on fluffy pancake plus cocoa powder on the top.
Some minor changes I have med: have added a full cup of orange juice and one tablespoon of orange fibre. This should have benn the reason, it did not turned jelly like that short time. I had to double the time. The result was great, maybe I use next time a bit more honey. Anyway- thanks for the recipe.
Beastie
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Beastie. I bet that the extra orange juice affected the composition. I’m glad you enjoyed the curd nonetheless.
Becky @ A Calculated
Looks amazing! I made orange curd and found it too sweet–I’ll have to try it with blood oranges! What a fabulous color, too!
Gillian (Cotton & Rust)
This post literally made my day! Unfortunately I can’t eat lemon curd anymore (although I still try and pay for it later). Lemon curd is delicious, would love to find a way to make it thats vegan (I can’t have dairy, boo!). Also I completely relate to what you said, everything you said is incredibly accurate, its hard not to want to just give up, I also feel like I have the worst luck in that area sometimes, luckily I’ve got other creative things to take my mind off that and a feline friend as well! I wish ya luck girl I totally get it! :)
Kate
Well, I’m sorry to hear that you can’t eat lemon curd any more! Boys. Ugh.
Emma {Emma's Little Kitchen}
Just made a batch of this to go with some spiced molasses bread- OH MY GOODNESS, so easy and so bright and delicious… I’m in love. Thanks Kate!
★★★★★
Kate
Hooray! Thanks, Emma!
Barbara
Made a lemon curd filling for a pie with chocolate ganache recently. Link to my name for my website and check it out at Cooking the Kitchen.
StaceyL
Just made some, and it turned out just beautiful! I love not having to strain. Thanks for a fantastic recipe!!
Kate
You’re welcome, Stacey! Glad to save you some time on the straining end ;)
Alyssa
I just made so many OOPS on this recipe, and it still turned out! I made it with blood oranges–gorgeous!!
Mistake #1: I only had 5 medium eggs, not 6 large. So I used 3 yolks and 2 full eggs and crossed my fingers.
Mistake #2: I didn’t adjust any of the other ingredients in proportion to the egg deficiency.
Mistake #3: I read the recipe wrong/was in a hurry and beat the eggs and butter together before realizing I was supposed to be beating the honey and butter together and treating the eggs gently.
Since I had already juiced the oranges, and was not about to waste them ($$$) I decided to what-the-heck go ahead with it and try cooking it anyway. I stirred and stirred and, though it took 28 minutes to set, my curd did finally set!! It’s beautiful, and I’m thinking it would be scrumptious on some blueberry pancakes this Easter weekend, or spooned over a bowl of fresh berries.
Thanks for another (absolutely no fail) recipe!
Kate
I’m glad it still turned out, Alyssa!
Jen
Hi Kate! I love your adaptation of this recipe SO MUCH. My best friend is allergic to sugar and LOVES lemons, so this is a surefire way to make her something delicious and happy! I tried a cranberry curd today and and wondering if you have any suggestions for adapting this recipe to use cranberries instead of lemon?
★★★★★
Kate
I’m really glad this was a great find for you, Jen! For a cranberry adaption, I’m not sure without trying it. I just made cranberry & orange muffins and I was surprised the adaptions I had to make with that so I would hate to tell you wrong. Sorry!
Jen
That’s OK! I’ll be sure to report back if I do my own experimenting. :)
★★★★★
Lynn
Katie, or is it Cookie? (Which one of you reads?)
I’ve not yet made this but it sounds very fine.
I have a Meyer lemon tree in my Philadelphia, PA home that had 16 lemons on it, now 13.
My question: what do you think of using combination of Meyer lemons and blood oranges?
Kate
You could try it!
Maureen B
I want to make lemon pie filling with honey. Is the lemon curd something i can use instead?
Kate
Hi Maureen, I think so! I just haven’t tried to know for sure how well it slices.
Sue Jankens
I’ve never made curd but here goes. This sounds so delicious. Dating is the exciting start up. Hanging out is the rest of your life. We’ve done a lot of it in 38 years of marriage. And you are very right. When you find the right one, hanging out is lovely and leads to being closer. Noboody can “date” for 50 years. Just don’t settle for the wrong guy.