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 English cookbook that her mom gave her years ago. This authentic and wonderful cookbook, 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 a 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 always love to make my own curd.

I just made this recipe again, and I made a big revision. So, now you’ll get a fabulous lemon curd. Before my latest change, the eggs would scramble, so now you shouldn’t get this at all. You’ll want to cook it over low heat and in the last bit you’ll turn it up to a medium-low temperature.

If you do get bits of scrambled eggs, strain your curd or pick them out after it is done. It really is a personal preference. But if you cook it for the 30 minutes, you should end up with 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 they still have the taste of a lemon.

Do Meyer lemons look different than lemons?

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

Can you substitute Meyer lemons for lemons when baking?

Yes! The Meyer lemons are less tangy, so in my book, that is a bonus. 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! As you can see, 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 temp 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 used salted butter, but either kind will work. I love the little hint of salt, which brings out the butter flavor. Bring the butter to room temperature. You can help this along by cubing the sticks of butter.

Lemon Zest

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

Sugar

I used regular granulated sugar. I have made it with organic sugar as well, and the texture comes out the same despite the sugar’s coarser grains.

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

Here is how I grated the lemon peel. Did you know that 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 happen to have a ton of lemons on our trees, and I thought that I would make a fresh batch of curd and use up some of our Meyer lemons. I still have a ton more lemons on the trees, so maybe more lemon recipes will start popping up over on the blog.

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

Well, 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 find that 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,