I love using seasonal fruit and this Blueberry Curd makes great use of fresh Oregon blueberries. Blueberries are juicy and can range from tangy to sweet, which makes them perfect for this curd, a great tasting variation of the traditional lemon curd. It's creamy, tart; has a beautiful purple color and tastes just like blueberries. And the best part - it takes less than 30 minutes to make. If you love fruit curd check out my other flavors like lemon, lime and strawberry curd.
Why This Recipe Tastes So Good
Fruit curd is an indulgent, luscious, tart, creamy fruit spread that is good as a dessert topping, spread on toast, or as a filling for tarts and cakes. Fresh blueberries create bright purple curd, and the lemon juice pairs well with the blueberries and adds a depth of flavor. The combination of whole eggs and egg yolks create a creamy temperature and room temperature butter, which is whisked into the curd after cooking, makes the flavor more intense.
Blueberry Curd Ingredients
Curd is a simple, easy to make fruit spread that has 5 basic ingredients:
- Fresh Blueberries. I love using fresh seasonal fruit for curd, but this recipe can also be made with frozen blueberries
- Egg Yolks and Whole Eggs. The eggs thicken the curd
- Sugar. Because you always need a little bit of sweetness
- Unsalted Butter. Butter adds a creamy and rich texture to the curd
- Lemon Juice. Lemon juice adds to the tartness of this fruit curd and also helps this particular curd thicken.
How to Make This Blueberry Curd
This recipe starts by pureeing and cooking the blueberries to get as much color as possible from the blueberry skin before straining out the skin. Cooking the berries also releases the natural pectin, which will help thicken the curd as it chills in the refrigerator.
After the blueberries are cooked, strained and cooled, add the remaining lemon juice and sugar.
First add the lemon juice, then taste the blueberry mixture. The natural sweetness of blueberries can vary so it's important to add the remainder of the sugar a little at a time until the desired level of sweetness is achieved.
Whisk in the whole eggs and egg yolks and place the pan over medium heat and whisk the curd continuously until it reaches 190°F, about 7-10 minutes.
Remove the curd from the heat and stir in the unsalted butter one tablespoon at a time, waiting until one tablespoon is incorporated until adding the next. Strain the curd through a fine mesh strainer into a stainless steel bowl and cover the surface of the curd with plastic. Covering the surface prevents a skin from forming on top of the curd. Chill the curd for at least 2 hours.
Serving Options
- Use it as a topping for pancakes, waffles, ice cream, yogurt, cheesecake, other cakes and even just plain toast.
- Use it as filling for layer cakes, tarts, crepes or sandwich cookies.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- Use a nonreactive (stainless steel) saucepan to make the curd. An aluminum pan will react with the acid in this fruit and affect the taste.
- Use a thermometer to check the temperature of the curd to ensure that it cooks long enough without boiling.
- Use unsalted butter for this recipe. Salted butter will create an off taste.
- If using the curd to make a tart, the warm curd can be poured directly into the prepared tart shell
Recipe - Frequently Asked Questions
The curd will last two weeks int he refrigerator in a sealed container.
Yes, the curd can be frozen for up to a year. Thaw it in the refrigerator 24 hours before ready to use.
When you first finish cooking the curd it will be somewhat runny, but will thicken as it chills in the refrigerator. If it is still runny after chilling you may not have cooked it long enough and to the right temperature.
Yes, you can make this curd with frozen blueberries. Since the recipe starts by pureeing the blueberries in food processor you can start with frozen blueberries, but will need to cook the puree longer to remove the additional moisture.
Other Fruit Curd Recipes
For other delicious fruit curds and recipes using fruit curd, check out these recipes on the blog:
Blueberry Curd
Equipment
- 3 Quart Saucepan
- Medium-sized heatproof bowl
- Whisk
- Fine-mesh strainer
Ingredients
- 2 cups (284 grams) fresh blueberries
- 4 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1 cup (150 grams) white sugar
- 2 (100 grams) whole eggs
- 4 (80 grams) egg yolks
- 5 tablespoons (65 grams) unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
Instructions
- Wash and dry the blueberries. Process them in a food processor. Pour the pureed berries into a 3-quart saucepan and add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and 1/2 cup of sugar. Cook the berries over medium heat until the puree turns dark purple, and it has started to thicken, 10 minutes.
- Strain the mixture into a medium-sized bowl through a fine mesh strainer to remove the blueberry skins. You should have about 1 cup of blueberry puree. Let the puree cool until it is just barely warm. While the puree is cooling clean the saucepan you cooked the berries in.
- Pour the blueberry puree back into the saucepan. Clean the bowl and use it for the finished curd. Add the remaining lemon juice. Add the remaining sugar 2 tablespoons at a time. Whisk and taste after each addition until the desired sweetness is reached. The puree should still be a little tart.
- Place a medium bowl with a fine-mesh strainer next to the stove. Add the whole eggs, and egg yolks to the saucepan and whisk to thoroughly combine. Place the pan over medium-low heat and whisk constantly, until the mixture is slightly thickened and registers 190°F.
- Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the butter one tablespoon at a time, only adding the next pat of butter when the previous is thoroughly incorporated.
- Strain curd through the strainer into the bowl. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto surface of curd and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. The curd can be refrigerated for up to two weeks.
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