We're in the midst of strawberry season in Portland (local berries are available until October if the weather holds) and I decided to update my recipe for strawberry curd. I think this new version tastes better, but I also learned the final taste has a lot to do with the type of berry you use.
How to Pick the Right Strawberries
This Strawberry Curd was one of the first recipes I made for my food blog. One of the reasons I made it even though it was the very end of the season for local strawberries was because I had broken wrist and needed an easy recipe to make and share. I wanted to remake the recipe is because the original contains cornstarch and I wanted to see if I could produce an equally good or better version without the cornstarch.
The first time I made it, Albion strawberries were available and they were really sweet. This version uses a local variety called Hood. They're smaller, juicier, and sweeter than the Albions and they produced a more intense strawberry flavor. When you try this recipe select a berry that you like to eat plain. Check out the local farmer's market because they usually have different berry varieties. Regardless of which you use, it will still taste like strawberries.
Strawberry Curd Ingredients
This recipe has 5 simple ingredients
- Strawberries
- Lemon Juice
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Butter
And it really is that simple. The strawberries are pureed with sugar and lemon juice. The eggs are whisked in right before you start cooking it and the butter is whisked into the curd at the end of cooking until you get this creamy, tart strawberry curd.
I hope you enjoy.
Strawberry Curd
Ingredients
- 1 pound (454 grams) fresh strawberries
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) sugar
- 2 (100 grams) whole large eggs
- 2 (40 grams) large egg yolks
- 3 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 8 Tbsp (114 grams) unsalted butter room temperature
Instructions
- Place a medium-sized heat proof bowl with a fine mesh strainer near the stove.
- Remove the stems from the strawberries. Puree the strawberries in a food processor. Add the sugar, salt and lemon juice and process until smooth. Taste the strawberry mixture and add sugar and add about 2 tablespoons more if you want it a little sweeter. Pour strawberry mixture into a 3-quart non reactive saucepan, add egg yolks and whole eggs and whisk until well combined.
- Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until it starts to thicken and reaches about 190 degree F, about 10-12 minutes. The final mixture will not be as thick as a traditional lemon curd, but will thicken a little more after it is refrigerated.
- Remove the pot from the heat, add the butter two tablespoons at a time, whisking after each addition until the butter is thoroughly combined. Strain the curd into a into a bowl to remove the solids. Cover with plastic wrap by lightly pressing the plastic wrap onto the surface of the strawberry curd to keep a skin from forming as it cools. Place the curd in the refrigerator to cool for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. The curd will thicken as it cools.
- The curd is good for one week in the refrigerator.
Thanks for visiting my blog. Let me know what you think.