Homemade strawberry curd recipe

Strawberry curd is the best thing to make when the weather warms up and spring berries are plentiful! Make this beautiful thick, rich curd with an intense strawberry flavour and use it on desserts, in tarts, as a cake filling, on your morning toast... or spooned right from the jar. Get the recipe and the best tips to avoid any curd-making mishaps.

Ingredients

400g strawberries
3 egg yolks
1 whole egg
½ cup (110g) caster sugar
3-4 tbsp lemon juice (approx. 1 large lemon)
125g chilled butter, diced

Method

Hull and halve strawberries and place into the bowl of a food processor. Process strawberries until pureed. Strain through a fine sieve. Discard pulp
Place egg yolks, egg and sugar into a saucepan. Add ⅔ cup of the strawberry juice, and 2 tbsp of the lemon juice
Whisk over medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes, until sugar has dissolved and mixture begins to thicken
Reduce heat to low and gradually add butter, 3-4 pieces at a time, whisking continuously until melted. Continue until mixture thickens and all the butter has been added. Curd is ready when it coats the back of a spoon. Pour into a clean bowl
Cover the curd surface with plastic wrap to prevent it from forming a skin. Let cool to room temperature then refrigerate until cold

Get the recipe that you can save to your myfoodbook cookbooks: Strawberry Curd

Choose the best strawberries for the best flavour

Choose large, ripe strawberries. You can tell they’re ripe when the red colour goes all the way to the green calyx. This is a great recipe for when strawberries are in season during spring and summer, when they’re bountiful, cheap, sweet and juicy.

How to use frozen strawberries

Frozen strawberries are a great way to make strawberry curd when strawberries are not in season or unavailable. Weigh 300g of frozen strawberries and thaw in the microwave or on the bench top. Process or mash as you would for fresh berries and push through a fine sieve to collect the juice.

Do you need a food processor to make this recipe?

If you don't have a food processor or blender, you can simply mash the strawberries with a fork until smooth and pureed.

TIP: After straining the strawberries and collecting the juice, you can save the solids and freeze it in an ice cube tray to add to smoothies.

How to adjust the thickness of your curd with eggs

You can make your curd thicker or thinner by adding more or less eggs. The more egg yolks only in your recipe, the thicker and richer your curd will be. Put in an extra egg or egg yolk to make an extra thick curd. Use one whole egg with two yolks for a thinner, more pourable topping.

Why does strawberry curd need lemon juice?

Lemon juice is essential to balance the sweetness. You can also use it to adjust the texture, the more lemon juice you add the thinner the curd will be. Begin by adding 2 tablespoons of lemon juice before cooking the curd. If you want to adjust the flavour more, add it in once you’ve cooked the curd but while it’s still warm.

What type of sugar to use for curd

Either white sugar or caster sugar are traditional sweeteners in curds. You can try substituting the sugar for honey, agave, coconut sugar or even rapadura sugar, but the colour of your curd will change slightly. When you’re making your curd, consider what you’ll use it for when you’re deciding how much sugar to add. A very sweet cake or tart will be best paired with a curd that is a little more on the tart side, and vice versa.

Why is there butter in curd?

Butter adds richness and makes the curd texture silky smooth.

How do you stop curd from splitting or curdling?

Curd needs to be cooked to 76°C-80°C to set the eggs and give you a thick, smooth curd. However, if you heat your curd above 85°C it can be come grainy and give it an eggy flavour. To stop this from happening, keep the heat on low and whisk the continuously so the heat is evenly spread. It can take up to 30 minutes if you’re cooking a large batch of curd, but don’t walk away from the pan when it’s on the heat! You can always take the curd off the heat if you need.

You can also control the heat by cooking the curd in a bowl over a pan of simmering water (double boiler). This will be a little slower but you’re much less likely to overcook your curd.

If you think your curd has gotten too hot, lower the base of saucepan into a sink of cold water to stop the cooking process immediately while whisking continuously.

How do you fix lumpy curd?

If there are only a few lumps, you can strain the mixture through a fine sieve to get rid of them.

Why does my curd taste like egg?

If your curd tastes very eggy, it has probably been overcooked. Make sure you keep your heat on low and whisk continuously to avoid this.

Why does my curd taste metallic?

Use non-reactive pans, bowls and utensils when making your curd. Stainless steel is a good option. Avoid metals like aluminium and copper, which can react to the acidity of the curd and leave you with a metallic taste.

How do you know when curd is thick enough?

You’ll know your curd is ready when it coats the back of the spoon and leaves a clean line when you run your finger over it. The curd is then ready to cover and cool.

Why is my curd so thick?

Curd will thicken up more once cooled completely. If it’s too thick, you can stir in a little more lemon or strawberry juice to loosen it up.

How long does strawberry curd last?

You can store your curd in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four weeks.

To freeze it, pour into containers and leave a 1-2cm gap at the top. Cover the surface with cling wrap and secure with an airtight lid. Label and date. Thaw curd by placing in the refrigerator one day before you plan to use it. Stir and use from cold.

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Get more dessert recipes to pair with this strawberry curd below!