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Lemon curd is a tangy, sweet spread that is perfect for adding to pastries, toast or even as a filling for cakes. Making your own lemon curd at home is surprisingly simple, and the taste is unbeatable. Plus, by canning the lemon curd, you can enjoy it all year round!
Creamy and dense, lemon curd isn’t something one would think would be considered safe for home canning. Especially since the base of the recipe contains whole eggs and it also contains a good amount of dairy in the form of butter. But, it is… and I’m so glad.
While we’re not huge lemon fans, I do a good bit of preserving and utilizing this versatile citrus fruit. From making lemon jam to old-fashioned preserved lemons to dehydrating lemons and even making lemon powder. So, when I found out that canning lemon curd was on the approved list for the national center for home food preservation, I just had to try it out myself.
What is lemon curd?
If you’ve never had lemon curd… it’s wonderful. Velvety with a custard-like texture and just the right amount of lemon flavor.
Typically made with lemons, you can make lemon curd out of any citrus fruit, and it can be safely canned. Regardless of what you use, it will be yellow due to the fact it contains egg yolks. But… lemon curd is the best tasting (and prettiest) in my opinion.
It’s quick to make, only requires a few simple ingredients, and is safe to can. It’s excellent for gift-giving or just to preserve some lemons (and eggs) if you find yourself with an abundance of either of those items.
Homemade Lemon Curd Ingredients
Complete measurements and a full recipe tutorial can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Egg yolks and eggs: you’ll use both whole eggs and egg yolks in this recipe. These help thicken the lemon curd and also give it that beautiful yellow color. I used duck eggs in this recipe, but any large egg will work.
Fresh lemons: no lemon recipe would be complete without lemons. You need real lemons here, organic ones are best as you’ll need not only the fresh lemon juice but also the zest from the fruit.
Sugar: helps provide the sweetness to offset the tartness of the lemons.
Cold butter: using cold butter helps to not cook the egg too quickly as well as making the best lemon curd creamy. It’s best to use unsalted butter in this recipe.
Lemon Curd Recipe and Canning Instructions
Canning lemon curd is a bit different than canning other jams like cranberry jam or orange marmalade. This is because part of the processing to make it safe is dependent on it taking a certain amount of time, 25 to 30 minutes to be exact, to get your canner up to boiling.
So, instead of like most canning recipes where you’ll prepare your water bath canner and let it simmer and do its thing hoping it stays around 180°F, this time you’re going to make sure it does and keep it there.
Let it get hotter and it won’t take as long to come to a boil when you process, which won’t leave enough time for the curd to get to the correct temperature.
All that said, you’ll need a thermometer that reaches 180°F to sit inside the side of the water bath canner. I used a candy thermometer for this, it worked perfectly. Other than that, this is an easy recipe that you’ll absolutely love.
Prepare canner, jars, and lids. Wash four half-pint jars and lids in hot soapy water and place them in a water bath canner full of water, submerging them so they are completely covered.
Bring the canner up to 180°F and keep it steady at that temperature over moderately low heat while you prepare the homemade lemon curd recipe.
Heat water in the bottom of a double boiler. Put a couple of inches of water in the bottom half of a double boiler and bring it to a simmer over low heat.
Whisk ingredients in the top of a double boiler. Taking the top half of the double boiler, place egg yolks and eggs inside and whisk them together.
Next, add in the sugar and lemon zest and whisk it in thoroughly.
Finally, pour in fresh lemon juice and chunks of butter.
Cook slowly. Place the top of the double boiler into the bottom of the waiting double boiler on the stove and begin heating it slowly over medium heat, whisking continuously. You want to cook this slowly and whisk continually to keep the eggs from cooking in the mixture and clumping up.
Continue whisking the mixture over medium-low heat as it thickens until it reaches 170°F, this will take approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
Stir while the lemon curd thickens. Remove the top bowl from the double boiler after the mixture reaches 170°F and continue whisking while the mixture thickens- about five minutes.
Ladle into jars. Once the lemon curd has thickened to a pudding-like consistency, it’s time to carefully ladle it into the hot canning jars.
Ladle the lemon mixture into half-pint jars, leaving 1/2″ of headspace. Wipe the rims of the jars, center lids, and finger tighten the rings on the jars.
Process jars. Place the filled jars into the waiting canner that has been heated to 180°F making sure the tops of the jars are covered by at least an inch of water. Place the lid on the canner and increase the heat to bring it to a boil. This should take approximately 25 to 30 minutes.
Once boiling, start the timer and process the jars for 15 minutes at a full, rolling boil.
Turn off the heat, remove the lid and allow the jars to sit for five minutes before removing to a towel-lined counter where they should sit undisturbed for 12 hours before checking for proper seals.
Storing Lemon Curd
Another caveat to canning lemon curd is unlike regular jams and jellies, it will not store for 18 months (or longer). Instead, the shelf life of lemon curd is only 3 to 4 months before it begins to lose color and separate.
So, do not lose this at the back of your pantry, or allow any gift recipients to lose it as it will only keep for a few months.
If any jars do not seal, or if you choose not to process them, lemon curd can be frozen for up to a year or refrigerated in an airtight container for up to one month.
Uses for Lemon Curd
Full of vibrant lemon flavor, this delicious lemon curd is perfect for all things lemon. Here are some of my favorite ways to use it… other than just licking it right off the spoon.
- Use it as a creamy spread on homemade buttermilk biscuits or honey oat bread.
- Stir into your homemade yogurt, cottage cheese, whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream.
- Serve with crepes.
- Make a lemon tart by filling a homemade pastry shell with this delicious homemade curd.
- Fill homemade lemon cupcakes with this easy lemon curd.
- Use it as a delicious filling to make lemon berry trifle.
Canning Recipes to Try Next:
- Canning Oranges | Water Bath Canned Orange Slices
- Sweet Homemade Orange Marmalade Recipe
If you try this recipe for the very best homemade lemon curd, I’d love to hear about it in the comment section below! Also, I’d love if you could leave me a five star⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️recipe review on the recipe card below.If you want more recipe inspiration, make sure to follow me onFacebookorPinterest!
Yield: Yields 4 half-pints
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Canning Time (including boil time): 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Creamy, sweet, and delicious this lemon curd tastes way better than store-bought but can be canned for a shelf-stable treat!
Ingredients
- 6 Egg Yolks
- 3 Whole Eggs
- 2 Cups Sugar (fine is best)
- 3 Tbsp Lemon Zest (about 3 lemons)
- 1 Cup Lemon Juice (about 6 lemons)
- 6 Tbsp Butter
Instructions
- Prepare jars, lids, and water bath canner. Bring the canner to 180°F and keep it steady at that temperature.
- Place two to three inches of water in the bottom of a double boiler and begin heating the bottom over medium-low heat while you prepare the lemon curd.
- In the top of the double boiler, off the heat, whisk together the egg yolks and whole eggs.
- Add the sugar and lemon zest to the eggs and whisk thoroughly to combine.
- Next, add the lemon juice and butter to the mixture and place it on top of the heating bottom of the double boiler. Whisking constantly heat the mixture to 170°F.
- Once the mixture reaches 170°F, remove the top of the boiler from the heat and continue whisking for five minutes while the mixture continues to thicken.
- Ladle the hot curd into the prepared, half-pint jars, leaving 1/2" of headspace. Wipe jar rims, center lids, and finger tighten rings.
- Place the jars into the canner that has been heated to 180°F and place the lid on the canner and bring it up to a boil. This should take approximately 25 to 35 minutes.
- Once boiling, process the jars for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and remove the lid. Allow the jars to sit for 5 minutes before removing them to a towel-lined counter.
- After 12 hours, check for proper seals and remove rings. Unsealed jars can be placed in the refrigerator or freezer. Sealed jars will store for up to four months.
Notes
This recipe is only approved for canning in half-pint quantities. It should make approximately four half-pint jars. If one is a little short, simply place it in the refrigerator for immediate use.
The recipe will not set up very well if you try to double it, but larger quantities can be safely canned.
Because of the nature of this product, it can only be stored for a few months before it begins to discolor and separate.
Keeping the canner at, and not allowing it to go over 180°F is important for the process of this canning recipe!
