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I love ingenious recipes like curd that have the superpower to turn a tired piece of fruit or a forgotten offcut into something utterly decadent. Lemon curd is the original and a classic, but you can make curd with almost any fruit, as long as you add a little lemon juice for acidity. Each version is intense, indulgent and dreamy. So, please approach with caution: this spread is deeply moreish, in the best possible way.
Any Fruit Curd
When testing this recipe, I had some leftover frozen mango that had been accidentally defrosted on the counter, a sad golden kiwi and some wrinkled grapes, so I split the recipe and made three small batches of different curds. Banana curd is also a treat.
Fruit curds set smoothly thanks to the magic combination of protein, fat and acid, which lowers the temperature that the egg proteins coagulate and helps everything thicken smoothly without scrambling. Fruits such as citrus, passion fruit, pineapple and rhubarb are naturally acidic, so they set easily on their own. Less sour fruits such as pears, apples, mangoes and peaches need a little help in the form of lemon juice to reach the same glossy texture.
Curd recipes vary in calling for whole eggs, yolks only or a combination of both. All methods work fine. I recommend using whole eggs, unless you have a use for the whites or leftover yolks ready to go.
Makes 450ml
Prep 10 min
Cook 10 min
150g prepared fruit (eg cubes of passion fruit, pineapple, grapefruit, rhubarb, orange, lime, berries, pear, apple, mango, peach, etc)
Juice of ¼ lemon (and zest if using an organic unwaxed lemon)
100g runny honey, maple syrup or granulated sugar
3 medium eggs or 6 egg yolks (if leftover from another recipe)
1 tbsp cornflour (optional, if making a pie filling)
75g butter (I use salted but unsalted will do), cubed
Put the cubes of fruit into a small saucepan with up to 80ml water – adding more for firm fruits (pineapple, rhubarb, pear, say) and less for watery ones, such as oranges, passion fruit or berries. Cover with a lid, bring to a simmer and cook gently for about five minutes, until soft. Set aside to cool.
Blend the cooked fruit to make a smooth puree, then return it to a clean saucepan. Stir in the lemon juice and zest (if using).
In a large bowl, whisk the honey (or maple syrup or sugar) with the eggs and cornflour (if using ). Whisk this into the fruit, then place the pan on a low to medium heat and cook slowly, stirring constantly with a spatula, scraping the sides and base, for five to 10 minutes or until the curd thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon or reaches 75C (167F) on a thermometer.
Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, until glossy and smooth. Pass through a sieve and transfer into a sterilised jar. Cool, then chill in the fridge for up to two weeks.
