How to Use Fruit Curds

Fruit curd has long been a staple when dessert time rolls around. And it's not wonder - it's a light and tasty way to satisfy your sweet tooth, with just enough zip! Curds are the perfect way to preserve summer fruits for a winter indulgence.

Fruit curd can be used both as a spread or a topping. It’s sweet, smooth, and pudding-like with just the right amount of intense flavour. Traditionally, it’s been made with citrus such as lemon, lime, or orange. But in more recent years, other fruits such as passionfruit, cranberry, and blackberries have also been used to create yummy curds.

Curds are simple to make. Beaten egg yolks, fruit juice, some zest, and sugar are the basic ingredients for any fruit curd. Those ingredients are cooked gentlyon low heat until they thicken. As you allow the curd to cool, a soft, smooth, and brilliant spread or topping is created. As a hint, we recommend that you sample the fruit juice before making your curd. Citrus fruits, in particular, can vary in their sweetness and tartness, which will change the taste of your final product.

So, where did fruit curd come from?

England is the first known maker of fruit curds. In late 19th and early 20th century England, people began making homemade lemon curd. Traditionally, it was served with bread or scones at afternoon tea as an alternative to fruit spreads. It was also used a filling for cake, tarts, and other pastries.

Today it has become more widely used in an array of foods. Fruit curd is a popular spread for toast, waffles, pancakes, and muffins as well.

Our lemon curd is commonly used as a filling for lemon-meringue pie, which has been a favorite dessert around the English speaking world since the nineteenth century. Fruit curds can also be folded into whipped cream and used as a filling for puffed pastries or a topping for cakes and pies.

If you want to keep your dessert on the lighter side, we recommend making a fruit salad drizzled with yogurt with fruit curd mixed in.  You’ll soon discover that fruit curds are adaptable in many recipes, so there’s lots of room for creativity.

Are curds and custard the same thing?

Folks often ask us what the difference is between curds and custard. It’s a wonderful question. Generally, curds are different from pie fillings or custards in that they contain a higher proportion of juice, which gives them a more intense flavor. Also, curds made with butter, as ours are, have a lovely smooth and creamy texture. In contrast, custards and pie fillings are usually thickened with flour or cornstarch, giving them a grainier texture. Curds are almost always eaten as an accompaniment with something else and custards can be enjoyed on their own.

Time to create!

Here are some of our favorite ways to use fruit curd:

• Used to make filling for lemon meringue pie
• Served with pancakes, French toast, or waffles and sprinkled with fresh fruit, such as blueberries
• Spread it over a slice of angel food cake
• Spreading it over your multigrain toast – it turnsbreakfast into dessert
• Mixed with whipped cream, pudding, or frozen yogurt for a quick dessert

How do you enjoy fruit curds? Let us know in the comment section below.

Browse our fruit curds