Strawberry Curd

More strawberry delight!  I cannot get enough of our local strawberries, and with our almost daily treks to the berry stand I am dreaming up different ways to enjoy them.

Over the winter, when citrus was in abundance, I made grapefruit curd and it became a breakfast treat for us.  With the summer and its profusion of berries, I decided to try adapting my grapefruit curd to strawberries.  It is fun to experiment, and even more fun when the results taste good!

Any creation using strawberries is going to be pretty.  The appealing pink of this curd adds a rosy pop of color, especially to a flaky croissant.

When I was picking out some pastries, I could not resist this strawberry croissant – pure decadence to top it with a dollop of strawberry curd!

Strawberry curd is a delightful change from citrus curds. Its creamy texture is buttery and fruity and sings of summer.  With blackberries and blueberries still to come, I think I see more experiments - and hopefully more curds gracing our table!

Strawberry Curd
Makes 1 1/2 cups

3 cups strawberries, washed and sliced in quarters if large, half if smaller
1 tablespoon sugar
2 eggs, whisked
2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
Zest of 1 lime
A pinch of kosher salt

In a medium sized saucepan, stir and mash the strawberries over medium heat until they break down and become saucy, about 10 minutes.

Add the remaining ingredients and continue to stir until the butter has melted and the curd thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon, about 5-10 minutes. Watch to be sure the mixture does not become too hot and curdle.  If needed, turn the heat down to medium-low.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and pour curd into a jar.  Let cool, then cover and chill.  It will keep in the fridge for a few weeks.

Grapefruit Curd for a Citrus Craving

A possibly obscure feeling - but have you ever walked into the market without a clear idea of what you want to make, only that it must involve citrus? Before you know it, you are swooning over everything, and soon your basket is full of kumquats, minneolas, blood oranges, cara cara oranges, ruby grapefruit, satsumas and Meyer lemons. Ahh...

When I got home I unpacked my sunset-hued treasures and began the fun process of deciding how to enjoy it all. Thinly sliced kumquats were a tart, refreshing addition to my morning oatmeal. A bowl full of oranges and grapefruit set on the dinner table became our dessert. Meyer lemons were zested and squeezed on green beans and baked into cakes. I knew we’d have no trouble eating our way through it all quickly.

Before my citrus bounty disappeared, I wanted to try something new. I’ve made lemon curd in the past and have tasted orange and lime curds which are lovely, but never grapefruit. Eyeing some juicy grapefruit sitting on the kitchen counter, I decided grapefruit curd would be my next venture.

I don’t care for curds that are too sweet, which is often the issue with store-bought lemon curd. My grapefruit was already fairly sweet, so I would be able to keep the added sugar very low.

My first attempt at grapefruit curd ended with curdled egg ... I had the heat too high and let it start to boil. Be sure to only cook the curd until it coats that back of a wooden spoon and remove your pan from the heat if it begins to steam. Usually curd is strained through a sieve when it’s done but I forgot this step in my excitement to not curdle it again! I liked how it turned out so will continue to omit sieving moving forward.

This curd has a pleasing, delicate grapefruit flavor, not too sweet but still rich from the eggs and butter. It would be decadent stirred into whipped cream for a cake filling, swirled through a cheesecake or baked inside muffins (my plan for breakfast one morning this week). Sneaking a spoonful when you open the fridge is always a welcome thought, too. So far we’ve been slathering the curd on hearty slices of multi-grain toast and sipping hot tea - a classic!

Grapefruit Curd
Makes 1 cup

1/2 cup fresh grapefruit juice (about half of a large grapefruit)
2 tablespoons sugar
2 eggs
4 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon grapefruit zest
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Combine the juice, sugar and eggs in a medium saucepan and whisk to combine. Add the butter and start cooking over medium heat, whisking until the butter melts and watching to make sure the mixture does not get too hot. If it begins to steam, remove from the heat for a moment. Lower the heat to medium-low if necessary. When the butter has melted, add the zests and keep stirring (use a spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of pan) for a couple of minutes until it thickens a little and coats the back of a wooden spoon. Do not let it boil or it will curdle.

Remove saucepan from the heat and pour the curd into a pint sized jar. Let it cool completely then cover and refrigerate. The curd will thicken more as it chills. It will keep for a few weeks in the fridge.