Meyer Lemon Curd

Lemon curd is sweet, yes, but it’s so many other flavors as well: tart, piquant and buttery all at once. It can be spread on toast, layered between cakes, baked into a tart...or just eaten out of the jar with a spoon.

¼ cup Meyer lemon zest, from about 5 medium lemons 1¼ cups white sugar 4 large egg yolks, the more orange the better 2 large eggs ½ cup Meyer lemon juice 6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into cubes

Combine the lemon zest and sugar in a small bowl, rubbing the zest into the sugar with a pestle to release the lemon oils.

Whisk the egg yolks and whole eggs together. Add the lemon zest and sugar and whisk in. Add the lemon juice and whisk or stir until blended.

Set up a double boiler, and bring 2 inches of water to a simmer over medium heat. Put the lemon curd mixture in the top pan, but make sure it is not touching the water. Add the cubed butter and stir gently with a silicone spatula as the lemon curd cooks.

Stir and simmer on the double boiler until the curd begins to thicken to a consistency similar to that of sour cream; this usually takes 6 to 10 minutes. Remove the top half of the double boiler and continue to stir the curd, off of the heat, as the curd continues to thicken a bit.

If desired, the curd can be pressed through a fine mesh sieve to remove the zest and any bits of scrambled egg.

Store the finished curd in the refrigerator or, using the water-bath canning method, jar it in small half-pint jars with generous head space, and process for 25 minutes to store at room temperature for 3 to 4 months. Makes 3 cups.

Jessica Tunis lives in the Santa Cruz Mountains and spends her time tending gardens, telling stories, and cultivating adventure and good food in wild places.