Categories Desserts and Sweets, Sauces and Condiments
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Creamy orange curd is easy to make at home! This easy to follow orange curd recipe works with any orange (even blood oranges), and makes a delicious treat. Use orange curd as a filling for cakes, spread for scones, in a tart, or topping for fresh fruit.
I heard a radio DJ yesterday listing off four or five words that women hate to hear in conversation. I agreed with a few, because they’re just awkward words to used outside of very specific situations, but curd was on the list and I’m not sure why. Do people use the word curd outside of describing foods like cheese curd, lemon curd, lime curd, and the topic of today’s post – orange curd?
How would you even do that? There was no mention of curdle the verb, just curd, the noun. I just don’t understand how this could make the list. How often do you use “curd” in conversation? I’ve spent way too much time wondering about this.
I promise you’ll really like the word curd when it refers to my orange curd recipe though. Orange curd is delicious! It’s so creamy, with just the perfect hint of orange and vanilla. It’s reminiscent of an orange creamsicle, only more grown up. You could use it as an alternative filling in my Key Lime Tart , serve it with scones for tea, or use it as filling for my Orange Cake from Scratch!
Orange curd doesn’t have quite the same citrus “bite” as lemon or lime curd, so this is a really good option if you don’t really like the citrus pucker but you’d still like something fruity and fresh. Use whatever oranges you have on hand.
I’ve used navel oranges, Cara Cara oranges, whatever variety I happen to have on hand. You may use blood oranges as well to make blood orange curd. This orange curd recipe works for any of the usual orange varieties.
I will note that you don’t really get an orange color out of orange curd. It’s very pale. The same goes for blood orange curd unless your oranges are particularly pigmented. If you really want more of an “orange” color, feel free to drop a drop or two of gel food coloring in there. If you don’t, you’ll get the color shown in the photos.
It takes just a few minutes to make orange curd on the stove top, and you can keep it a week or so in the fridge. Freeze up to 3 months. I hope you enjoy this easy orange curd recipe, darlings!
This easy to follow orange curd recipe works with any orange (even blood oranges), and makes a delicious treat. Use orange curd as a filling for cakes, spread for scones, in a tart, or topping for fresh fruit.
Ingredients
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon orange zest (yield from 1 orange)
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons lemon juice
8 tablespoons butter, cut into tablespoons
Instructions
In the top portion of a double boiler, or a large heat-proof mixing bowl, whisk together your sugar, eggs, egg yolk, zest, orange juice, and lemon juice.
Set your bowl over a pot of barely simmering water, or place the top section of your double boiler into the bottom, set over medium low heat.
Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture resembles the consistency of homemade mayonnaise or aioli. If you are using a thermometer, you will cook to 170 F.
Remove from the heat and immediately whisk in the butter.
Strain the curd through a fine mesh strainer into another bowl or storage container. Allow to cool 10-15 minutes at room temperature, then press a piece of plastic wrap across the top and refrigerate at least one hour to firm up a bit.
Store in the refrigerator up to one week, or frozen up to 3 months. Enjoy!
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You need to keep a low heat and stir constatntly. The time it takes for the curd to thicken can vary accoding to the size of the pan and the heat used. To test if the curd is cooked properly, dip a spoon into the mixture then run your finger through the mixture on the back of the spoon.
Orange curd is a thick, creamy-looking spread which contains eggs and butter, and it's got a similar texture to custard. Marmalade, on the other hand, is a preserve made with sugar, water and lemons, and its end result is similar to a jelly or a jam.
Add a cornstarch slurry: First, ensure your curd is cooked to 170 degrees F and if it still hasn't thickened, whisk 1 teaspoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water until the cornstarch is completely dissolved.
You can use cornstarch to help thicken the curd and you would mix the cornstarch (½ Tablespoon should be fine) with the orange juice and make a slurry to add to the sugar substitute and egg yolks in the sauce pan. As you heat the mixture, the cornstarch will activate and thicken the curd.
If the milk does not set well, try again with fresh milk in different ways by increasing the culture, keeping it in a warmer place, adding your culture to warmer milk. Making good curd at home comes by experimenting & experience.
Remember that curd will thicken more once cooled. If your cooled curd is not thick enough, you can reheat it to thicken. Put it over a low heat, stirring constantly. Ensure it coats the back of a spoon before taking it off the heat.
Citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruits, and lemons are high in acidity. Combined with curd, which is also acidic, it can lead to an imbalance in pH levels in the stomach. This may result in indigestion, heartburn, or an upset stomach.
Boiling curd will cause it to curdle and create a grainy texture. If the orange curd curdles, strain it twice through a fine-mesh strainer, to remove the grainy bits. If that doesn't work, process it in a blender to try and smooth it out.
While curd resembles pudding or custard, the difference lies in the way it's thickened. Custards and puddings rely on cornstarch, milk and cream, while eggs are the primary thickener for curd, making it lighter and brighter.
You'll know the curd is ready when it noticeably thickens in consistency and coats the back of a wooden spoon. Don't stop whisking the curd until it's off of the heat or the eggs will scramble and turn lumpy.
Whisk and cook until the mixture becomes thick, resembling the texture of hollandaise sauce, about 10 minutes. If curd isn't thickening, turn up the heat and constantly whisk.
The temperature is too low. If the temp is below 68 degrees Fahrenheit, the cultures will not ferment properly and the milk will stay runny. The temperature is too high. If the temperature is above 80 degrees Fahrenheit, the yogurt will ferment too fast and will also render the yogurt runny.
Simply add a small amount of yogurt, like a spoonful, at a time.Stir your yogurt into the curry and keep adding a little more at a time until it reaches your desired thickness. This is great for Indian-style curries as a cream substitute.
You can try cutting the curds into smaller pieces next time, or stirring them a bit more to help them release more whey. The curds may have been heated too rapidly, and this problem can be corrected by never raising the temperature of the curds and whey by more than 2°F every 5 minutes during cheese making.
Temperature of Milk: Don't use very hot milk. It may coagulate and result in a grainy product. If the milk is a little hot, the curd will not be thick, is a bit runny with some whey in it. With cold milk, it will not set properly.
In a separate bowl, whisk together a tablespoon of cornstarch and a tablespoon of water then add half of the mixture to the curd.Cook on low heat until it thickens. If it is still not thick enough, add the remaining cornstarch mixture. (You may not need to use it all).
The microbes present in the curd help in setting if the temperature of the mixture remains approximately between 35∘C to 40∘C. At places, where room temperature remains much below the range, setting of curd becomes difficult.
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