Love and Cooking

My mother typed up some of her favorite and my favorite recipes and put them in a binder for a birthday present. Some of my copies I have asked for over the years have gotten lost in the clutter so I am happy to see them. I was really touched by this. I am working on getting all my favorites in the same place (ordered a binder with tabs and plastic sleeves for this; I ordered extra sleeves and tabs in case I ever finish decorating the binder I bought for this originally) but it's oh so nice to have this.

This particular recipe is a favorite far and wide. It impressed my foodie friends from rec.food.cooking. It beats the socks off most of the stuff you can find in the stores (if you can find it at all!). People drop bags of Meyer lemons at her house hoping for some curd in return. And it always goes first at present exchanges. Before you think I'm poaching it, her name is Charlotte too.

Charlotte's Lemon Curd
makes about three cups

Be sure to clean up some freezer-safe jam-type jars. You don't have to boil for ten minutes and you can reuse the lids but be sure they've gone through the dishwasher recently.

4 heaping teaspoons grated lemon peel
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 4 lemons)
1/2 cup melted UNSALTED butter or margarine (Mom always uses margarine)
5 eggs

Grate the lemon (Mom uses a potato peeler or a box grater, but if you have a microplane, use it by all means). Combine with sugar in food processor and blend.

Add lemon juice and eggs one at a time, blending after each addition. Drizzle the melted butter/marge in through the spout.

Pour mixture into small heavy saucepan or double boiler over hot water. Stir constantly over medium heat until sauce simmers and becomes thick. (One recipe I used suggested the spoon trail test - when a spoon across the bottom of the pan leaves a clear path, it's done.) Cool slightly and put into the jars. Cover and refrigerate till cool. If you do not eat these within a couple of days, freeze them.


EDIT: See this post for some comments and helpful tools about making this recipe.