Serves: Makes ~2 jars
Cost: ~€1.90
Preparation and cooking time: ~40 minutes
Calories: ~54 per 1tbsp
Howdy folks, I was actually going to post something else completely different today but then I made this recently and I got all excited about it so I figured why not post this today instead. This is a continuation from my lemon curd post last year. I’d been wanting to make a non-lemon curd for so long and finally decided to give it a shot. It was a great success, though the flavour was surprising. I guess I was so used to lemon curd which always packs such an intense “punch your tastebuds” zing that I didn’t quite know what to expect from orange curd. I guess I was expecting something equally “zingy”. Ultimately, the orange curd was much more mild in flavour so I might be tempted to substitute in some lemon next time.
This certainly isn’t going to be the last curd I make. Next on my agenda I think I’ll try lime or grapefruit (lime should be particularly flavoursome) and once I’ve exhausted the main citrus families then I think I might try some other fruits. I wonder if one can make kiwi curd for example? Kiwis always seem so outrageously cheap here. You can buy a great tray of them for €1 and I must admit, I’m not a huge fan of them “as is” – they always make my tongue feel really weird, but still, if something is cheap and healthy, why not try and benefit from it, right?
Making the curd also gave me the perfect chance to use a Christmas present from my dear parents – a rather cleverly designed one-piece bain-marie, or double-boiler as some of you may know it as. I’ve only ever seen the incredibly cumbersome contraptions consisting of two or more pans all stacked up in a big tower but this model
Well, I hope you all have a fantastic saturday, and indeed, a great weekend in general. Happy eating, and I’ll be back in a few days with something savoury… or something sweet… I haven’t quite decided yet!
Orange Curd
[learn_more caption=”Video Recipe” state=”open”]
Ingredients
- 180g Caster Sugar
- 120g Butter
- 4 Eggs
- ~3 Oranges
You’ll also need
- Some canning jars
Instructions
- Start off by grating the zest from the oranges, taking care not to grate up the white pith. Mix the grated zest with the sugar and then set aside. Squeeze the juice from the oranges, and then strain to remove any pulp and seeds. Transfer to a bowl with the eggs and whisk well, before adding in the zest and sugar and blending together.
- Wash your Canning Jars thoroughly and preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Place the jars – and lids, if heat-proof – into the oven and allow to sterilise for 15 minutes while you prepare the curd.
- Place the sugar, zest, egg and juice mixture into a small pan in a water bath (or dedicated bain-marie
- Pour into the still warm canning jars and seal. Allow to cool before transferring to the refrigerator to finish fully setting. The curd will last about one month – serve on bread or as a cake filling and enjoy.
Your orange curd looks lovely, Charles and maybe it’s good from time to time to have a more mild curd. I think the lime curd would be sensational. As for the kiwi fruit, if you can’t think of what to do with them, they are excellent at tenderising meat. You cut the kiwi fruit into slices and lie them on the steak and the enzymes in the kiwi fruit (probably those ones that annoy your tongue) gently tenderise steak. You probably already know this but thought I’d share xx
That’s a great tip Charlie, does it impart any flavour to the steak?
Hi Eva, no, none. I don’t know too much about it but I’m sure you can find more info on google.
Wow Charlie, even I didn’t know that. I always have used papaya for this purpose. Great tip!
Thanks Charlie, and thank you for the kiwi fruit idea. That’s a fantastic idea! I must give that a try!! (I didn’t know that either – today I learned!).
That double boiler/Bain Marie looks fantastic! Very clever design; I usually use a small saucepan with a stainless steel bowl over it, but it always ends up bubbling hot steam between the bowl and the pan splashing boiling water on my wrists as I stir. I’ll have to keep an eye out for this one.
That curd sounds delightful Charles! Had you thought of using a little orange blossom water or orange essence to help beef up the mild flavour? Or adding some meyer lemons to it to? I absolutely love the colour, so bright and cheerful. Now you’ve got me excited to make a non-lemon curd! Very clever indeed.
Hope you’re having a great weekend; it’s hovering just above freezing today with a hundred percent humidity, which makes it feel a lot colder! I see we both have snow in our forecast. How I’m longing for spring.
Hi Eva – it’s a fantastic design isn’t it? Bain Maries aren’t something I use a lot, but when I do I was always balancing a jug in a pan of boiling water and burning my hands, lol 😀
Orange flower water – damn, I wish I’d thought of that. Well, in any case the flavour isn’t so mild that it can’t be tasted. I guess I was just expecting it to smack me in the mouth like lemon curd does!
We can’t get meyer lemons here… I’ve never seen one in my life. I think they must be a North American thing. Are they very different to “regular” lemons?
I’ve only had them once, they are a mild lemon with a slight mandarins flavour (it’s actually a hybrid if the two). Wiki says they originated in China.
I love lemon curd. I don’t know why I think it’s something about that gorgeous happy yellow colour! Hmm you don’t sound as much a fan of the orange curd, maybe cos it’s milder? Think I will follow your suggestion and try a mix of lemon and orange! And OMG IF YOU MAKE KIWI CURD YOU HAVE TO POST IT. It’s always been on my mind but I never got down to doing it 🙂
In my mixed citrus curd, I replaced half of the lemon juice called for with a combination of orange and lime juices. I’ve also done a raspberry curd, though I didn’t have a camera at the time to immortalize the experience. 🙂
http://a-boleyn.livejournal.com/88324.html
More pictures … serving the curd with madeleines
http://a-boleyn.livejournal.com/88981.html
Damn, I bet raspberry curd is incredibly good. Roll on summer time so I can try that myself!
Hi Shuhan – don’t get me wrong – the orange curd was great, but I was expecting it to punch my taste buds like lemon curd does so it was a bit of a surprise, that’s all!
Kiwi curd – consider it on my “next curd to make” list then, in that case :). I’m not sure whether I should leave the seeds in or filter them out. I think seeds in would give a nice colour and texture… what do you think?
I think you did a lovely job on the orange curd. I made a batch of orange curd a while back and agree on the mildness of the result. My recipe still requires the addition of a certain amount of lemon juice along with the orange juice however. I just don’t eat curd often enough to make experimenting with different curds worthwhile … though I was always curious what a blood orange curd would look like. If the colour would hold up.
I finally opened the last of the 3 jars of mixed citrus curd I jarred a year ago (I gave away one and managed to eat the other) and used part of the contents to fill some cute wonton cups. Caramel apples go very well with a base of citrus curd mixed with slightly sweetened whipped cream.
http://a-boleyn.livejournal.com/126967.html
Hi A_ – next time I’ll be adding some lemon juice I think… just to zing it up a bit :D. Blood orange – mm, I bet that could be a fantastic colour!
I’m surprised that you just opened the last jar of citrus curd now? I was under the impression that they had to be eaten quite fast (even if properly canned) because of the eggs inside, so as a result I’ve always been sure to consume my curds within a month or so. If you say they’ll keep then that’s great – I don’t need to go quite so nuts on eating them with everything 😀
I don’t eat curd very often so it sat in the back of the fridge (forgotten) since I made it in April. I canned it, though I don’t know how ‘properly’ and the curd itself looked fine when I popped the lid though the underside of the lid DID look a little hinky. I washed the lid well and dried it carefully and put it back on the jar and used the curd inside.
I didn’t take a picture before I scooped out a couple of tablespoons but here’s the rest of the jar.
http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s678/A_Boleyn/IMG812_zps181a06b1.jpg
It’s been several days since I ate the curd and I’m still alive so it’s all good I guess. 🙂 I wouldn’t recommend doing it longer than 6 months if I had thought about it but in this case, it didn’t hurt to give it a try.
Well – you’re braver than I. Not sure I’d have had the courage to try them after so long, but I suppose I’d have given them a good sniff and if they didn’t smell bad then sure – why not 🙂
Your orange curd looks so delicious! I’d love to enjoy some on toast.
To answer your question, Meyer lemons are a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange. They are much sweeter and juicier than regular lemons, with a yolk-colored skin (which is thinner than regular lemon skin too). They are extremely fragrant, with almost a floral aroma. Hope that helps! 🙂
Thanks Laura, and thank you for the description. We get various varieties of lemons here, but I’ve never heard of, or seen, meyer lemons, so I think it must be a US thing alas!
The first curd I ever made was orange curd because I had so many oranges from my CSA box and didn’t know what to do with them. It is mild and lovely and the color of yours is gorgeous…mine wasn’t so orange. I agree it doesn’t have the same punch as the lemon, but tasty just the same and Eva’s idea of adding the orange water sounds great. I just saw a recipe for cranberry curd which has an amazing color, and I have 6 bags of cranberries in the freezer…so I think that’s up next. Thanks for reminding me how much I enjoy curd and that I need to make some soon! 🙂
Hi Betsy, thanks a lot! I love the idea of cranberry curd – how lovely that sounds. Sadly cranberries aren’t super common here, and when you can get them – around Christmas – they usually come in small, expensive trays. Not economically viable to make a curd out of them alas!
Believe it or not I have never tried lemon curd! for someone who is in love with lemon that is just crazy and I know I am missing out!
Oranges are everywhere here nowand they are very cheap,I usually use them to make jam or candied orange peel
Now I have a new recipe to look forward to trying
Hi Sawsan – you’re really missing out, my goodness! You would *love* it… it’s incredible stuff! Definitely try lemon before orange curd though. You’ll kick yourself for not having had it before, seriously, it’s that good! 🙂
I want your pan. What a genius bit of kit! And I love the idea of orange curd. Who knew what fun you could have inventing new curds! Sounds like you have hit on something inspiring here. Nice one Charles!
Hi Anneli – it’s a fab pan isn’t it? Not too expensive either 🙂
Hello Charles, How bright and cheery is your orange curd. I can’t wait to see the other desserts you will be making with this. Do you like to eat it with toast in the morning or on your yogurt? Take Care, BAM
Hi Bam – curd with toast is the absolutely best way of eating it in my opinion! It’s like they were meant to be eaten together 😀
I’ve made a tangerine curd years ago with a mental note to make it again, but never got around it. The orange curd looks great and would indeed make lovely gifts. In fact, I would make it just for myself now, if all the oranges entering my house wouldn’t be destined for all sorts of smoothies nowadays.
Hi Gourmantine – tangerine curd sounds rather nice. I would imagine it would be a touch sweeter than the orange one. Can’t wait to try lime – must have a very different flavour I would imagine!
Oh Yum! I have never thought of making orange curd but now that you have mentioned it I am thinking how delicious this would be! Yum, and thankfully oranges are abundant!
Hi GG – The thing I’m looking forward to trying most is lime – it has such a strong, unique flavour. I think it will make a wonderful curd.
Huge fan of lemon curd but have never had an orange curd. What a clever idea! Love the color, the texture, and I’m sure the flavor is awesome! Great video Charles! Is that your voice? So professional! Can’t wait to see your next curd!
Thank you MJ – it is my voice indeed… glad you liked it 🙂
Charles, your orange curd looks fabulous. I’m glad you have liked the outcome. The only time I made it I was disappointed. I suppose I was expecting something tangier, more “dynamic” and I found the result too bland. Then I read that some people prepare the orange curd with adding some lemon juice (or maybe even zest), probably in order to obtain the tanginess I love so much. I was even thinking of Seville oranges for next time but somehow forgot. I’m sure the grapefruit or lime curd will be great too!
Kiwi curd sounds more than intriguing!
Please don’t tempt me with more kitchen appliances! I still don’t own any bain marie set… I have recently bought one more steel pan and a new wonderful cast iron cooking & baking pan (something like the famous old French brand but 3 x less expensive! It’s so beautiful and has worked so great that if it is still great for one more month, I will buy several other sizes too). I start lacking space in my kitchen!
Hi Sissi – I absolutely know what you mean. I too felt the same, although that didn’t detract from my overall enjoyment of it – I was still expecting it to be more… tangy.
I’m glad you’re enjoying your new cast iron pan. I really like copper myself. It’s sad I don’t have a gas oven, but oh well. Unfortunately the brand of pots which I fell in love with (De Buyer’s InoCuivre) is rather expensive. I have 3 pots right now and that’s probably going to be the maximum for all my life now, haha :D. Can’t afford to buy more now I have a babbsy 🙂
Hi Charles, I don’t think I will ever buy copper pans. First of all, they are horribly expensive and secondly (and this is very important): you have to know a place where you can maintain them. I once talked to a man who is a chef of a small restaurant in Paris and he said that the inside of copper pans tends to wear after a certain time (I don’t know exactly how much time) and you have to give it to a specialist to “repair”. Otherwise copper pans become toxic, so it’s vital. According to him, even in France many specialists don’t even want to accept stuff from “private” users, only restaurants, so he helps some customers to do it. Not to mention the fact that such specialists are rare… I don’t know how many years or rather uses copper pans keep perfect, so maybe it concerns only restaurants or only very old copper pans. It has put me off dreaming of copper pans.
As for De Buyer, they make excellent (an cheap!) steel frying pans. I use them all the time. They are healthy, no teflon coating, etc., they last a lifetime (I cannot see how, even if I wanted, I could destroy them) and even the taste of food is better! Especially such delicate things like fried eggs…
The famous French cooking & baking pans I was talking about are Le Creuset. I don’t see myself spending over 100 euros, so I have bought a cheaper brand (three times less at least) which has been for now working perfectly well! (It also looks more elegant than Le Creuset too!). We will see in the future…
Hi Sissi – Normally I wouldn’t buy copper pans. I know that you can have real problems with them if they’re not treated correctly. That said, the ones I buy have a stainless steel sleeve inside the pan itself. The total composition of the pan is 90% copper, and then inside a thin stainless steel insert, making up the remaining 10%. You can see it here. They’re an incredibly beautiful, well made set of pans, but unfortunately so expensive! At least this way I can prepare things without worrying about it being directly copper! 😀
Charles, I don’t make curd nearly often enough. They’re all good, but I think you are definitely going to like the lime! It will definitely give you the zing you’re looking for. PS Loved your video.
Thank you Jean – glad you liked the video, and looking forward to trying the lime, that’s for sure!
The orange curd certainly looks beautiful. I do like the tartness of lemon curd so I might take your advice and add a little lemon to give it a little tang.
Hi Karen – definitely… I’ll certainly replacing one orange with a lemon next time, just to invigorate it a bit!
it looks delightful. the perfect topping for toast, bagels or muffins! Love it
Thanks KB – it goes really excellently on toast! 🙂
Glad to see you continue on with other types of curd Charles, as it is a good reminder for me to make some. I made lime curd for the macarons that I profiled on my guest post and the girls really loved it. I’d be curious to see if they like other curds just as much…which I’m pretty sure they would. Did little William have a taste?
Ooooh, yes so you did! I completely forgot about that. Now I’ll feel like I’m doubling things up if I post another lime curd recipe. Well, I want to give it a try anyway! 🙂 I think the ponytails would adore lemon curd. I remember being fanatical about it when I was a kid. I could easily eat it with a spoon!
No fruit for William yet – just veg, and this would have been a little too sweet anyway. All the more for us though ;). He doesn’t mind. He was destroying some cucumber sticks earlier with his needle-sharp little bottom teeth which just appeared a few days ago 🙂
I don’t know how I would react to Kiwi curd, the Kiwi ice cream that I once made did not find any favours with the men in my house. But this orange curd looks delicious. I was wondering – would clementines give more punch? It might be on the sweeter side though.
Hi Minnie – that’s too bad… I think kiwi has a generally delicious taste, although certainly quite sharp sometimes!
I see! I had no idea such things existed, but there is no way I would spend 128 euros on a frying pan. My steel ones didn’t even cost 30 and they last for generations, so if one day you need to buy something cheaper, I greatly recommend (of course they don’t look as nice! actually they become very ugly and black, but I like it 😉 ).
Haha, well, so will the copper if you don’t clean the outside :D. I tried to do that recently… my God, it was so hard. I did one pan and some of the stains were really tough! I gave up after that and decided to try again another day… another day many years from now :p
This looks great. I hope you’ll be posting a recipe for the orange curd soon. Or do you enjoy it on bread (and the likes)?
I still remember your lemon curd, and have since only made it once, I believe (unless my memory’s failed me). Big, big fan of that stuff 🙂
P.S. I meant a use for the orange curd 😉 Like a tart of some sort, perhaps?
Hi Fati – it’s best on toasted bread in my humble opinion… cakes and other things like scones serve it well though 🙂
What a radiant colour on your curd Charles. I’ll admit I especially like the tartness of lemon/lime and for the same reasons you describe, would probably feel that something was missing in that department but it’s fun to experiment and try new things and I’m sure the orange was delightful in its own right.
Hi Kelly – it was definitely a good experiences, and it’s definitely not that I dislike the curd. I’ve been enjoying it a great deal, but next time – it’s definitely going to have some lemon added 🙂
Lime though – that’s a different kettle of fish… I’m looking forward to that 🙂
Hi Charlies, I’m back from taking a few months off life, baking and blogging! I’ve made lemon curd but never orange curd – this looks delicious! I must make some myself as it would be great in cakes and on toast.
Hi BA – nice to see you – I’ve been having fun with my curd making. I’m going to try lime next, or maybe kiwi… those should be really fun I think 🙂
Charles, I am far behind in reading my favorite blogs. I’ve traveled back in yours hoping to find a photo of your little guy. I did find the one of the two of you out for a walk – he is getting so big and is far too cute!! This orange curd recipe got my attention – you know since I love everything orange! I’m tempted to make a batch even though oranges are expensive in Texas right now. I usually just buy a couple at a time so they don’t go bad. Are they reasonable priced in France?
Hi Linda – he is getting so big now. He’s almost too heavy for his sling now. Believe me – walking around with him strapped to your chest for too long really takes it out of you. Still – will help me grow some muscles, haha 😀
Oranges aren’t too expensive in France right now. We import a lot of them from Spain and the prices are never too high so you can usually get a bag of oranges year-round for roughly the same price.
Mmmmmm….perfectly done! A lovely bit of sunshine on this “feels like winter” day!
I followed your recipe for orange curd only one problem it hasn’t set properly in the jars it’s half set half liquid after one day any ideas how I can get it to set throughout
Hi Matthew – as long as you used the correct quantities I can only think that the curd wasn’t heated through enough to allow the yolks to set. If it’s still a little liquid then you *may* be able to salvage it by very gently heating it through, stirring very well. I can’t guarantee that that will work, I never had to do this myself – perhaps you could add another egg yolk and bake it in a pastry case to make a lemon tart… save it going to waste if all else fails?!
Thanks for getting back to me will give those a try