16 Mar Tue 2010
The "Curds" Class
What an exciting class in the Summer Kitchen last night! I walked into the kitchen this morning and was blown away by the fresh smell of citrus!
Last night, I demonstrated how to make a simple Lemon Curd, and then got out of the way fast as the women took over! As we took turns whisking the butter, eggs, sugar, and lemons into a smooth pudding-like spread over a double boiler, the rest of the team began attacking oranges and eggs. For once, I just stood to the side and let it happen.
We were short a few jars, so they decided to whip up one last batch of lemon-orange curd - my favorite! Served the leftover lemon curd over pound cake, and swirled a little raspberry jam into the curd for a fun presentation. Wow - what flavor profiles.
How to choose a good curd at the store? Stay far away from lemon curd that looks tan. It is usually canned with a lot of shelf-stabilizing additives. You see, curd should be eaten fairly quickly. Stabilizers affect the sharp citrus and buttery flavors, but it they are not added, I would advise eating a curd within 3 months after it is canned. After that, the flavor diminishes. Or come take a Master's Canning Class and we'll teach you how to make your own fresh curd. Nothing beats it!