Lemon Spread

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grandma, Oct 10, 6:35am
I made a delicious lemon spread posted here, but it appears that I cooked it a tad too long and it has cooled harder than I think it should be.Can I add some more lemon juice (it doesn't taste that lemony) or !

elliehen, Oct 10, 6:38am
I would stir some more lemon juice through it.You didn't happen to accidentally use the mild Lemonade lemons, did you!I did that once, to my disappointment.

grandma, Oct 10, 7:31am
They were Meyer lemons that had fallen off our tree. I used them so they wouldn't go to waste, so I may not have used enough. I'll try adding another "proper" sized one and see how I go.Thanks elliehen.

elliehen, Oct 10, 8:03am
My recipe is from an old Edmonds book and I use Meyer lemons too.
4 eggs beaten slightly
4 lemons, juice and grated rind
4 ounces butter
16 ounces white sugar

Put in bowl or pot over simmering water and stir, cooking gently until it thickens.Makes about 2 & 1/2 jars.It will thicken further on cooling.

davidt4, Oct 10, 8:06am
Meyer lemons are not true lemons, they are a hybrid and part orange.I don't like them at all and they don't have a pure lemon flavour or acidity.Try next time with Lisbon, Yen Ben or Valencia.

schnauzer11, Oct 10, 8:51am
This is also fabulous made with grapefruit.

elliehen, Oct 10, 8:53am
Adding passionfruit works too.The choice of Meyer lemon or Lisbon is purely a personal preference.

elliehen, Oct 10, 8:59am
GENOA Eureka type of lemon. Tree smaller than other lemons and is well suited to most home gardens. Bears heavily while still young and produces a heavy summer crop.
LEMONADE Fast growing and bears quite heavily when young. Bears July to August. Fresh tangy flavour, fruit has pale yellow rind and relatively easy to peel.
LISBON A strong growing, fairly large tree, bearing its heaviest crop in late winter and spring, a very hardy standard variety.
MEYER Most popular lemon for the home garden. Fruits heavily year after year. Thin-skinned, smooth, bright golden fruit throughout the year. Hardiest of all lemons.
VILLA FRANCA Thornless and a smaller tree than Lisbon. Prolific and bears a heavy summer crop.
YEN BEN Lisbon type but with a thin skin and smaller in growth. Fruits July. Fruit very juicy popular export variety.

The true (old) lemon varieties, Genoa, Lisbon & Villa Franca, have a sharp acidic taste which is good for G & T's but they have largely been replaced by the smaller Yen Ben in commercial plantings.

Meyer actually has orange in its ancestory so is sweeter than the true lemons and largely shunned by exporters as not a 'real' lemon. Very popular in NZ as it is very cold tolerant and relatively disease resistant.

Lemonade is another mixed parentage variety which is not grown commercially as it is very prone to skin markings from verrucosis, etc.

valentino, Oct 10, 7:58pm
Here is mine and is the smoothest one tried.

Secret is to whisk the eggs fully before adding other ingredients and to constantly stir and whisk until the butter has melted fully and on low heat as not to curdle the egg mixture.

Makes about 2 cups;

3 larger eggs like size 7 at least well beaten with a whisk,
1 1/4 cups (slightly heaped) sugar,
1 heaped tablespoon very finely grated fresh lemon rind,
A wee fraction over 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (pips removed),
a good 60 grams butter chopped into small cubes.

Combine all ingredients in a heatproof bowl that will fit into a saucepan and above on simmering water on low to medium heat. Constantly whisking the mixture until thickens and coats the back of a spoon.

Remove from heat and pour into warm steralised jars, then put on lids.

When cooled, labelled etc, store in refrigerator overnight before using, keep in fridge to store.

This is very nice and very smooth if done precisely.

Cheers.

greerg, Oct 10, 8:19pm
If you find your Meyer lemons are not tangy enough for lemon honey h=just add a pinch of citric acid.Makes a big difference.

flower-child01, Oct 11, 7:32pm
Hi Grandma, my recipe http://brama-sole.co.nz/recipes/lemon-curd/ uses less butter than other versions, and I also just use 1/2 c sugar (adjust depending on the lemon type). I often just source whatever lemons are at the supermarket and it turns out great every time.

jbsouthland, Oct 11, 11:09pm
Yum love Lemon Honey themore lemony tang the better.

elliehen, Oct 11, 11:11pm
Try it inside an Alison Holst Lemon Muffin or a date scone.or on sourdough rye toast.

poolgirl6, Oct 11, 11:26pm
Just finished making Valentino's recipe, yum, fresh bread and lemon honey for lunch. Thanks for posting.

daleaway, Oct 12, 12:46am
Nothing to do with how long you cooked it, I think.
When your lemon curd goes too hard it is because there is too much fat in it. You are meant to be making an emulsion - balanced quantities of acid and fat. Too much butter will solidify back out again when it cools.

Or else you have used a recipe with cornflour in it, and have made what used to be called lemon cheese.

valentino, Oct 12, 1:23am
Great to know.

Just sent another jar off to my daughter in the USA, apparently their lemons and butter is not quite the same as ours (that taste does not have that same depth as NZ's butter and fruit) and all her friends loves and enjoy this spread, is a real treat to them.

Please, make sure you refrigerate it overnight before use - just finishes it off with that nice smoothness yet a nice tangy touch.

Cheers.

poolgirl6, Oct 12, 5:04am
How long can I keep the lemon spread, stored in the fridge of course.

buzzy110, Oct 12, 5:13am
I make the traditional lemon spread - eggs, butter, lemon juice, in the traditional method. I pour the hot mix into hot sterilised jars and screw on hot, sterilised lids. When they have cooled and the lids have 'popped' I put them into a fridge. I've opened jars that have been 18mths old and they are as good as the day they were made. Once opened, mine last at least 2 months (if no one eats it) with no mould growth, etc. I don't know how much longer it would last, because I usually use small jars, rather than large ones.

elliehen, Oct 12, 5:40am
No sugar!

pheebs1, Oct 12, 6:55am
its really good in jam tarts also
i make a simple vanilla biscuit push my finger to make an indent and some times i put a quarter teaspoon of jam but lately ive been using lemon butter
then i bake as usual
sooo good!
lemon goes hard and sticky and yum
looks really nice too

valentino, Oct 12, 7:25am
Best to be kept in the fridge re storing, mainly to keep good consistency. If stored in the cupboard, it will thinned a little and lose some consistency, but will keep if properly sealed upon the initial cooling as Buzzy above had noted.If stored in the cupboard, it is best to turn the jar upside-down and back again a few times then refrigerate overnight at least to regain the right texture.

Storage times depends on use, I've never know any to go off for any reason, gets used in moderation sometimes, used a lot at some other times. There was a wee bit bit in a jar at the very bottom towards the back of the fridge - God knows how long it's been there but was still very nice, (oh my fridge does get a regular clean, may had been taken out then put back to the same place along with a couple of other items hence possibly why it was there for such a time) had nothing wrong with it.

Cheers

buzzy110, Oct 12, 8:10am
Quite right elli. Just an oversight. And no. I would never use artificial sweetener. I always maintain that if you absolutely must have something sweet (excluding honey of course) then use sugar, because of all the sweeteners available, sugar is the lesser of all the evils.

It also acts as a preservative.

flower-child01, Oct 12, 7:09pm
I too love the many ways lemon curd can be used, that's why I have many lemon recipes on my site (bramasole).

Yes thickness is the fat, some recipes the butter is 150grams eek. It is not uncommon for lemon curd to be thin on cooking completion yet thickens lots on refrigeration. Instead of the double boiler method,

I make mine in the pot on a low temperature, it is quicker.

Storage is one month refrigerated because of the eggs,I don't recommend anything longer than this. Many freeze their lemon curd for a longer storage time.

buzzy110, Oct 12, 11:40pm
Same here. The double boiler method takes way too long.

nzbadger, Oct 13, 9:35am
Even easier is the microwave method. So quick & easy. I make a new batch every 2 - 3 weeks. Yummy!
Lemon Curd ( Microwave)
1 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1 cup fresh lemon juice
Zest from 3 lemons
1/2cup melted butter
In a microwave safe bowl (2 litre pyrex) whisk together the sugar & eggs until smooth.
Whisk in the juice, zest & melted butter.
Cook in the microwave on High for 1 minute intervals. Whisk well each time.
Keep doing this until it thickens & coats the back of a metal spoon.
Store in sterilized jars for 1 month in the fridge.