A wonderful variation on a traditional lemon curd, this delicious lime curd recipe is joyfully fresh and decadent – the perfect flavour-maker for your summer desserts.
Best of all, it’s incredibly simple to whip up… and I’m going to show you how!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- It’s that perfect blend of fresh and rich, excellent for a summer desert
- It’s knocks the socks off of shop bought lime curd
- It’s very simple – there are only five ingredients in the whole recipe!
- You can do so much with it… spread it on scones or toast, use it in yoghurt or ice cream, or make an incredible no bake lime cheesecake!
Equipment needed to make this recipe
There are a few key kitchen items you’ll need to hand for this lemon curd recipe:
- Large saucepan – this will the vessel for your heat source, to gently heat the lime curd
- Heat proof glass bowl – fruit curd is made by heating a bowl over simmer water. Make sure you use a heatproof bowl made of glass, as metal, as metal can react with citrus fruits to leave a metallic tang
- Whisk – you’ll need a quality balloon whisk to make your homemade lime curd
- Wooden spoon – a trusty wooden spoon should be an ever-present in your kitchen
- Jam funnel – use this for pouring your lime curd into their storage jars
- Storage jars – get some quality glass jars to store your lime curd
How to make lime curd
Step one
Fill your saucepan with boiling water and place on a low heat. Make sure the water level is just right, so that the bottom of your mixing bowl isn’t touching the water (we want the heat from the steam to gently heat the fruit curd).
Step two
Whisk your eggs in a heat-proof glass bowl. Once whisked, add sugar, lime juice, lime zest and butter, and continue to whisk.
Step three
Place the bowl over the saucepan, and continue to whisk until the curd mixture is velvety smooth. Take off the heat and let it cool slightly. Then, using a jam funnel, pour into sterilised glass jars.
Variations for this recipe
- Adding an extra knob of butter will give you a richer lime curd
- Leave out the butter to make it dairy-free
- Use less sugar if you fancy a tangier taste or more sugar if you prefer it sweeter
- Egg yolks can be used to thicken the mixture. Add an extra egg yolk to thicken it up
- Swap the lime juice and zest for orange juice and zest to make orange curd
Top Tips
- Use fresh lime juice, rather than bottled
- Make sure your bowl isn’t touching the water at the bottom of the saucepan. Do this before you start whisking your ingredients
What is lime curd made of?
Fruit curds are made with very simple ingredients. Eggs, sugar, butter, juice and zest. This recipe works best with fresh lime juice and lime zest.
What do you eat with lime curd?
This lime curd can be used in a variety of ways. It’s absolutely delicious when spread on top of scones or toast. It also tastes gorgeous when dolloped into your favourite ice cream.
My advice? Use it as the divine filling in my no bake lime cheesecake recipe!
How do you know when lime curd is ready?
Dip a wooden spoon in your lime curd. If you can run your finger along the back of a spoon and the curd holds the trail, it’s the perfect thickness.
How long does homemade lime curd last?
After the jars are sealed, they are best stored in a cool, dark place. Your lime curd will last for 3 months.
Once opened, keep it in the fridge and use it within a month.
Can you freeze it?
Yes! Simply transfer your lime curd to a freezable airtight container. Make sure you allow the lime curd to cool properly before freezing it, and remember to leave about a half an inch gap at the top of the container, as it will expand when frozen. It’ll stay fresh for up to a year when frozen.
When you’re ready to serve it, defrost your lime curd overnight in the fridge. For best results, allow it to thaw for around 24 hours.
More fruit curd recipes
Fancy getting even more fruity? Make these terrific fruit curd recipes:
- Lemon curd – the traditional fruit curd recipe, once you’ve made lime curd you should definitely give this a try
- Strawberry curd – a very straight forward homemade curd recipe that has a light mellow taste. Very tasty and works wonders with ice cream, yoghurt or when used as the main filling in strawberry cheesecakes
- Kiwi curd – a more unusual fruit curd, this one if for those looking for something a little different. It’s got that amazing tanginess that you’d expect from kiwi, along with a deep rich flavour
Lime Curd
Total Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 4 x 200ml jars, 26 portions 1x
Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Learn how to make the perfect lime curd recipe. This curd is packed with citrusy flavours and has a velvety and creamy texture.
- 6 large eggs
- 300g (2½ cups) sugar
- 150g (⅔ cup) butter
- 2 (2 tbsp) limes, zest only
- 150ml (⅔ cup) lime juice
Instructions
- Quarter fill a large saucepan with boiling water and place over a low heat.
- Place a mixing bowl over the saucepan, if the bowl is touching the water tip some of the water out.
- Remove the mixing bowl from the top of the saucepan.
- Place the eggs in the bowl and whisk until the mixture turns pale.
- Tip in the sugar and whisk in until the sugar has dissolved.
- Add the butter, lime zest and juice.
- Place the mixing bowl back on top of the saucepan. Whisk constantly until the mixture resembles a thick custard.
- Remove from the heat.
- Using a jam funnel, pour the curd into sterilized jars and immediately seal with the lids.
- Serve with whatever you like but we would serve it on a No Bake Lime Cheesecake. Enjoy!
Notes
- After the jars are sealed, they are best stored in a cool, dark place.
- Once the jar is opened, store in the fridge and consume within 1 month. It won’t last that long though!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Preserve
- Method: Bain Marie
- Cuisine: British
Keywords: Lime curd, best Lime Curd Recipe, Cheesecake Topping, lime curd desserts, lime dessert recipe, lime recipe
