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This blood orange curd is a citrus lover's dream with its vibrant hue, creamy texture, and bright flavor. Plus it's easy to make, has just 5 ingredients, and is dairy-free.
It took a couple of rounds to get this recipe just right, but it was worth the blood orange juice massacre that happened on both my face and the kitchen walls. Somehow my white shirt got by unscathed.
Word to the wise - don't wear white.
If you can get your hands on some blood oranges, you should make this curd immediately. It's slightly sweet, tangy, and a little tart. Plus, the vibrant deep red hue is a sight for sore eyes.
Ingredients
- Blood orange zest & juice - both play an important role in getting that true blood orange flavor to really come through.
- Fresh lemon juice - the acid in the lemon juice is important in the setting of the curd and also helps keep it from being overly sweet
- Organic cane sugar - I love this unrefined granulated sweetener, but you can also use white granulated sugar with equally delicious results.
- Egg yolks + whole egg - the reason for the curd's creamy custard-like texture.
- Butter (dairy-free or regular unsalted butter) - adds richness and helps make it extra creamy.
- Kosher salt - helps to balance out the sweetness.
How To Make Blood Orange Curd
Combine the sugar and zest in a bowl.
Massage the zest into the sugar with your fingers to distribute the natural oils (flavor) from the orange into the sugar.
Whisk the egg yolks and whole egg in a small saucepan before adding the zesty sugar.
Whisk until well combined and then stir in the blood orange and lemon juice.
Place over medium-low heat and continuously whisk until you see the curd noticeably thicken and just start to bubble (about 10 minutes).
Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, a couple of cubes at a time until melted.
Strain through a fine-mesh strainer (this will give it that silky texture) and let cool before storing it in a tightly sealed jar in the fridge. It’ll thicken as it cools.
Make It Your Way: Substitutions & Variations
Please remember that recipes are just a starting point.
How can you make this blood orange curd using what you already have? Here are some ideas…
- No blood orange? - use oranges instead - either navel or another variety such as Cara Cara.
- No organic cane sugar? - use granulated white sugar, but avoid brown sugar as it'll greatly affect the color.
- Not dairy-free? - use regular, unsalted butter.
Equipment
To make this recipe, you'll need a mixing bowl, Microplane to zest the blood oranges, a citrus juicer, whisk, and a non-reactive saucepan* (such as ceramic, stainless steel, or enameled cookware). You'll also need a fine-mesh strainer to get a silky smooth curd.
*Copper, iron, and aluminum pans are reactive, which means acidic foods have the ability to take on a metallic taste and can become discolored when cooked in them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Typically, fruit curd is made with just egg yolks which is what contributes to its very rich and silky texture but the addition of the egg white helps to round it out and lighten it up a little bit.
If you turn the heat up to quicken the process, you run the risk of scrambling the eggs. So for this reason, keep the heat at medium-low.
The spoon trick is really helpful. To do this: dip a wooden spoon into the curd and run a finger through it. If you get a super clean line, it's good to go.
Store your curd in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks.
How to Serve Blood Orange Curd
The options are endless, but you can spread it on scones, drizzle on ice cream, add it to oatmeal, eat with waffles, spread on oat flour crepes, add to fluffy dairy-free pancakes, stir it into chia pudding or eat a spoonful right out of the jar!
More Sweet Recipes To Check Out
Blood Orange Curd
Ingredients
- ½ cup organic cane sugar or substitute, see notes below
- 2 tablespoons blood orange zest
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 large whole egg
- ½ cup blood orange juice
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into cubes dairy-free or regular unsalted
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Combine the sugar and zest in a bowl and massage the zest into the sugar with your fingers to distribute the natural oils (flavor) from the orange into the sugar.
- Whisk the egg yolks and whole egg in a small saucepan before adding the sugar zest. Whisk until well combined and then stir in the blood orange and lemon juice.
- Place over medium-low heat and continuously whisk until you see the curd noticeably thicken and just start to bubble (about 10 minutes).
- Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, a couple of cubes at a time until melted.
- Strain through a fine-mesh strainer (this will give it that silky texture) and let cool before storing it in a tightly sealed jar in the fridge. It’ll thicken as it cools.
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