lemons and limes...curd (butter-free!)

There's something I find irresistible about citrus. The sharp scent, zingy taste, the bright colors - I can't get enough of it. To me, citrus is the epitome of summertime and happiness. And that's exactly how I'd describe this bright yellow lemon curd.

I made this early in the year, while I was still back in school and living in the dorms. That week, I found some lemons on sale and thought about using them in an apple pie, but you might have noticed by now that things never seem to go as planned - especially in my kitchen. 

On a late Sunday night, this is what happened instead:
"Jessie, should I make lemon curd?"
"Yes."
"Should I make it right now?"
"Yes."

And that was that.

I was surprised to learn that many lemon curd recipes contain butter, which kind of weirded me out because I certainly don't think of butter when I'm eating lemon curd. But then, there was this this no-butter lemon curd recipe by Mandy on Food.com, which has (much-deserved) great reviews. I also eliminated the recipe's vanilla extract because, just like with butter, I didn't see a need for it in my lemon curd. (I'm nitpicky - sorry, not sorry).

The curd turned out fantastic! It deals a powerful, fresh lemony punch to the taste buds. It's not overwhelmingly sweet like some storebought versions; instead, you get a bit of that lip-pinching tartness that jolts you awake! And if you need any more reason to make this: know that this was very easy to make because it requires little ingredients, utensils and time. Plus, it leaves your utensils and kitchen smelling like citrus :)

Luckily, I had the best lime wedge squeezing machines (a.k.a. Judy and Joy) to assist in this endeavor.

Fast forward a week or so, and Judy and I were hanging at a campus-sponsored event to scrounge around for leftovers. (cue obligatory hashtags: #nomealplanproblems #noshame) One of the event's main courses, pad thai, came with two containers filled with just lime wedges. While others made a beeline for the pad thai, we took the limes because we're cool like that. (Well, we did grab the leftover fried rice, too!) You know how the saying goes: When life hands you lemons and limes... make curd!

butter-free lemon/lime curd (adapted from here)

Zest of 2 lemons/limes (approx. 1-2 tsp)

Juice of 2 lemons/limes (approx. 1/3 to 1/2 cup)

4-5 Tbs white granulated sugar

1 egg

Yields approx. 100-200mL 

1. Zest and juice the lemons/limes. 

2. In a pot over the stove on low heat, stir and dissolve the sugar with the juice.

3. Add the zest, and continue stirring for a minute.

4. In a separate heat-proof container, beat an egg. While continuously whisking the egg, very carefully add in the hot lemon/lime mixture. You want to be careful not to cook the egg. Whisk well.

5. Pour the lemon and egg mixture back into the pot, and place it on low-medium heat. Keep on stirring until the mixture bubbles a bit and noticeably thickens.

6. Turn off the heat. Pour the lemon curd into a heat-proof container, and let it cool. When it reaches room temperature, refrigerate it.