Lime (or lemon) curd
Lime curd is a delicious conserve and variation on the traditional lemon curd, made with limes, eggs and butter. It's the perfect filling for either large or small tarts.
168 K 4.9/5 (23 reviews)
55 min.
Easy
400 g
5 IngredientsLast modified on: July 10th 2011
For 400 g, you will need:
- 1
100 g caster sugar - 2
3 limes - 3
2 eggs - 4
100 g butter - 5
5 drops food colouring (optional) - Total weight: 630 grams
Change these quantities to make:
Change measures:
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 20 min.
Resting: 20 min.
Cooking: 20 min.
All in all: 55 min.
If you start now, at , you will finish around : ?.Change start time
To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: .Change end time
Step by step recipe
Stage 1 - 10 min.
Tip 100 g caster sugar into a bowl and add the zest of the 3 limes.
Stir with a whisk and leave for 10 minutes so that the sugar takes up the aromas of the zest.
Stir with a whisk and leave for 10 minutes so that the sugar takes up the aromas of the zest.
Stage 2 - 10 min.
Add 2 eggs...
Stage 3 - 5 min.
...and mix thoroughly with the whisk.
Stage 4 - 2 min.
Add the juice of the 3 limes. Mix thoroughly again.
Stage 5 - 3 min.
Filter the mixture through a fine sieve and discard the zest.
Stage 6 - 1 min.
Tip the mixture into a pan.
Stage 7 - 8 min.
Leave over low heat, whisking gently until it thickens.
If you have an electronic thermometer, the temperature should reach around 82°C (180°F).
If you have an electronic thermometer, the temperature should reach around 82°C (180°F).
Stage 8 - 10 min.
Leave to cool for 10 minutes, until the temperature goes down to 60°C (140°F), then add 100 g butter and, if you wish, 5 drops food colouring.
Stage 9 - 5 min.
Mix thoroughly. Your lime (or lemon) curd is ready.
Remarks
For a classic lemon curd, use only 2 lemons (and, of course, no colouring).
Keeping: A few days in the fridge in a sealed container.
Source: After Pierre Hermé.
Nutritional information
| Proteins (gr) | Carbohydrates (gr) | Fats (gr) | Energy value (in k-calories) | Energy value (in k-joules) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole recipe | 20 RDI=6 % | 130 RDI=10 % | 90 RDI=10 % | 1,440 RDI=70 % | 6,020 RDI: 70 % |
| Per 100 g | 2 RDI=1 % | 20 RDI=2 % | 20 RDI=2 % | 230 RDI=10 % | 960 RDI: 10 % |
How much will it cost?
- For 400 g : 1.90 €
Change currency: 
Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
Some other recipes using this recipe
Lemon Tart / Meringue Pie
Lemon tart is one of the great classics of French patisserie. The are lots of versions with different kinds of pastry and filling. This one uses sweetcrust pastry (pâte sablée) and lemon curd as the filling. Just top with meringue for that other classic: lemon meringue pie.
55 K5 3 hours 25 min.
Little lime tarts
With this very quick recipe, you can make little tarts that are nothing like those you find in the shops.
132 K4.3 40 min.
Two-coloured chocolate-orange tart
This tart, with its twinned chocolate and orange flavours, is a bit fiddly to make. The fillings are fairly straightforward (classic chocolate ganache and orange curd), but it is tricky to ensure that the fillings do not run into each other. You will need to make a divider but, as you will see, this...
66 K5 2 hours 35 min.
This recipe uses (among others)
Butter
Like these other recipes: Fried bread with leek and poached egg , Shiitake eggs, Gâteau Breton (Brittany butter cake), Oatmeal and chocolate shortbread, Cauliflower "moelleux" in ramekins, ... See them all 474
Caster sugar
Like these other recipes: Gravlax, Rice pudding (riz au lait), Pear and lime meringue pie, Grandma Solange's biscuits, Piedmont pyramids, ... See them all 361
Lime
Like these other recipes: Lime confectioner's custard (pastry cream), Hot tomato sauce, Lemon and lime cakes, Spicy seafood plancha, Tahitian style fish, ... See them all 53
Egg
Like these other recipes: Oaty walnut cake , Spinach fritters, Bacon and cabbage omelette, Salad greens and small omelette, Lemon tart, ... See them all 237
Other recipes you may also like
Endives
A very classic recipe, but which can easily fail due to two main errors: too much water in bottom of dish because endives give off a lot, and endives that are too bitter so that children hate it. Here is a method which avoids these two problems.February 14th 2012321 K5 1 hour 30 min.
Pan bagnat
Pan Bagnat is a traditional recipe from the Nice area. The name means "soaked bread", as it consists of a round bread roll that has been drenched with a mix of oil and vinegar then filled vegetables and fish. Years ago this was the snack that fisherman took with them on their boats, but this is a...October 18th 2020163 K4.1 45 min.
Deep leek and potato quiche
The French make a "tourte" that is smaller and deeper than a normal quiche. This recipe makes the most of this difference: it has plenty of texture and flavour, with bacon, potatoes, leeks, two different cheeses, and an egg and cream filling poured over.April 17th 202276 K 1 hour 40 min.
Mushroom duxelles
A duxelles consists of finely sliced mushrooms cooked in butter with shallots. It is more of a preparation than a dish in its own right, which can be used in other recipes.May 10th 202364 K 25 min.
Hazelnut and chocolate biscuits
This is a quick, simple recipe: the chocolate ganache topping and hazelnut sweetcrust pastry can both be prepared in advance.March 16th 202228 K 60 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2025-08-24)
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Post a comment or question
Follow this recipe
If you are interested in this recipe, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the recipe is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.