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.
163 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
½ cup caster sugar - 2
3 limes - 3
2 eggs - 4
½ cup butter - 5
5 drops food colouring (optional)
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 ½ cup 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 ½ cup 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
Little lime tarts
With this very quick recipe, you can make little tarts that are nothing like those you find in the shops.
128 K4.3 40 min.
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.
51 K5 3 hours 25 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...
62 K5 2 hours 35 min.
This recipe uses (among others)
Butter
Like these other recipes: Crispy prawn rolls, Smoky sausage and mash, Eggs Arsène, Noisette butter, French onion soup, ... See them all 468
Caster sugar
Like these other recipes: Little apple and verbena tarts, Almond dacquoise, Autumn apple and plum crumble pie, Agen prune cake, Butter cream, ... See them all 361
Lime
Like these other recipes: Surprise bread, Chinese style chicken, Lime crémeux, Guacamole, Mascarpone fondant with two lemons, ... See them all 53
Egg
Like these other recipes: Flamiche, Kouign-amann brioche, Lime meringue tart, Grapefruit cake, Mini Mont d'Or fondue with "spuds in blankets", ... See them all 235
Other recipes you may also like
How to prevent butter burning during cooking
Butter, which is excellent for fixing flavours in a recipe, burns if the temperature is too high. It darkens and produces unpleasant small black specks (by the way, note that the famous recipe "raie au beurre noir", ray in black butter, is a kind of sacrilege!).February 21th 2011139 K 24.1 3 min.
Apricot and almond cream tart
Half apricots arranged on a thin layer of almond cream.July 12th 2023331 K4.1 1 hour 45 min.
Soufflée omelette with cheese
Halfway between an omelette and a soufflé, this quick recipe give a light and delicious result. The secret is mainly in the two cooking methods: frying pan, then oven.June 22th 2013439 K4.7 55 min.
Prune Far
Far is a traditional recipe from Brittany in northwest France. The name comes from the Breton word 'farz' meaning flour. This is the traditional way, with prunes, but you can adapt it according to taste.October 3rd 2010237 K 15 1 hour 10 min.
Quick chicken curry
This curry is quick to make if you have left over cooked chicken, and is always delicious.August 25th 2011272 K5 35 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2025-05-18)
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.