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.
165 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
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...
64 K5 2 hours 35 min.
Little lime tarts
With this very quick recipe, you can make little tarts that are nothing like those you find in the shops.
130 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.
53 K5 3 hours 25 min.
This recipe uses (among others)
Butter
Like these other recipes: Pretzels, Shortcrust pastry (pâte brisée), Scrambled eggs with langoustines and asparagus tips., Boulangère potatoes, Tyrolean apple crumble, ... See them all 472
Caster sugar
Like these other recipes: Apple custard tart, Hazelnut and orange cake, Lemon creams, Almond macaroon cake, Rolled chestnut and apple brioche, ... See them all 361
Lime
Like these other recipes: Cajun pork with rice., Mixed salad stack, Vietnamese prawns, Lemon and lime custard tart, Caribbean upside-down cake, ... See them all 53
Egg
Like these other recipes: Soft Croque-monsieur with 3 cheeses, Mouna, Escalope cordon bleu, Grapefruit cake, Shiitake eggs, ... See them all 236
Other recipes you may also like
Chinois
"Chinese" - what a strange name for this cake! A kind of brioche, filled with confectioner's custard (crème pâtissière) which can be decorated with fondant icing.September 10th 2018269 K 24.7 5 hours 30 min.
Herb olive oil
This flavoured olive oil, easy to prepare, goes very well with Mediterranean cuisine: pizzas, pastas, pan bagnat, etc...February 21th 2011314 K3.8 25 min.
Thaï rice with small vegetables
Vegetables cut in small dice, cooked in stages, and mixed with cooked Thaï rice. Delicious alone or served with meat for example.February 21th 2011287 K4.7 1 hour 35 min.
How to prepare sorrel
Here is how to clean and cut fresh leaves to use in a recipe, by removing stalks and central vein, to retain only the very best of the sorrel.October 6th 2010442 K3.3 35 min.
How to prepare courgettes
Preparing courgettes is fairly simple. You just need to remember 3 things: 1) the bigger they are, the less good they will be, 2) they never need to be peeled, and 3) the central part with the seeds is pretty tasteless.June 8th 2011284 K 13.8 30 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2025-07-06)
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.