Blood lime & finger lime curd
I’ve had two punnets of blood limes staring at me for longer than I care to disclose; huddled between a packet of quandongs that have been there just as long, and box of blueberries in the bottom drawer of the freezer.
Alright then, it’s been a year. But they were still ok!
It was when my colleague turned up at work with a little gift that I thought I needed to do something with the sudden oversupply of little limes. I needed to address the situation.
My previous experimentation with finger limes led to a delicious discovery. Charring the little suckers results in an almost jammy consistency – see my recipe for oysters with charred finger lime – so I thought I’d use this method again, deal with the glut of blood limes and create a charred lime curd.
Making curd is easy. I know there’s a microwave method wafting about the internet, but I believe some corners just shouldn’t be cut. Call me old fashioned!
| Servings |
cups
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- 550 g finger limes & blood limes charred (yields 185 g - ⅔ cup pulp)
- 250 g caster sugar
- 160 g butter
- 5 eggs beaten
Ingredients
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- Sterilise one 500 ml glass jar or two 250 ml jars by filling them with boiling water. Set aside the filled jars as you make the curd.
- Purée the pulp using a stick blender for 5-10 seconds. Put the pulp into a large heatproof bowl with the sugar and butter.
- Pour about 1 litre of water into a large saucepan, bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer. Place the bowl containing the pulp over the saucepan, ensuring the water doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl. Stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar has dissolved.
- Very gradually pour in the beaten eggs, a little at a time, stirring constantly. Continue stirring for 15-20 minutes, or until the mixture thickens. Turn off the heat and carefully pour the curd into a heat resistant jug.
- Pour the water out of the glass jars and shake out excess. Pour the curd into the jars, screw on the lid and refrigerate immediately.
