A couple weeks ago, we were gifted with a giant bag of calamansi. Calamansi (or calamondin) is a citrus hybrid, grown predominantly in the Philippines. It’s a small orange fruit, with very bold, tart flavors. Growing up, I always used calamansi as a lemon or orange substitute or just ate it by itself. So, when we acquired way too much to use normally, I had to come up with a way to make the most of them before they went to waste.
I honestly had never made lemon curd at home before (I guess I still haven’t) but I decided to try making a calamansi version! I was interested in how it’ll taste since, although calamansi tastes similar enough to most citruses, it does have a distinct flavor all its own. And this recipe did not let me down. It’s bright, tangy, and beautifully bold. It’s basically summer in a jar.
The process of making a curd is basically all about tempering eggs. As I’ve said in previous posts, it’s all about stirring constantly and vigorously! As long as you can whisk, you won’t curdle your eggs, and therefore, you’re more than qualified to make a citrus curd!
This recipe uses just a little bit of lemon juice but feel free to omit it if you want a full calamansi flavor. You can also adapt this recipe to use a different kind of citrus (I know not everyone will have easy access to calamansi). Just substitute the calamansi juice with orange, lime, lemon, etc.
Unsure what to use this citrus curd on? Well, it’s an extremely versatile spread! Perfect on toast, cupcakes, cakes, and more. My favorite way is actually on homemade scones. The ones pictured above are homemade apple cinnamon scones and they were absolutely delicious with the curd slathered on top.
Store this spread in a jar or airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 1 month or in the freezer for up to 1 year.
Calamansi Curd
Ingredients
- 8 large egg yolks
- 1 1/3 cups sugar
- 2 tbsp calamansi or lemon zest
- 1/2 cup calamansi juice
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 12 tbsp unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks, softened and cut into smaller pieces)
Instructions
- Fill the bottom of your double boiler with 1-2 inches of water. Over high heat, bring water to a boil. Then, reduce to low heat and keep water at a simmer. If you don't have a double boiler, simply fill a saucepan with water and place a small heatproof glass bowl over it.
- In the top of your double boiler (or in your glass bowl), combine the egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt. Use a whisk to continue to stir as the curd cooks. Whisk constantly and vigorously to prevent the egg from curdling.
- Keep whisking until the curd becomes thick, about 10-15 minutes.
- Remove from heat. Whisk the butter into the curd (it should melt from the heat of the mixture).
- Pour curd into a jar and place a piece of plastic wrap on top. To prevent the curd from developing a skin on top, push the plastic wrap down until it touches the top surface of the curd. Let sit until completley cool.
- Remove the plastic wrap and store in an airtight container (like a mason jar), and refrigerate. Can be stored for up to 10 days.
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