Aunt Rocky’s Lemon Curd (Sugar Free, Low Carb)

Get out a storage container with a tight fitting lid. Use 3 small 1/2-cup Mason jars with lids if you want the option of freezing some for later use. The recipe makes about 1 1/2 cups.

Cut butter into 3 or 4 pieces, and set aside so it’s ready when needed.

Whisk eggs and sweetener in a medium glass or stainless steel mixing bowl until very creamy and no egg whites show. Zest the lemons into the bowl, then juice the lemons and add the juice to the bowl. Whisk well, and set aside. (To keep the curd from reacting with the metal, do not use an aluminum or copper mixing bowl.)

Using a saucepan that your glass bowl will set up in like a double boiler, heat about 2 inches of water. When it starts to bubble, reduce heat to simmer. You don’t want it to be in a rolling boil when you cook the curd.

Set the mixing bowl into the pot, making sure the bottom is not touching the water. Whisk at a moderate speed the entire time you are cooking the curd, about 8 minutes. The object is to keep any of the egg bits from curdling while cooking. If that happens, you’ll have to strain the curd before bottling it. But if you keep whisking, it should come out smooth with this method.

The curd will form foamy bubbles around the edges as it heats. This is normal, and will smooth out toward the end of the cooking time, then thicken quickly. You know when it’s done when it coats the back of a spoon without running off. It will thicken further when completely cooled and refrigerated, so don’t go all the way to a pudding consistency. It may take one or two tries for you to get the perfect consistency that you want.

Once the curd has thickened, remove the bowl from the pan and turn off the stove. Add butter to the curd, and poke it down to completely submerge it in the hot curd. Wait about 2–3 minutes for the butter to completely melt. Whisk again until the curd is smooth and silky. Transfer to storage container(s) and cool on a wire rack.

Cover and store in refrigerator or freezer until needed. The curd does not freeze completely hard, so you can scoop some out and thaw just what you need when you need it.

Yields about 1 1/2 cups, or 8 servings of about 3 tablespoons each.

Notes:
1. This same recipe and method can be used to make Lime Curd. To make tarts or pies from curd, cook a little longer until you get a thick pudding consistency. It will become thick enough to cut when chilled.
2. For dairy free, try substituting your favorite butter substitute, such as Earth Balance. I have not tried it, but it should work.
3. I get no kickback for products used in my recipes. Brand names are included to assure more accurate nutritional estimates. Nutrition information is based on My Fitness Pal’s online recipe analyzer. The recipe is stored there and available to MFP users for logging in their food diaries. Sugar alcohols and liquid Sucralose are excluded from nutrition counts, as they are not absorbed by the body and rate zero on the glycemic index.
4. For more Atkins/low carb/keto recipes and cooking tips, look for Aunt Rocky’s Low Carb Recipes & Tips Group on Facebook, or follow me on Pinterest at auntrocky2.

Calories 82, Total Fat 8 g, Saturated Fat 4 g, Monounsaturated Fat 2 g, Sodium 68 mg, Potassium 46 mg, Total Carbohydrate 1 g, Dietary Fiber 0 g, Net Carbs 1 g, Sugars 0 g, Protein 2 g. Macros: 86% fat, 10% protein, 5% carbs.

© May 25, 2018 Roxana Lopez for Aunt Rocky’s