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Lemon Preserve for Tarts
Mrs. W. G. Davis.
One pound of sugar, four ounces of butter, six eggs, leaving out the whites of two, the juice and grated rind of three lemons; put into a saucepan and stir over a slow fire until it becomes as thick as honey.
This is a lemon curd, called a "preserve" because it was spooned into jars and used through the week, not because it keeps like jam. The whole recipe turns on temperature control.
- The hinge: never let it boilThe mixture thickens between about 160F and 175F, where the egg proteins set. Past that the eggs scramble and the curd breaks into grains. A heatproof bowl over barely simmering water gives more margin than the "slow fire" of a direct saucepan, and constant stirring with a flat-edged spoon or spatula keeps the base from setting first.
- "As thick as honey"That is the correct target and a good one: the curd should coat the spoon and hold a line when you draw a finger through it. It thickens noticeably more as it cools, so pulling it slightly early is safer than pushing it further.
- Strain itThe recipe leaves the grated rind in. Modern recipes often pass the finished curd through a fine sieve, which catches both the zest and any strands of set egg. If you want the rind flavour without the texture, rub the zest into the sugar first, then strain.
- The eggsSix eggs less two whites means four whole eggs plus two yolks. The yolks are there for richness and setting power.
- Proportions in modern termsOne pound of sugar is about 2¼ cups; four ounces of butter is one stick, cut into pieces and added gradually at the end for a glossier finish. Three lemons yield roughly ½ cup of juice.
- Yield and keepingExpect about three cups, enough to fill two dozen small tart shells. Despite the name it is not shelf stable: refrigerate in clean jars and use within two weeks, or freeze for a few months.
- Using itFill baked, cooled tart shells; the curd needs no further cooking and will weep if baked again. It also serves as a cake filling or a spread.
Lemon curd belongs to a family of egg-and-butter fruit "cheeses" and "preserves" that English households made through the nineteenth century, generally traced to the practice of thickening fruit juice with eggs rather than boiling it with sugar to a set. The name "preserve" is a bit of a courtesy: without the sugar concentration of jam it kept only as long as a cool larder allowed, which is why it was made in small quantities. Its appearance here, credited to Mrs. W. G. Davis, suggests a recipe gathered from a named local contributor, though the nature of the book it comes from cannot be established from the name alone. Such collections record what was actually being cooked in particular kitchens, brevity and all, and they assume a reader who already knows what a slow fire looks like.