Nitrate & Nitrite Free Eggless Lemon Curd
Bright, tangy, and impossibly silky, this lemon curd is the kind of thing you'll want to spread on everything — toast, scones, yogurt, or straight off the spoon. It gets its luscious, jammy texture from cornstarch rather than eggs, which means it's completely free from the cured and processed ingredients that often sneak nitrates and nitrites into your kitchen. Every component here is clean and straightforward: fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar, butter, and a pinch of salt. The method is simple but satisfying — whisking the mixture over medium heat until it transforms from cloudy to glossy and thick is genuinely one of the most rewarding things you can do on a weekday afternoon. Straining the finished curd gives it that smooth, professional finish you'd expect from a fancy jar at a specialty shop, except you made it yourself. It sets up beautifully in the fridge and keeps well, so you can make a batch ahead and reach for it all week long.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice (from about 3–4 lemons)
- 1 tbsp lemon zest (from about 2 lemons)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- ½ cup water
- ¼ tsp fine salt
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- ½ tsp vanilla extract (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a small saucepan until evenly combined. Add the water and lemon juice and whisk until the cornstarch is fully dissolved with no lumps remaining.
- 2
Set the saucepan over medium heat and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and turns from cloudy to translucent, about 6–8 minutes. Once it begins to bubble, continue whisking for 1 full minute — the curd should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and hold a clear line when a finger is drawn through.
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