Mixed Berry Curd

I recently was introduced to curd at Thanksgiving when I was looking for something different to make for the holiday, and made a baked cranberry curd tart. I have been curious about curd because I have always seen lemon curd in the market, and it is used in various desserts.

Well, while I was exploring, I thought about the berry saucy syrup I had in the refrigerator and wondered if I could make that into a curd. Especially since the beginning steps are the same as what I had done to make my cranberry curd.

Well apparently there is a whole world of flavored curds out there for you to choose from. And you can use them in a variety of ways. In essence you basically make them in a similar manner that you would make a custard on the stove top.

This beautiful lavender colored curd is made from frozen mixed berries. Blackberries, blueberries, strawberries and raspberries. Just an FYI, I have NOT used any food coloring in this. It just simply came out this exciting shade of purple! And it tastes like a party in your mouth!!!

What is a curd exactly? While they are made similar to a custard, they are not made with milk but rather a higher proportion of fruit juice and zest. Also a custard is often eaten on its on, while a curd is usually used as a filling for a dessert.

You want to simmer your berries (or other fruit) in a pot in the same manner as you would make a jam or a cranberry sauce, sweetener and all. Let it cool a little and then you strain out the seeds and pulp. Lastly you will whisk in eggs as you would a custard over the heat and it will thicken. It is quite magical how quickly it all comes together! I can’t wait for you to try it out for yourself!

Ingredients:

2 cups of mixed berries (I used frozen)

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 piece of lemon rind

2 tbsp water

1/8 tsp of pure powdered monk fruit

1 tbsp yacon syurp

( OR 1/4 cup of preferred sweetener if you do not use the two above sweeteners)

3 eggs (room temperature)

1/2 to 1 tsp xanthan gum (optional to thicken)

Directions:

You will start by cooking down your berries. About 2 cups of fruit will give you 1 cup of juice.

In a medium pot, simmer your mixed berries with 2 tbsp of water, lemon juice and lemon rind. Add in your sweetener. Continue to cook until the fruit has been softened. Mash it with a potato masher to further release any juices. Allow to simmer for 15 minutes or so, stirring occassionally.

Let it cool for a few minutes and then strain it over a bowl. Then using the back of a wooden spoon, press the cooked berries to further release juices. Discard the pulp and seeds. You should have a slightly thick liquid.

In a separate bowl whisk together the three eggs.

Bring your berry liquid to a simmer till just warm. Then temper your eggs. You do this by adding a little bit of the sauce to the whisked eggs in order to make them equal in temperature and not accidently scramble them!

Fully combine the eggs with the warmed juice and raise the heat to medium whisking the mixture continuously together. As it warms, you can increase the temperature just a little bit. Continue to whisk until it has thickened. If you need to thicken it further you can sprinkle xanthan gum. Start with 1/2 teaspoon and whisk to mix. Add a little more if necessary.

Pass it though a strainer to be sure that you didn’t accidently get any bits in there.

Pour it into a container and cover it with plastic wrap, touching the surface so that a film does not form as it cools. It will continue to thicken in the refrigerator. Leave it alone for 6 hours or overnight is even better.

Use it however you so desire. It’s great as a spread over toast or a scone, in crepes, or as a cake or tart filling. It will keep for 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

I am actually going to make mini tarts with this. Stay tuned!

Kali Oreksi.