LEMON CURD MADE EASY IN AN INSTANT POT

Lemon curd, have you ever heard of it?  I had not until about a year and a half ago when I saw some at Trader Joes.  I picked it up and looked at it but put it back on the shelf.  However, lemon curd has been on my mind since that day.  Seriously, I was curious as to what it would taste like because I love my sweets a bit tart.  Then last year I came across someone talking about it and again my taste buds were curious but still, I did not make it.  However, just recently I have been wanting to make yogurt in my pressure cooker.  In doing research for yogurt again lemon curd came up.  Someone was making suggestions on what to put on your homemade yogurt and lemon curd was one of the suggestions.  Now, this got me going on making lemon curd.  If you do not know what lemon curd is the best way to descript it is that the texture is or should be creamy.  The flavor should be sweet but deliciously tart.  It is heaven right in your mouth making your taste buds scream, more more more!!!

You guys know me I will research the pooh out of something then figure out how to make it on my own.  I wanted to use my pressure cooker so I found a recipe on another person's blog.  I will not name the blog because it was horrible.  I mean it would do but I would have never made it again by that recipe.  I still had some really pretty lemons and I thought to myself, I will give this one more try. Making it was rather funny that day.  I was pushing and pushing myself because, Charley, the puppy had an appointment.  I thought OK I can do this before we have to leave.  HAHA, I so missed up the recipe.  I forgot the lemon juice when I pressure cooked it the first time.  I opened up my pot and thought what??? What happened?  I ran back through the recipe in my mind and was like "Oh".  Now I am really running out of time.  I figured I had 3 choices to make.  One tossing it out.  Now that is a hard one for me to do because besides being frugal I hate to toss stuff out.  Next choice #2 was to remake it then and hope by the time I am done at the vet I would be back in time for the release.  Or my last choice, #3, was to wait until I got back and remake it then.  Which one would you have chosen?  Well, I chose #2.  I quickly added the lemon juice, started my pot and ran to the vet.  I figure the vet is 3 miles away.  Charley was just getting a shot, not seeing the doctor.  Surely I would be back around the time the release was ready to open.  HAHA, now that was funny as crap for me to even think that at all.  If ya know me I love to gab.  I can sometimes talk to the wall, well maybe my dog and cats, not the wall.  Charley and I are at the vet and of course, I got to running my mouth and realized oh I need to get home my lemon curd needs me.  We speed home, to find that the pot had been off and on warm for 26 minutes.  LOL, My poor poor lemon curd.  I opened my pot and thought OH MY I have ruined it but if you look at pictures of what it looks like when you get it out of the pressure cooker you would realize it was probably OK.  I gave it a few whisks and surely to goodness it was superbly awesome.  I am thinking now when I make it again do I mess it up to make it?   UPDATE:  I made it again and no I did not mess it up.  It turned out really well.  

It is a pretty simple recipe.  First zest your lemons.

Next juice your lemons.

Remember just about everything needs to be room temperature. 

Crack 4 large eggs into the bowl you will be using in the instant pot.

Whisk eggs.

With 2 more eggs separate the yoke and whites.  You only will be using the yokes.

Add yokes to mixed eggs and whisk again.

Add sugar.

Combine sugar with egg mixture, blend well.

Make sure everything is blended well before going to each new step.  Add lemon zest.

Add lemon juice and mix well.

Yes, mix it all together really well.

It should look like this.

Tightly cover your bowl with aluminum foil.

Add 1 cup of water to your inner pot and place your trivet into the pot and then in goes the covered bowl.

Make sure you close and seal your pressure cooker.  

Set your pot on pressure cook for 1 minute on manual.

Once your time is up, the pot will beep.  At this point allow it to natural release for 10 minutes.  Then do a quick release.  You might not have to do this.  I did not the second time I made Lemon Curd.

. Your lemon curd will look like egg custard but that is OK. Give it a good whisk and add your room temperature butter and whisk well.

Add a stick of butter.  I cut mine into small pieces so it will melt easier.

Mix the butter until it all melts.

Allow your lemon curd to cook on the container top before placing it in the fridge.  As the curd cools it will thicken quite a bit.  

Lemon Curd

Directions

• 4 large eggs - room temperature
• 2 egg yokes - room temperature
• 1 C sugar
• 1 T lemon zest
• 1 C fresh squeezed lemon juice
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 C unsalted butter - room temperature

Directions

• Use a glass or metal bowl and break and whisk your eggs and egg yokes
• Add sugar and mix well
• Add a pinch of salt, lemon zest, and lemon juice and mix well
• Wrap container well with aluminum foil
• Pour 1 cup of water into your inner pot and place your trivet on the bottom 
• Next, put your covered bowl onto the trivet
• Close your lid and seal, set on manual for 1 minute
• NR for 10 minutes 
• Open pot and carefully take out your bowl, take off the foil
• Whisk the bowl and add butter in a tablespoon at a time to make sure you mix to combine completely

NR is nature release

It is extremely important to remember to have the eggs, egg yokes and butter all at room temperature.  

As I mentioned I do believe my problem with the first recipe was when I added the butter because that recipe told to add it before cooking while the second recipe, you add the butter after cooking and the NR.  Another important issue is the number of eggs and egg yokes you chose to use.  I found with the 4 large eggs and 2 egg yokes the texture was much more creamy.

Comparing the 2 recipes I used I found that it is essential to add the butter after you have cooked the lemon curd.

I can not make it clear enough to you if you like tart desserts it is a MUST to make lemon curd.  I am in love with it and take a spoonful for my sweet fix once a day.  Moderation is the key for me because I really wanna just sit down and eat the whole bowl and make myself sick. 

Enjoy!!

Update: This so far has been my most popular post.  Please follow and subscribe to my blog.  It is easy to do so, at the top you can subscribe and on the menu, you can follow me.  Feel free at any time to make comments and post any pictures of any recipes you have tried. 

Since I have updated with new pictures, you will see that I have a new Instant Pot.  I could not help myself.  It was on sale.