While us local eaters might be tempted to think of winter as a time for squash, potatoes, and onions, we can’t forget about the beautiful citrus that comes into season just in time for those of us in the Northeast who need to boost our Vitamin C. I know. Citrus is not local to the Northeast. However, there are some really cool programs working to build food security on the East Coast and making some citrus curd might be a good way for you to support these efforts. Sounds like a good trade to me.
Enterprise Farm, located in South Deerfield, MA, has a really neat year-round CSA that they developed by partnering with small-scale, organic farms up and down the East Coast from Florida to Maine. This means that those who subscribe to this CSA get red peppers and greens and citrus in the winter from down south as well as those potatoes and onions we’re used to in the Northeast. I think this is such a smart idea. You save about 50% of the fossil fuels that would be needed to truck the produce from California, you support farms on the East Coast, and you’re providing people with produce they would probably buy anyway, even if it was shipped from California, Mexico, or New Zealand. People are making good ideas happen all around us. You just have to find them!
This tangerine curd is more subtle than a traditional lemon curd but it’s beautiful color and creamy texture make it a wonderful spread for just about any baked good or as a filling for a cake. Heck, I wouldn’t have a problem eating a pie filled with the stuff.
In this recipe, Joy the Baker advises that you mix the citrus zest with the sugar. This action helps to release all the oils from the zest into your sugar to ensure you get maximum citrus-y goodness into the curd. This is yet another smart idea that I would do in countless other recipes that call for both sugar and zest. Thanks for being so smart Joy!
Like I said, there is little need to do much else with this curd other than spread it on some toast and enjoy, knowing that you’re getting in some much needed Vitamin C. Try this recipe with grapefruit, blood orange or lime and let me know how it goes!
Tangerine Lemon Curd
Adapted from Joy the Baker
Makes about 8 oz.
2 large egg yolks
1 large egg
5 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon tangerine zest
1/4 cup tangerine juice
2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
pinch of salt
Combine sugar and tangerine zest in a small bowl. With the back of a spoon or a fork, rub the zest into the sugar until the sugar is very fragrant and slightly orange in color. Put a medium-sized bowl in the fridge for use in straining the curd later.
In a medium saucepan over medium low heat, whisk together egg yolks, egg, tangerine sugar, juices, butter and salt. Whisk over the heat until the curd is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. This will take a few minutes and it will start to smell good, so you’ll know it’s working. Stir the curd constantly with a wooden spoon, scraping the bottom of the pan as you go. If you start to see small white flecks in the curd, that means your eggs are starting to curdle and this is when you want to strain the curd.
Remove the pan from heat and pass through a fine mesh strainer into the medium bowl you had in the fridge. You want the bowl to be cold so that you stop the cooking process right away and the eggs won’t curdle. Transfer to a small jar or airtight container and refrigerate until cool and thicker in texture. Curd will last, refrigerated, for about a week.
The Stovetop Diaries 