Strawberry Curd Recipe and Tips

Recipe and tips for making a fresh and lively Strawberry Curd.

It is a fun day when I can play McGyver anywhere, but especially in my kitchen. My mind really enjoys noodling out-of-the-box solutions to a current conundrum.

This Strawberry Curd Recipe is one of the conundrums I recently encountered, but one for which I am thrilled to have found a solution.

Jar of strawberry curd and strawberry curd in tarts, overhead shot.

If you enjoy Lemon Curd or any other citrus curd, you know that it is a bright and fresh treat. The acidity and strong, fresh flavor of the lemons are the first tastes on your tongue.

What is a Fruit Curd?

Right off, can we all agree that someone really should’ve put a bit more effort into naming this luscious, creamy, fruity tasty treat?

That being said, fruit curds can be made with just about any fruit. I might take a pass on tomato curd or banana curd, but most others would be delicious! The typical ingredients of curd are fruit juice, egg yolks, sugar, and butter. If you are using a fruit juice other than citrus, you might also add in a citrus juice.

The fruit juice, sugar and eggs are whisked and cooked over a medium heat until the delighful combination thickens, at which point the butter is typically added. If you search ‘fruit curds’, you will find many different variations of this recipe, this is the basic recipe and the one I used for my Strawberry Curd.

Jar of Strawberry Curd next to jar of strawberry puree and with a strawberry in front.

What is the Difference Between Curds and Custards

While similar in texture, curds are different from custards in that they contain more fruit juice and or zest, making them a bolder, fruitier treat. And while custards are typically the focus of the dessert, curds are usually accompaniments or fillings.

How to add more ‘strawberry’ to the Strawberry Curd

When I decided to make this Strawberry Curd, I used my stand-by lemon curd recipe, just swapping strawberry puree for the lemon juice. To say that I was underwhelmed would be an understatement. Not only was the first taste on my tongue egg yolk, but the bright strawberry color faded to a dull pinkish/beige-ish color that I found completely unappealing.

The challenge was finding a balance between enough egg to help the strawberry puree set up to curd consistency, but not too much that I ended up with ‘egg yolk curd!’ In my experimenting, I finally realized that the strawberry was just not a strong enough flavor to overcome the egg yolks.

As I was noodling ways to up the strawberry flavor, I quickly considered and discarded added strawberry extract. And that’s when I had my McGyver moment…strawberry powder! I had made and used raspberry powder for my Raspberry Macarons and knew that not only was it easy to make, but it really made a big impact on both flavor and color.

Strawberry powder

I hightailed it to the grocery store, purchased a 1-ounce bag of freeze-dried strawberries, ground them up, sifted the seeds, added some strawberry powder to my strawberry curd, and then sat back and enjoyed it by the spoonful! Not only did the addition of 2 tablespoons of strawberry powder bring the fresh flavor of strawberries back to the tip of my tongue, but the color made a dramatic improvement from pinkish beige-ish to PINK!

Comparison of strawberry curd with strawberry powder and without.

How to Store Strawberry Curd

You can refrigerate your strawberry curd for up to 2 weeks or you can freeze it. Let it come to room temperature on its own, don’t try to defrost or thaw in the microwave.

Strawberry curd in a heart-shaped bowl.

Strawberry Curd Recipe and Tips

Yield: 2 1/2 cups
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Additional Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 22 minutes

A brightly flavored strawberry curd

Ingredients

  • 2 cups strawberry puree
  • 2-3 tablespoons powdered strawberries made from dehydrated strawberries (see note)
  • 1/4 - 1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice (preferably fresh)
  • 6 large egg yolks
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 stick of butter, cut into 8 pieces

Instructions

  1. Combine lemon juice, sugar, salt, and eggs.
  2. Pour strawberry puree, powdered strawberries, and egg mixture into a wide-bottomed saucepan and whisk to combine.
  3. Place saucepan over medium heat and whisk almost continuously, until thickened, about 10-15 minutes.
  4. Once the curd has the consistency of sour cream and you can run your finger through the back of a spoon coated with the curd and see the finger track, remove it from the heat.
  5. Stir in the butter and mix until fully incorporated.
  6. Let it cool slightly and press a piece of plastic wrap onto the surface.
  7. Refrigerate until cool and ready to use.
  8. Keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Notes

For Strawberry Powder:

Place 1 ounce of dehydrated strawberries into blender and blend for about 1 minute until it is in powder form. Place the powder in a fine-meshed sieve and shake and stir to separate the seeds from the powder. Discard the seeds. 1 ounce of dehydrated strawberries will make approximately 4 tablespoons of powder.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 40 Serving Size: 2
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 54Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 39mgSodium: 33mgCarbohydrates: 5gFiber: 1gSugar: 5gProtein: 1g

Did you make this recipe?

It would be great if you could take a minute and leave a comment below, as well as how many stars you think it deserves. Help other readers by asking any questions you have or sharing any modifications to the recipe. I'd love to hear how you served it! If you are on Instagram, then tag @nourishandnestle on Instagram and hashtag it #nourishandnestle! Many Thanks

How to use Your Strawberry Curd

Strawberry Mini Tarts

On scones, of course!

Make a parfait with curd and yogurt or ice cream

Strawberry Mousse

Filling a thumbprint cookie

Between cake layers

A crepe filling

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