Cranberry curd is a festive twist on lemon curd that is great on scones, bread or used in baking. Make your fresh cranberries into something special!
I don’t know about you but I love it it November and December when I can get a tub of fresh cranberries with my shopping.
Fresh cranberries are available in the UK in both of these months, after their harvest in the autumn. Many are imported from the USA, in particular Cape Cod.
Having successfully made fruit curd with other berry fruits like blackcurrants and strawberries, I decided cranberry curd would be a great option to try for the Christmas hols!
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you will need for this easy cranberry curd. You’ll find the quantities together with the full directions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- cranberries – the star ingredient for this recipe! Fresh cranberries can be bought in November/December in the UK. You can also make this recipe using frozen cranberries instead of fresh (defrost them first if doing this).
- caster sugar – (superfine sugar in the US). Sweetens the curd, definitely needed with the tart flavour from the cranberries!
- butter – I prefer to use unsalted butter in all cooking, I usually grab the basic supermarket butter. If you have salted you can use that, it will make the curd taste a little more salty.
- eggs – either medium or large eggs will work. I prefer to buy free-range eggs.
Instructions
Before you start, read my step-by-step instructions, with photos, hints and tips so you can make this cranberry curd recipe perfectly every time.
Scroll down for the recipe card with quantities and more tips at the bottom of the page.
Step 1. Wash the cranberries, put them in a saucepan and add the water.
Step 2. Bring the pan to the boil then reduce to a simmer for approx. 5 minutes until the cranberries have softened and popped, releasing their juices.
Step 3. Press the cranberries through a fine sieve using the back of a spoon, into a bowl. You’ll end up with just the skins in the sieve, discard them. Make sure you scrape all the puree from the underside of the sieve into your bowl!
Step 4. Transfer the resulting cranberry puree to a microwaveable bowl. Measure out and cube the butter, measure out the sugar. Have your eggs ready too.
Step 5. Add the sugar, eggs and butter to the bowl.
Step 6. Stir to combine the sugar with the liquid of the egg and cranberry puree. Microwave on high for one minute, then stir well. Microwave for another minute on high, then stir well. You’ll see it is starting to thicken up.
Step 7. Microwave for one final minute on high, then stir well. You’ll see the curd has thickened further, its colour has intensified slightly and it now has a glossy appearance on the surface.
Step 8. Next, in case you have any small lumps in the curd, quickly sieve it through a fine sieve once more. This removes any small lumps of cooked egg that might have formed. You’ll finish with a thick and smooth curd! Transfer it to a sterilised jar and put in the fridge.
Enjoy your cranberry curd spread thickly on buttered bread or toast for breakfast.
Serving suggestions
Cranberry curd can be used as a topping for pancakes, to fill cakes or tarts, as a filling for a meringue pie, or simply for spreading on fresh bread, toast or your favourite baked item!
I love it stirred into yoghurt too!
Storage
Store the cranberry curd in a sealed jar in the fridge for 1-2 weeks.
Freezing – cranberry curd can be frozen in a lidded plastic container for up to a year. Why not freeze it in an ice cube tray so you can use small amounts of curd at a time.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these fruit curds and jams too:
Recipe
Cranberry Curd
Ingredients
- 125 g cranberries fresh
- 75 ml water
- 100 g caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- 50 g unsalted butter
- 2 medium eggs
Equipment
Instructions
- Wash the cranberries, put them in a saucepan and add the water.125 g cranberries, 75 ml water
- Bring the pan to the boil then reduce to a simmer for approx. 5 minutes until the cranberries have softened and popped, releasing their juices.
- Press the cranberries through a fine sieve using the back of a spoon, into a bowl. You’ll end up with just the skins in the sieve, discard them. Make sure you scrape all the puree from the underside of the sieve into your bowl!
- Transfer the resulting cranberry puree to a microwaveable bowl. Measure out and cube the butter, measure out the sugar. Have your eggs ready too.100 g caster sugar (superfine sugar), 50 g unsalted butter, 2 medium eggs
- Add the sugar, eggs and butter to the bowl.
- Stir to combine the sugar with the liquid of the egg and cranberry puree.
- Microwave on high for one minute, then stir well. Microwave for another minute on high, then stir well. You’ll see it is starting to thicken up.
- Microwave for one final minute on high (so three minutes in total, with stirring after each minute), then stir well. You’ll see the curd has thickened further, its colour has intensified slightly and it now has a glossy appearance on the surface.
- Next, in case you have any small lumps in the curd, quickly sieve it through a fine sieve once more. This removes any small lumps of cooked egg that might have formed.
- You’ll finish with a thick and smooth curd! Transfer it to a sterilised jar and put in the fridge.
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