Honey Meyer Lemon Finger Lime Curd

My first recipe post features a citrus curd made from local produce. The Meyer lemons and finger limes used in this recipe are locally grown and the raw honey and eggs are locally sourced.

This Honey Meyer Lemon Finger Lime Curd recipe is adapted from Not Quite Nigella’s Finger Lime Caviar Butter. Instead of lime juice, I have substituted Meyer lemon zest and juice. Moreover, I have substituted the caster sugar with raw honey for a more complex flavour profile. In addition, to gild the lily even further, I have added some vanilla extract.

Meyer lemon is a hybrid citrus plant. It is believed to be a cross between a regular lemon and a mandarin orange. It is sweeter than a regular lemon. Locally grown Meyer lemons stay green in colour because the warm tropical climate is not cool enough for the Meyer lemon to turn yellow.

Finger lime, an Australian native microcitrus fruit, is also called caviar lime. It is oblong-shaped, elongated, and tapered at both extremities. Its flesh consists of pearl-like beads reminiscent of caviar. Since each bead is encased in a membrane, its flavour is not immediately apparent until one bites into a bead. Then, upon popping, the bead releases its amazing tart citrus flavour in one’s mouth.

This Honey Meyer Lemon Finger Lime Curd is a silky Meyer lemon curd interspersed with luxurious finger lime beads. The curd consists of a wonderful melding of sweetness, tartness, and a complexity of flavours resulting from the honey, Meyer lemon zest and juice, finger lime zest, vanilla, and butter, rounded off by sea salt. The flavour profile is further enhanced when one bites into the finger lime beads, delivering complex citrus flavour to one’s taste buds.

This luscious curd can be used in many ways: smeared on freshly baked bread, toast, crackers, scones, English muffins, or shortbread; as a filling for sandwich cookies, layer cakes, tarts, or icebox cakes; or simply just on its own.

Honey Meyer Lemon Finger Lime Curd Recipe

Makes 2 cups

Ingredients

150 mL raw honey

85 g unsalted butter

1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Zest from 2 medium Meyer lemons

150 mL Meyer lemon juice (from 3 medium Meyer lemons)

Zest from 4 finger limes

Pulp from 4 finger limes*

Method

Sterilise a 500-mL glass jar or 2 250-mL glass jars.

In a medium non-reactive saucepan, add the honey, butter, salt, eggs, vanilla extract, Meyer lemon zest, Meyer lemon juice, and finger lime zest. Whisk thoroughly. On low heat, while stirring frequently, warm the mixture until it reaches a gentle simmer and thickens (around 20 minutes).

Remove from heat. Strain through a metal sieve.

Add the finger lime caviar. Mix well.

Pour into sterilised glass jar(s). Seal tightly. Let the curd cool to room temperature. Refrigerate. Will keep for at least a week.

* To remove the pulp from the finger limes: Cut the finger limes in half crosswise. Remove the seeds. Squeeze out the pulp. If you encounter resistance, carefully use the tip of a paring knife to scrape out the finger lime caviar.