Gooseberry Curd Recipe

One of the absolute best ways to enjoy gooseberries is by making a curd with it. The sour notes from the gooseberries go so well in the curd. Curd is typically made with lemons, limes or oranges so the gooseberries really help give that sour note. Spread it on your toast, add it to porridge or yoghurt, slather it over slices of cake or biscuits, or just eat it straight from the jar!

Okay so how do I make this gooseberry curd recipe from scratch?

This silky smooth Gooseberry Curd is the perfect harmony between sweet, sour, buttery and rich. It only takes just a few ingredients and can be made relatively quickly. If you have an abundance of gooseberries, this curd freezes really well. Simply pour into a freezer safe (not glass) airtight container and when cold, freeze. Freeze in small, usable portions and it can last for up to 3 months in the freezer.

To begin this Gooseberry Curd Recipe, place the gooseberries into a small saucepan along with 2 tablespoons of water. Cook the gooseberries util they have softened and become pulpy. Blend the gooseberries until smooth and press through a sieve.

Next, add 150 gram of this puree into a small saucepan along with the sugar. Heat this on medium heat until the syrup begins to boil. In a small mixing bowl, add the water and cornflour and mix well until the cornflour dissolves fully. Cornflour and water mixed together like this is called a “slurry” and is a common thickening method in many dishes. Add this slurry to the boiling syrup and whisk vigorously. Continue to cook this on medium heat for another 2-3 minutes, whisking constantly, until fully thickened.

Once the cornflour has been cooked off and the curd has thickened, take the saucepan off the heat. Immediately whisk in the egg yolks until fully combined. Next, whisk in the butter until it has fully melted and incorporated into the curd. There is no need to return the saucepan to the heat, the residual heat from the thickened syrup is enough to cook the egg yolks.

Pour straight into a sterilised jar. To sterilise a jar, wash it in hot, soapy water and then fill fully with boiling water. I usually fill my jar as I begin making the curd and empty out the water just as I’m about to pour the curd in. You can also sterilise jars by putting them in a dishwasher. You can also pop them into an oven for 15-20 minutes on a low heat. Once filled seal tightly with the lid and turn the jar upside down to cool.

When the curd has fully cooled, store in the fridge for up to two weeks. Once opened, use within 5 days for best results.

Any tips for a smooth Curd?

I’m glad you asked! I do have some tips for the best gooseberry curd recipe! Although I do claim this recipe to be “no fail”, there are a few issues you may run into and I’d love to guide you through it with a few troubleshooting tips!

– Make sure all your ingredients are weighed up before you begin. This recipe really only has a couple of steps and for best results, some of them should be done quickly. For example; when you are whisking in the egg yolks, you are relying on the residual heat from the boiled mixture to cook the egg yolks. If you didn’t have your egg yolks ready and allowed the mixture to cool while you had to separate and weigh them, it might not be hot enough to cook the egg yolks to create a thick, rich flavour. The curd may taste a bit eggy as a result.

-Similarly, make sure all your equipment is ready and your jars are sterilised/in the process of sterilisation. This recipe needs very little equipment so it’s important to have everything ready to go.

-Don’t mix the cornflour and water until you are just about to add it. Cornflour tends to sink when combined with water and left to stand. It creates a thick paste at the bottom of the bowl and tends to clump, if you don’t mix it thoroughly and right when you need it, you may end up with lumps of cornflour in the finished curd and nobody wants that.

-Follow the recipe exactly and do not put the saucepan back onto the heat once you have added the egg yolks. Egg yolks cook at 71°c (158°f) and if you follow the recipe, the mixture should be more than hot enough to cook the egg yolks. If this still bothers you, and you’d really like to return the mixture to the heat, make sure it is turned down low and you pass the finished curd through a sieve to catch any curdled egg yolk.

Recommended Equipment

Interested in Citrus Curds? Check out my Blood Orange Curd Recipe, Here.

Thinking of Cake Recipes to slather this all over? Try having a look at my Cake Category, here.