We tasted jarred varieties to see if we could find an acceptable substitute for home-made.
Published Apr. 1, 2007.
Lemon curd is a custard-style sauce made from eggs, sugar, butter, and, of course, lemon juice. We wondered if we could substitute a store-bought curd for homemade, so we tasted jarred varieties both right out of the jar and spread on a piece of pound cake.
The curds were suprisingly different. The clear winner earned raves for its smooth and creamy texture and "real lemon flavor," but the price tag raised eyebrows. The distant runner-up received lukewarm reviews for "gumdrop texture" and "sweet and sour lemon candy" flavor but costs about half as much as the premier brand.
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