This Mandarin Orange Curdrecipe is a luscious, sweet fruit spread with only 4 ingredients. It’s perfect for spreading on toast, biscuits, scones, serving with fruit, or using in many other delicious ways.
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Several years ago, I was visiting a friend in her home and she introduced me to Lemon Curd. I was a bit scared to try it. The word “curd” doesn’t sound very appetizing, so I expected the worst. But, after tasting it, I realized that this stuff is seriously good!
If your unfamiliar with Lemon Curd, or other fruit curds, they are a thick, sweet fruit spread that you can use in so many ways. You can spread it on bread, biscuits, scones, use it as a topping for fruit, or even use it in baked treats, such as a filling for cakes.
While Lemon Curd is very popular, you can actually use other citrus fruits, like mandarin oranges.
This Mandarin Orange Curd recipe is a delicious fruit spread to make for every day, but also lovely enough to make for guests or even to give as a food gift.
For the mandarins, we used super cute and deliciousHalosMandarins, which is by the Wonderful people (same company that makes PomWonderful).
This recipe has only 4 simple ingredients: mandarin oranges, eggs, sugar, and butter. That’s it!
To make your own Mandarin Orange Curd, you will need the juice from about six Halo Mandarins — more or less. Every batch I made used six, so if your kids are like mine and want to tear into the bag as soon as you get home, just make sure to save six of those babies for your curd. Luckily, there is plenty in the bag (or box, if you buy them that way), so you’ll be good.
The first step for this recipe is to get some mandarin orange zest. The zest will add specks of color and give your curd a bit of extra flavor. To zest your mandarin oranges, remove any produce stickers off 2-3 oranges, wash them, and then use a zester to grab the zest off of them.
After you have your zest, you’ll be ready to juice mandarin oranges.After juicing, enjoy the wonderful way your kitchen will smell. After I was done juicing, my youngest son came into the kitchen and said: “what smells good??” Seriously, my whole kitchen smelled delicious just from juicing them.
Get a saucepan of water simmering on your stove. You want a pan that is sized perfectly to hold a stainless steel bowl without it falling in and so that the bottom rests inside the saucepan, just above the water.
While you wait for your water to simmer, mix together your eggs and sugar with a wire whisk in that stainless steel bowl. Then, mix in that mandarin juice until everything is combined and smooth. Take your bowl over to your simmering water and place it on/in the saucepan. With your wire whisk, keep stirring….constantly. Don’t walk away! Your constant stirring is what’s going to keep the eggs from curdling.
Once the mixture has thickened (to about 170 degrees F on a candy thermometer), remove from the heat and whisk in your butter and mandarin zest.
Pour the mixture into your storage containers and allow the mixture to cool completely. I like using canning jars to store my Mandarin Orange Curd, so I divided the mixture between three 4 ounce canning jars. Once they are cool, refrigerate until firm and chilled (at least an hour, but a few hours is better).
Pretty easy, right? And with only 4 ingredients, it’s very doable. We enjoyed our latest batch with some cranberry scones, but you can use it in so many ways for breakfast for dessert. Mandarin Orange Curd will keep for about a week covered in the refrigerator so start thinking of the delicious ways you will use it!
Mandarin Orange Curd Recipe
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Mandarin Orange Curd
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Ingredients
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3 large eggs
6 Halos Mandarin Oranges
1/3 cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (cut into small pieces, room temperature)
Instructions
Zest 2-3 Halos Mandarins, if you would like to add zest to your curd. Cut each mandarin in half and juice each one into a measuring cup until you have 1/2 cup of mandarin juice.
Over medium heat, begin simmering water in a saucepan that is sized perfectly to support a stainless steel bowl that you will use to mix up your ingredients (bottom of bowl should rest just above your water level).
In that stainless steel bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and mandarin juice with a wire whisk, until combined and smooth. When the water is gently simmering, place the stainless steel bowl over the saucepan. Whisk constantly until mixture has thickened, which can take anywhere from 5-10 minutes (about 170 degrees F on a candy thermometer). When thickened, remove from heat and immediately whisk in room temperature butter pieces until they have melted completely and are incorporated with the mixture.
Pour mixture into a bowl or containers for storage. Allow to cool completely and then refrigerate until firm and chilled (at least 1 hour, but 3-4 is best).
Notes
–Mandarin Orange Curd will keep for about 1 week, covered in the refrigerator
–Use as a spread on breads, biscuits, pancakes, topping for fruit, as a filling for cakes or cupcakes, for a layered parfait, and more
You need to keep a low heat and stir constatntly. The time it takes for the curd to thicken can vary accoding to the size of the pan and the heat used. To test if the curd is cooked properly, dip a spoon into the mixture then run your finger through the mixture on the back of the spoon.
Orange Curd is also called Orange Butter and is a delicious spread made of orange juice, sugar, butter and eggs. I love making fruit curd as it's such a great way of using up fruit and preserving it beyond making a jam or marmalade.
1. In a cool, dark place: Unpeeled mandarin oranges stored at room temperature in a cool, dark place last about one week. An unpeeled orange stored in the crisper drawer of a refrigerator lasts for about two weeks to one month.
To make a thicker curd, you can also add another egg yolk to the recipe, or a teaspoon of cornflour mixed into a tablespoon of water and cook until thickened.
Curd too runny once cold? If when completely cold your Orange Curd (or any other curd) is too runny then it was not cooked enough. You can remedy this by removing it from the jars and gently cooking again.
“Fruits, especially citrus fruits such as strawberries, grapes, oranges, amla, etc, should not be taken with milk or yoghurt. This is because this combination can lead to gastritis and a host of other gut health issues,” she said.
A curd differs from all other types of preserves as it contains eggs and butter, very similar in texture as custard. A curd is a thick, creamy spread that is made by cooking together fruit juice – usually a citrus fruit, egg yolks, butter and sugar.
Citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and grapefruits are highly acidic. Combining them with curd can disturb the stomach's pH balance, potentially leading to digestive discomfort or acidity for some individuals.
In short, although mandarin oranges are highly nutritional and satisfies our cravings at the same time, it should not be consumed excessively, especially by certain people. Overall, I would personally recommend consuming a maximum of four mandarin oranges a day.
Mandarin oranges contain the carotenoids beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin that function as antioxidants that protect your vision and support your immune system. Mandarins are a substantial source of insoluble fiber and soluble fiber.
“If an adult starts to consume oranges in large portions, say 4-5 oranges a day, the excess fibre in the body could trigger stomach upset, cramping, diarrhea, bloating, and nausea. Similarly, the excessive intake of vitamin C can cause heartburn, headache, vomiting, and even insomnia,” says Kaul.
Oranges are rich in vitamin C. Eating 2 to 3 oranges a day can meet the daily vitamin C requirement of each person. Oranges are rich in dietary fiber and pectin, which can promote intestinal peristalsis and excrete waste in the intestine.
Peel the oranges completely and stack the slices in a freezer bag in a single layer. Write the date on the bag so you don't forget how old they are before throwing them in the freezer. Try to eat your mandarins within 6 to 12 months for the best flavor and texture.
Before peeling, wash the mandarin oranges (gently rubbing the surface while rinsing) to remove pesticide residues. Do not consume any mandarin oranges that had turned mouldy. Pre-soak dried mandarin orange peel in water, prior to cooking, to remove any pesticides residues.
The temperature is too low. If the temp is below 68 degrees Fahrenheit, the cultures will not ferment properly and the milk will stay runny. The temperature is too high. If the temperature is above 80 degrees Fahrenheit, the yogurt will ferment too fast and will also render the yogurt runny.
Trouble shooting: Most Lemon Curds are runny because they don't get cooked long enough, to 170 degrees F, to thicken the egg yolks – so cook on! If your curd isn't thickened after 10 minutes, or up to 15 if using a double boiler, then increase the temperature of the stove slightly – and don't stop whisking!
Usually the temperature of milk determines how well your curd will set. Too cold or too hot temperature can make the curd setting process tougher. Firstly boil your milk properly and switch off the flame. Once the boiled milk cools down to 20 per cent, then the milk is ready to be set.
At times, when we prepare curd at home, it turns out to be runny and not thick. There could be many reasons for it. One that you might not have boiled milk enough, second that the milk you used wasn't creamy or was too watery. Another reason could be that it was not set in the right temperature.
Introduction: My name is Terence Hammes MD, I am a inexpensive, energetic, jolly, faithful, cheerful, proud, rich person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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