Passion Fruits Here, There, Everywhere
It’s passion fruit season here in Los Angeles. Our friends have a huge vine running along the back of their yard that, each year, produces about 20 x more passion fruits than they know what to do with. Passion fruits remind us of our visits to Australia, where they were frequently served for breakfast and included in a wide range of tasty treats. There are several species of passion fruit that are native to Australia, although the vast majority of passionfruit varieties are native to South America, and particularly Brazil. We are always happy to take any excess passion fruits off of friends hands. This year, we thought we’d make some passion fruit curd as a thank you for the years of passion fruits.
Curds are a fantastic way to use of any kind of fruit you can juice. By combining the fruit juice with eggs, sugar, and butter, you create a relatively shelf-stable treat (it will keep for one month in the refrigerator or six months in the freezer) that tastes delicious slathered on any form of bread.
A Short History of Fruit Curds
Fruit Curds seem to have emerged in the 19th century in Britain, when they were frequently served with scones and tea (as they are today!). They originally literally were curds — formed by lemon acidulating cream, then drained through a cheesecloth. It’s unclear when the curds evolved to the custardy form we know and love today.
Recipe Facts
- Yield: 1 8 oz jar curd
- Active Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients for the Passion Fruit Curd:
- 7 large egg yolks
- 6-7 passion fruit
- 1 cup sugar
- pinch salt
- 10 tablespoons cold unsalted butter cut into chunks
Directions for the Passion Fruit Curd:
- Slice each passion fruit in half and scoop out the seeds into a sieve placed over a small bowl.
- Mash the seeds with a rubber spatula until you have extracted roughly a half cup of juice.
- Place the juice, sugar, salt, and egg yolks in a small saucepan over low heat and stir together until sugar has melted and the custard begins to coat the back of the spatula.
- Do not overcook, or use high heat, as the eggs will scramble and you will have a very grainy (literal) curd.
- Remove the custard from the stove and stir in the butter, one tablespoon at a time.
- Store covered in the refrigerator for up to one month, or freeze for up to six months.