I have just looked back at my post on lemon curd and realised that I wrote it four years ago! Blimey, time flies. I do love lemon curd and so I thought it about time I tried a different flavour. Orange curd is much sweeter than its lemon counterpart and has a richer taste. I have been eating it on my mid-morning toast but it would be good in a tart or in a twist on the lemon meringue.
The recipe I have used is just an adaptation on my lemon curd one, using two medium-sized oranges. However, I have been rereading my copy of Peter Brears’ Traditional Food in Shropshire with its interesting history of the cooking techniques and recipes of my home county. One of the recipes Peter includes is for orange or lemon cheese, which is curd by another name. It is a treat mentioned in Mary Webb’s Seven for a Secret when Gillian Lovekin is trying to win the heart of Robert Rideout by serving him a tea which she hopes will steal his heart.
She set the table with the best china, brought out cranberry jelly, new bread, lemon cheese, visitor’s tea. She put on her best frock, put up her hair, and picked a scarlet geranium from the window to wear in it. She would be as gay, as pretty and as kind as she could. It wasn’t nice of her father to tell him he was only a cowman. And perhaps, if she looked really pretty, Robert would kiss her!
Mary Webb, 1922, Seven for a Secret, p.48
Spoiler alert- it takes a while but she eventually gets her way.
Because oranges and lemons were expensive, the flesh would have been eaten and the peel used to make the orange or lemon cheese. The peel would be simmered in a pan of water for about an hour until tender and then  pulverised until smooth and this would then have been added to the sugar, egg yolks and butter. I have promised myself to try the recipe this way when I have finished the last of this batch. It sounds like a good alternative to making candied peel with the leftovers from marinated oranges.
In the meantime here is the recipe for the curd in the photo.
100g butter
225g caster sugar
2 medium-sized oranges, zest and juice
5 egg yolks or 3 whole eggs, beaten
Method
You can make this in a pan over a gentle heat, if you are brave, or you can make it in a bowl standing over a pan of simmering water. The latter takes longer but the former is more likely to end up with scrambled eggs. I prefer the latter so put the butter and sugar in a heat-proof bowl and stand it over the simmering water, making sure that the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl. Stir until the butter has melted. Add the finely grated zest of the orange along with the juice and the eggs. Stir well and continue to stir regularly until the mixture thickens. This might take 20 to 25 minutes. It will thicken more as it cools. Pour into sterilised jars, seal and when cool keep in the fridge.
I like orange curd too, but I only make it at this time of year, because we like it with Seville oranges. I think it needs that kick of bitterness to be appealing, and not too sweet. I also use the juice of a lemon to enhance the acidity. You can see how bitter and twisted I am!
Ha ha,not a bit of it Margaret, that sounds good though. I do like the sweetness of this one I must admit but then I have a sweet tooth.
Orange curd is something I have seen before but never made. Beautiful colour and looks lovely on your slice of toast.
Thank you Maggie, give it a go, it’s delicious.
This sounds delicious!
If I was to use clementines instead, how many would I use?
Have a Joyful Day :~D
Hi Charlie, Thank you. I think that my oranges weighed about 300g so the equivalent in clementines would work well. Best wishes Kath
Thank you Kim!
Oh yum yum! made mine with some lemon juice in and it’s just scrummy, thanks for the inspiration, I even made bread specialy to eat it with, certainly cheered up a very wet dull day, just tastes of sunshine,
Happy cooking (and sewing??….) 🙂
Hello Country Cook, glad you made some. I am going to try it with a bit of lemon juice next time. It really does cheer things up. I haven’t been dressmaking for months, mainly because I haven’t had a free day for months but I must try soon to finish off the work in progress. I have the pattern cut out so it is all ready for me to get stitching. I have been doing some embroidery and knitting in the evenings though. Hope you are well. K
I’ve become a big fan of fruit curds, but I’ve not made orange yet. Why not? No idea, but I think I’d better remedy it toute de suite. Have only read one Mary Webb book and it wasn’t that one, so will have to search that out too.
Ah Precious Bane then perhaps? You must try it Choc, let me know if you do.
Mmmm, this sounds good and even better is the idea of having ‘mid-morning toast’ every day! Just what I need to get me through these bleak winter days! xCathy
Ha ha, well you know, any opportunity to eat… I am not sure my waistline thanks me for my mid morning toast. But breakfast is at six and I need to eat again before lunchtime…there I go trying to justify it.