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“This may just have been the best new thing I’ve tried in a very long time. Fantastic flavor, what a treat.” ~Gary
Curds have an outrageously satiny mouthfeel like no other food on the planet.
Curds are in a category all to themselves when it comes to the world of preserving fruits. Yes you can make jams, jellies, and butters ~ but when you really want to treat yourself to something special, make curd. This rhubarb curd is the best way I know of to celebrate rhubarb season ~ it captures the unique flavor of rhubarb along with a velvety texture like nothing else!
did you know?
Fruit curds are a centuries old treat that goes back to traditional tea time in Britain. Usually made with lemon or citrus fruits, curds can be made with any almost any fruit, even cranberries!
I don’t like to use food coloring very often, I prefer to let the natural colors of food shine, but there are exceptions. The color of rhubarb curd often needs a little boost. When the eggs are blended with the fruit the color sometimes goes a bit beige due to basic color mixing principles. A drop or two of food coloring brightens it back up. You can use regular or gel food coloring, or if you want to go more natural, use some dehydrated strawberry or raspberry powder.
How to make all natural red and pink food coloring
- you’ll need freeze-dried strawberries or raspberries. Look for them in natural food stores, Trader Joe’s, or online.
- you’ll also need a coffee or spice grinder. Be sure your grinder is clean and free of other flavors. Grinding uncooked rice will clean and freshen your machine.
- Grind the dehydrated berries until they become a fine powder.
- Use as much as needed to get your desired color.
more rhubarb recipes!
I got caught up in rhubarb mania this season here at tvfgi, so there’s lots more inspiration for your rhubarb haul, whether you have a backyard patch, or source it from your local supermarket…
- Rhubarb Vanilla Bean Jelly
- Norwegian Rhubarb and Almond Cake
- Rhubarb Scones
- Rhubarb Shortcake
- Rhubarb Shortbread Crumble Tart
- Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Pie
rhubarb curd variations
- Mix an equal amount strawberries with your rhubarb. You can also add other fruit like raspberries.
- Add some grated fresh ginger into the rhubarb curd for a spicy and aromatic twist.
- Add a citrusy touch to your rhubarb curd by incorporating orange zest and juice.
- Sprinkle in some ground cardamom during the cooking process or blend it in while preparing the curd.
- Infuse the curd with aromatic vanilla by adding vanilla extract or scraping the seeds from a vanilla bean into the mixture.
Rhubarb Curd
Ingredients
- 13 ounces fresh trimmed rhubarb, cut in 1 inch pieces
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- juice of 1 lemon
- 4 large eggs, well whisked
- 2 Tbsp room temperature unsalted butter
- 1 or 2 drops pink food coloring
Instructions
- Put the rhubarb and water in a high speed blender like a Vitamix, or a food processor and process until very smooth.
- Press the puree through a fine mesh sieve so the rhubarb juice comes through, leaving the solids. Use the back of a spoon to as much through as you can. You’ll need 1 cup of juice.
- Put the juice into a saucepan and stir in the sugar and lemon juice. Add the whisked eggs and whisk everything together well.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring or whisking constantly, over medium to medium high heat. You can add a few drops of food coloring at this point if you need it.
- Once the mixture comes to a boil it should be slightly thickened and should coat the back of a spoon (it will thicken more as it chills.) Remove from the heat and add the butter, a bit at a time, whisking in to melt each piece before adding the next.
- Pour the curd through a mesh strainer to remove any bits of cook egg, then fill your jars. Let cool to room temperature before covering and refrigerating overnight.
- Use the curd within 2 weeks.
Nutrition
I don’t have a scale. About haw many cups of rhubarb?
This is definitely delicious but mine has not thickened enough. It’s about the consistency of liquid honey. Thinking it through juice of 1 lemon is so variable. My lemon was a nice fat juicy one which yielded about 50 ml. Perhaps too much? Or maybe just use the egg yolks and not the whole eggs?
The taste is good, but mine also didn’t thicken (I would also say about the consistency of liquid honey). Any troubleshooting tips?
I just made this and had the same result. Most curds are only made with egg yolks, so I am going to do that next time and watch the lemon juice. The smoothness and flavor are great, so worth a second try 🙂
Just found this recipe and made it today. I apologize as I had to leave out lemon juice as I didn’t have it, but it is really good even without it. Something different to do with rhubarb. I transplanted my patch from my grandmother’s house many years ago.
Glad you enjoyed this Shannon, and I love that you’ve got your grandmother’s rhubarb, that’s so great!
This is absolutely delicious and a great way to use my rhubarb! Mine didn’t really thicken up over night, is it because I didn’t boil it long enough?
Hello. I was wondering if this would do good in between cake layers. My husband loves rhubarb pie and I thought this would be a nice change.
Oh definitely, I think it would be lovely.
Can this be frozen?
Yes, absolutely.
Since this has eggs in it, are you unable to can it for the pantry shelf?
This recipe isn’t formulated for water bath canning, sorry Anna.
I know this isn’t suitable for water bath method but would it work with pressure canning? Or is freezing the only way to preserve this?
You can definitely freeze, but I’m not sure about pressure canning.
There is NOT a tested recipe, water bath or pressure canner for rhubarb curd, so for safety, you’ll have to freeze or refrigerate and enjoy. There is a recipe for lemon curd processed in a water bath canner (national center for home food preservation: nchfp.uga.org) but is only tested for lemon – no substitutions.
With the rhubarb starting to grow here this recipe looks absolutely delicious. However, I don’t have any of the food colouring choices mentioned. What are your thoughts on replacing the water with a beet juice for colouring?
I think it sounds like a good idea, I don’t imagine the flavor would be very affected by such a small amount.
This was an excellent recipe. I used my processor and it worked well. I made it on the fly and used red food coloring as I had no pink on hand. Rather orangy. Will invest in pink in future so it is pretty like your picture. Tastes spectacular. I <3 Rhubarb.
Oh my gosh this looks so silky! I must try this lusciousness 🙂 Thank you for this gorgeous recipe.