Loose curd! How can I fix it?
Hello! I made Pierre Hermé's lemon cream (also featured in Genius Desserts!): https://www.seriouseats.... I subbed passionfruit juice for lemon juice, which I didn't think would mess things up. But my curd never got thick—it was more pourable than scrape-able by the time I transferred it from the blender to airtight containers to chill. I used a ChefAlarm that I believe is accurate and I hit all of the indicated temperatures. I do still have hope the curd will thicken in the fridge, but if it does not, does anyone have suggestions for the best way to thicken the curd? Try blending again with more butter? Cornstarch? Egg yolks? A combination? Thanks in advance!
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2 Comments
What a bummer when what one thinks is a simple substitution turns into a big change!
Not sure, but I think the cause is the difference (lower) acidity of the passion-fruit juice compared to lemon juice.
See these two articles, one from BBC and one from a self-confessed nerd about an Alton Brown recipe for more info, including citations of the wonderful Harold McGee.
Maybe the refrigeration will help.
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20150930-the-curious-chemistry-of-custard
http://www.appeasingafoodgeek.com/lemon-curd/