Lemon Honey (also called Lemon Curd or Lemon Cheese) is New Zealand's most beloved spread — a thick, golden, intensely lemony curd made from lemons, butter, eggs, and sugar, spread on bread, scones, or pikelets. In a country where lemon trees grow in every backyard and dairy is king, it is the simplest, most Kiwi preserve there is.
Lemon Honey (NZ name for what the British call lemon curd and what Americans call lemon cheese) is a staple of NZ home preserving. In NZ, every backyard has a lemon tree (the climate is perfect for citrus), and the abundance of lemons plus the abundance of eggs and butter (NZ is one of the world's biggest dairy producers) makes lemon honey the most natural preserve. It is spread on bread for school lunches, on scones for afternoon tea, and on pikelets. The NZ version is typically more tart than the British (more lemon, less sugar), reflecting the Kiwi preference for bright, clean flavors.
A spoonful of thick, golden, glossy curd that tastes of pure, bright, sunny lemon — sweet, intensely tart, rich with butter and egg. Spread it on hot toast; it melts slightly. Or eat it straight from the jar. It is sunshine in a jar.
Lemon honey is a cooked curd: lemon juice, zest, sugar, butter, and eggs are heated gently in a double boiler, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens (to coating consistency, about 80°C). The eggs set (thickening the curd) and the butter emulsifies (giving it gloss and richness). The mixture must not boil (the eggs scramble). It is poured into sterilized jars and keeps for weeks in the fridge.
Variations
Some use more or less sugar; some add passionfruit; some use orange instead of lemon; the consistency varies.
On the Palate
Where Lemon Honey sits in the New Zealand flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 8How it's made
8 steps · 15 min active + 15 min waiting
- 15 min
Grate the zest of 3 lemons; juice them (about 150 ml juice).
- 23 min
In a double boiler (or a bowl over a pot of simmering water), combine the zest, juice, 200 g sugar, 100 g butter, and 3 eggs.
- 315 min
Whisk constantly over gentle heat for 10-15 minutes, until the mixture thickly coats the back of a spoon (about 80°C).
Watch outWhisk without stopping over gentle heat until the curd thickly coats the spoon — the moment it steams and thickens it's near 80°C and done.
- 41 min
Do NOT let it boil (the eggs will scramble).
Watch outNever let it come to a boil — the eggs will scramble into lumps and the smooth curd is ruined.
- 53 min
Pour into sterilized jars.
- 615 min
Cool; seal; refrigerate.
- 71 min
Keeps for 3-4 weeks.
- 81 min
Spread on toast, scones, or pikelets.
