Strawberry Curd Recipe: How to Make Strawberry Fruit Curds

Strawberry curd is a thick, creamy, sweet, and fruity mixture of strawberry purée, granulated sugar, eggs, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Lemon curd is a common curd and thickens naturally due to the acidity in the lemon juice, but other types of fruit curds (for example, those from strawberries, blueberries, or other non-citrus fruits) use cornstarch in addition to lemon juice to help thicken the curd.

For strawberry curd, you can use fresh strawberries or frozen strawberries (but thaw the frozen strawberries completely before starting a strawberry curd recipe) if it’s not currently strawberry season in your area. Frozen strawberries will potentially have even more strawberry flavor than fresh berries.

Strawberry curd can add flavor to a variety of desserts and breakfast foods. Here are several ways you can use homemade strawberry curd:

1. 1. Cakes and cupcakes: Use strawberry curd as a frosting or cake filling for layer cakes and even cupcakes. Hollow out the middle of a cupcake and fill it with strawberry curd before frosting it. For a layer cake, pipe a border of buttercream frosting around the top of the cake layer, then fill in the center with strawberry curd. Alternatively, mix the strawberry curd right into the cake batter for a strawberry cake.
2. 2. Cheesecake: It’s common to serve cheesecake with a strawberry sauce on top. For an alternative, use strawberry curd as a topping. Alternatively, mix the strawberry curd right into the cheesecake batter, or swirl it into the batter before you put the pan in the oven.
3. 3. Ice cream: Swirl strawberry curd into an ice cream base before freezing it, or top a scoop of ice cream with strawberry curd before you enjoy it.
4. 4. Meringue: Mix strawberry curd into meringue for a sweet, tart flavor. Bake the meringue to make pavlova, mix in almond flour to make macaron sandwich cookie filling, or add butter and whip the meringue with a stand mixer to make a meringue buttercream.
5. 5. Scones: Clotted cream and lemon curd are popular toppings for scones. Instead of using lemon curd, use strawberry curd. You can even flavor the scones to complement the strawberry curd by adding lemon zest, orange zest, or even freeze-dried strawberries to the batter.
6. 6. Strawberry shortcake: To boost the strawberry flavor of a strawberry shortcake, add a layer of strawberry curd to the bottom of the vanilla sponge cake before you top it with the macerated strawberries and whipped cream.

To store strawberry curd in the refrigerator, place it in an airtight container, such as a glass jar with a lid. To prevent a skin from forming on the surface of the curd, press a small piece of plastic wrap right on top of the curd before securing the lid. Strawberry curd lasts up to four weeks in the refrigerator. To freeze strawberry curd, spoon small amounts into an ice cube tray and freeze it until the cubes are solid. Then transfer the cubes to a resealable plastic freezer bag to prevent freezer burn. You can store strawberry curd in the freezer for up to one year.