Pressure Cooker (Instant Pot) Lemon Curd Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Can you use an instant pot as a pressure cooker? ›

The main cooking function on every Instant Pot is pressure cooking. You can customize the pressure level and cooking time depending on what you're cooking, or press buttons with cooking settings specific to certain foods, like poultry, multigrain, rice, bean/chili and more.

Your lemon curd could get chunky and grainy if you let it overcook. One thing you should remember while making lemon curd is that you should never let it reach a point where it starts boiling. The ideal temperature for lemon curd is 170 degrees Fahrenheit, and it shouldn't cross that.

If your lemon curd hasn't thickened, it may not have been heated enough. It can take up to 30 minutes of constant stirring to cook lemon curd, especially if it's a large batch. Remember that curd will thicken more once cooled. If your cooled curd is not thick enough, you can reheat it to thicken.

Lemon curd and lemon pie filling are very similar, but are different in texture. Lemon pie filling in typically thickened with cornstarch and usually doesn't contain butter. Whereas, lemon curd does have butter and a lot of lemon juice and zest, which results in a smoother feel and stronger lemon flavor.

Instant Pots are more versatile with multiple cooking functions, but traditional pressure cookers are simpler and usually more durable.

But an instant pot is more than just a glorified pressure cooker. You can do so much in these pots, and they save can you so much time. Here are the top four reasons why you need to add an instant pot to your cooking arsenal.

For a dairy-free lemon curd, you can even leave the butter out entirely. A dairy-free curd will be really thick, a little gloopy, and have a matte finish rather than a velvety sheen. But it still tastes great, and it is certainly better than going without if you don't do dairy.

Although lemon curd uses egg yolks and/or egg whites, the final product shouldn't taste eggy. If it does, it may mean that you've overcooked your eggs. In saying that, traditional lemon curd does have a distinct after taste which doesn't sit well with some.

I cook mine for about 2 minutes because I like thick lemon curd. Test the thickness by dipping the back of a spoon into your lemon curd and drag your finger across it. If it holds the shape without dripping off too quickly, it's done!

A metallic aftertaste is usually the consequence of the lemon curd coming into contact with a metal (especially while it's hot). This could be a metal whisk, a metal bowl, a metal (or metal-coated) saucepan, or a metal sieve.

How do you stiffen lemon curd? ›

Add a cornstarch slurry: First, ensure your curd is cooked to 170 degrees F and if it still hasn't thickened, whisk 1 teaspoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water until the cornstarch is completely dissolved.

Either the mixture wasn't constantly stirred and the egg yolks got cooked on the bottom of the pot. Or, the entire mixture was cooked too much and reached close to the boiling point. You can try to strain it out, but it might have an eggy aftertaste. My lemon curd is too sour.

Alternatively, heat the curd until it's warm to the touch, then remove from the heat and whisk in another few tablespoons of butter. The butter will solidify as it cools, thickening the curd further.

So What is Lemon Curd or Lemon Cheese? Lemon curd (or cheese) is a traditionally British filling for cakes and pastries and a topping or filling for pies. It is also served in sandwiches or scones for afternoon tea as an alternative to jam (although lemon curd is not a preserve as it doesn't have a long shelf-life).

Shelf Life: Prepared lemon curd can be frozen for up to 1 year without quality changes when thawed. To thaw, place container in a refrigerator at 40°F or lower for 24 hours before intended use. After thawing, consume within 4 weeks.

But the other key difference between an Instant Pot and a pressure cooker is that the Instant Pot isn't just a a pressure cooker. It's a multi-cooker. It has programmes to sauté, to make rice, to make yogurt… it's a one-pot cooking system that saves time and also means less washing up.

Canning with pressure cookers and canners

I know that the Instant Pot Max has a button for canning, however, the research done by the National Center for Home Food Preservation found that it is not safe for canning because the temperature fluctuates during processing.

Select the "Manual" or "Pressure Cook" button (the name will vary depending on the model of your machine, but they do the same thing) then use the + or - buttons to set the cooking time. The Instant Pot automatically cooks on high pressure unless you manually change it or use one of the preset buttons.