This Strawberry Rhubarb Curd is sweet and tangy with flavors of the summer. Use it as a sauce or spread, or thicken it to make a dessert filling.
It was not that long ago that I made curd for the first time. It was lemon curd to be exact, and I made it specifically to make this Lemon Meringue Cake. It was delicious, and it was easier than I expected to make it.
Making it made me curious to try making other flavors of curd. While curd is typically made from citrus fruits, it can technically be made from any type of acidic fruit (though it can be harder to thicken if made with fruits that are less acidic than lemon).
Rhubarb is sour, and thus acidic, so I decided to try making rhubarb curd. And since I had some strawberries languishing in the fridge, I decided to throw some of those in too to help give the curd a deeper flavor and brighter color. Thus my recipe for Strawberry Rhubarb Curd was born.
How to make Strawberry Rhubarb Curd:
Making this summery curd starts with cooking down the strawberries and rhubarb. Simply add sliced strawberries and rhubarb to a small saucepan, add a little water, and cook over medium heat until softened.
Blend the fruity mixture until smooth (the easiest way is to use an immersion blender right in the pot, but you can also transfer the mixture to a blender).
Once the fruit mixture is smooth, you can transfer it to a fine-mesh strainer to strain out the majority of the seeds and pulp. Make sure to stir and press the fruit against the sides of the mesh to get all of the fruity liquid out. Note that this process will take quite a long time as it's so thick, but straining is optional if you don't want to deal with this extra step.
Now it's time to make the curd. I like to make mine in a double-boiler to eliminate the chances of your curd burning or curdling. You don't need to buy a double-boiler, you can easily make one by setting a glass or stainless steel bowl over a pot containing a small amount of simmering water.
In the bowl, whisk together the fruit mixture, egg yolks, sugar, and a pinch of salt. Keep whisking the mixture while you're cooking it. Cook until the curd is thickened and it reaches 170°F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove the curd from the heat (carefully and with oven mitts) and stir in the cubed butter until it melts.
Optional Extra Thickening (if you want to use your curd as a filling):
If you plan to use your rhubarb curd as a filling for cake, pie, or tarts, you can thicken it with some cornstarch and water. Note that you can do this thickening immediately after it's done cooking, or after it's cooled. You will simply need to reheat it and stir in a mixture of cornstarch and water. Heat until the curd thickens.
Optional Food Coloring:
The color of this curd without food coloring is kind of a pale, pinky-beige as shown in my photos. If you were envisioning a bright pink curd to fill a beautiful summer tart, I would recommend adding some food coloring to achieve this.
Strawberry Rhubarb Curd Ingredients:
- Sliced rhubarb - use red rhubarb to get more red-colored curd. If you don't grow rhubarb in your yard, try to get some from someone you know who does grow it, or find it at farmer's markets in spring and early summer.
- Sliced strawberries - either frozen or fresh will work here
- Water - use whatever water you normally drink, tap water is fine.
- Large egg yolks - save the whites for another use (like meringue)
- Granulated sugar
- Salt
- Unsalted butter cut into ½" cubes (use a dairy-free butter alternative to make your Strawberry Rhubarb Curd dairy-free)
- Red or pink food coloring - this is optional, but the color of this curd is not very vibrant without it (as shown in my pictures)
- Cornstarch - This is optional and used for additional thickening. If you intend to use this curd as a filling for pies, cakes, tarts, or squares, it does require some optional thickening as it is a little too runny otherwise. No thickening is needed if you plan to use it as a sauce or spread.
Want more rhubarb recipes?
Strawberry Rhubarb Curd Nutrition Notes:
The nutrition information in the recipe below is for 2 Tablespoons of Strawberry Rhubarb Curd.
This recipe is gluten-free as written. To make it dairy-free, simply replace the butter in the recipe with your favorite dairy-free butter alternative.
Strawberry Rhubarb Curd
Equipment
- Immersion blender or blender
- Fine Mesh Strainer (optional)
- Instant-Read Thermometer (optional)
Ingredients
- 3 cups sliced rhubarb
- 1 cup sliced strawberries (frozen or fresh)
- ½ cup water
- 6 large egg yolks (save the whites for another use)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter cut into ½" cubes (use a dairy-free butter alternative to make your Strawberry Rhubarb Curd dairy-free)
- red or pink food coloring (optional)
Optional Thickening
- 1-2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 1-2 Tablespoons water
Instructions
- Add 3 cups sliced rhubarb, 1 cup sliced strawberries, and ½ cup water to a medium saucepan. Cover and cook over medium heat until the rhubarb has mostly broken down and the strawberries have softened, about 10 minutes.
- Blend using an immersion blender (or carefully transfer the mixture to a blender) until smooth. If desired, strain the blended mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove seeds and pulp, stirring and pressing the mixture against the mesh (note: this process will take quite awhile as it strains slowly).
- Prepare a double boiler, or set a glass or stainless steel bowl over a small saucepan. Add about an inch or two of water to the saucepan, ensuring that the water doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
- In the bowl of the double boiler, whisk together the rhubarb mixture, 6 large egg yolks, ¾ cup granulated sugar, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Continue cooking it in the double boiler, whisking constantly to prevent curdling, until it becomes thick enough to coat a spoon, and reaches 170°F, about 12-15 minutes. If it still doesn't thicken, turn up the heat slightly and continue whisking.
- Carefully remove the bowl from the double-boiler (use oven mitts) and stir in the cubed butter until melted. Cover the Strawberry Rhubarb Curd directly with plastic wrap (or transfer to a quart jar) and refrigerate until chilled (about 2 hours). Use the curd as a filling for cakes or pies, serve with yogurt or ice cream, or simply spread it on toast.
Optional Thickening
- If you plan to use this curd as a filling for cakes, tarts, or pies, I recommend adding some extra thickening to it (this is not needed if you plan to use it as a sauce, topping, or spread). You can do this step immediately after adding the butter, or after it's already been chilled.
- Heat the curd in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring almost constantly to prevent scorching. In the meantime, stir 1-2 Tablespoons cornstarch with an equal amount of cold water. When the strawberry rhubarb curd starts to bubble, stir this cornstarch mixture into the curd. Keep cooking until the curd thickens, about 2-3 more minutes. Remove from the heat, and use as desired. (Note that the curd will thicken even more as it cools).
Nutrition
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