One of my favorite blasts from the past is lemon curd….it is great as a pie filling, in lemon bars, on toast…on a spoon. haha I was craving lemon curd so much that I could almost taste it. You’ve been there right? Lemon curd is a very rich, very decadent dessert. It has the perfect mix of sweet and tart, with a nice thick buttery mouth feel. It is typically very easy and quick to make. If you love lemons, you will adore this Vegan Lemon Curd Canning Recipe!
But I had a problem, we can’t eat lemon curd, since we stopped eating animal and animal derived products some five years ago. Lemon Curd typically has cream, eggs, and / or butter. I searched the internet and could not find a single recipe that seemed viable, much less one that would hold up to the rigors of water bath canning without significant color, taste, or texture change. YUCK!
Vegan Lemon Curd Canning Recipe Problem Solving
So, I started problem solving the various things that I needed to make a good lemon curd, but do it in a more healthy way. Egg yolks contribute a protein to help with saponification with the acid from the lemons just as it does with mayonnaise, and it lends a beautiful yellow lemony color. Basically, the yolks combined with the acid and fat from the butter makes for a very creamy consistency. So many of the different thickeners used in vegan cooking can lend a bitter and not so pleasant taste to baking, so, to replace the function of the eggs, I used arrowroot powder, which works beautifully to give that creamy texture. While arrowroot is a bit of a specialty item, most vegan and whole food plant eaters will typically have this ingredient on hand. It’s also readily available in the gluten free aisle in most stores like Walmart, Foodlion, Kroger, etc.
But what about the color? For color I added just a bit of turmeric powder…too much and you have a spiciness that would totally ruin Lemon Curd, and too little and you have a clear or white-ish lemon curd….which would taste just as wonderful, but it would not be so visually appealing.
I recommend using the juice from real lemons, fresh squeezed, for the best flavor, because bottled lemon juice is just missing that je ne sais quoi that comes from fresh squeezed. Trust me, there is a difference in flavor!
Sugar helps with the thickening process, as well as lending the wonderful sweetness to balance the tart lemon flavor. To replace the buttery (fatty) taste and mouth feel, I replaced the butter with coconut milk..make sure the coconut milk does not have fillers and other starches. The only ingredients it should have is coconut and water. Salt adds the final ingredient to the salt, fat, sugar trifecta.
Lemons lend a high acidity to the product, allowing it to be canned simply and easily with a water bath canning method.
Enough of that, let’s get to the recipe!
Vegan Lemon Curd Canning Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups lemon juice fresh squeezed
- 4 cups cane sugar
- 1 1/3 cup arrowroot powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/8 tsp turmeric powder
- 2 – 13.5 oz cans coconut milk (check ingredients-no fillers or other starches)
- 3 lemons zest of Optional
Instructions
Prep
- Zest lemons if you are going to add the zest.
- Juice enough lemons to make 3 cups of juice.
- Wash and Sanitize jars and lids
Making the Lemon Curd
- In a saucepan, combine all the ingredients. You will want to use both of the coconut milk cans including the coconut water that separates.
- Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly, until it has thickened (approximately 10 minutes) Please note when it thickens, it will thicken quickly! It will also thicken a little more after it cools so judge accordingly.
- Ladle Lemon Curd into hot jars, assemble lids and rings, and process in a water bath for 10 minutes.
Have you had any issues with your jars not sealing? Also how long would you say you would keep this on a shelf? I’m new to canning and want to make sure that it stays safe.
Hi Margaret, I have not had any issues with any of them not sealing or losing their seal. Follow safe canning procedures such as making sure you use quality ingredients, sterile jars, good lids, and processing times, etc, and there shouldnt be any problems that you dont face with canning sweets like apple butter. As far as processing goes, it will have the same shelf life as most fruit butters, sauces and preserves. Keep in mind that regular lemon curd has milk and is shelf stable for years. I believe the general rule is a shelf life of about 2 years for those other items. I cannot aee that this product would be any different. Lemon juice (acid) and sugar are both considered safe ingredients for food preservation. On the shelf it will start to discolor in a couple months, IF not kept out of the light which also is typical for most canning. I hope that helps!
As long as you follow safe canning practices it will not go bad. Lemon is very acidic, more so than tomatoes. I have not had any come unsealed or go bad on the shelf.
I forgot to ask, does this taste like coconut?
We cannot taste the coconut in it.
No it doesn’t.
Do you ever put any of the lemon zest in it? Can it still be canned safely if I add zest?
Yes to both questions. I still have some on the shelf from a year ago and it’s still delicious. As with most canned goods, I would definitely keep it out of light because the color will fade. Makes fantastic lemon pies too!
Nevermind! I just saw the option in the ingredients list. I haven’t had coffee yet lol
It’s all good. 😀