The Simple Way Martha Stewart Prevents Lemon Curd From Forming An Outer Skin

Inspirational culinary entrepreneur Martha Stewart has authored nearly 100 cookbooks, produced numerous videos, and even launched a few magazines. Her kitchen wisdom has improved the cooking skills of many, as she never fails to share cooking tips with her audience, whether it's a straightforward recipe or advice on being a gracious guest. So when Martha offered her insights on making the best, delectable lemon curd In a Martha Bakes video, we took notes. Her recommendation is to press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the still-warm curd while chilling, ensuring it touches the surface to prevent the formation of skin.

When skin forms on cooked puddings, custards, and curds, it ruins the glossy, smooth texture that we expect, creating lumps and granules. Preventing the skin from forming is an important step to get the best result from your recipe, and easy to do with Martha's plastic wrap hack.

Lemon curd is a simple blend of lemon juice, eggs, sugar, and butter. During the cooking process, acidic lemon juice causes the egg proteins to bind together more closely, and heat evaporates some of the water, transforming the ingredients into the rich, lemony delight we love. Then, as the curd cools, further evaporation causes the surface to naturally develop a thin, protective layer on top. Simply pressing plastic wrap directly onto the surface prevents the problem, and also protects your curd from any off flavors it might be exposed to in the refrigerator.

Lemon curd should be lustrous and silky, with no lumps from overcooked eggs or tough skin that's been stirred in. Once you've mastered the cooking technique, you'll be richly rewarded with the lemony custard that makes the best tart and cake filling, cookies, or even a surprisingly delicious roasted chicken rub. As always, we love a good tip from Martha!