Sea Buckthorn Curd is a delicious twist on a classic lemon curd with vibrant color.
Hello, my friends. How have you been? Did you have something fancy and tasty on Valentine’s day?
Today is February, 16th, and I’ve decided this Sea Buckthorn Curd is a perfect recipe for the mid of winter (Well, technically 2/3 of winter). Why? This curd has fabulous and vibrant color. That’s exactly what gloomy and cold February needs.
However, I bet some of you have never tried (or even heard of) sea buckthorns before. Am I right? I am going to briefly introduce it to you then.
- Sea buckthorns and buckthorns are not the same. Indeed, they belong to the different families.
- Sea buckthorn is widely cultivated in some European countries, particularly in Russia and Scandinavia, and some Asian countries. However, over the past few decades crops have been grown in two states of the United States and some of Canada’s provinces
- Although being edible, sea buckthorns don’t have a very pleasant taste until the first frosts which reduce their astringency. Still, berries have a specific, slightly bitter and sharp (and not too sweet), flavor.
- Sea buckthorns are widely used to make medicine, for instance, for treating arthritis, improving blood pressure and lowing cholesterol. Also, it’s a great anti-inflammatory remedy, so if you find sea buckthorn oil, get one as it treats well skin rashes, acne, eczema, and sunburns. It’s even used as supplementary to cancer treatment to reduce illness and limit the toxicity of chemical treatment.
- Sea buckthorns are used to make cosmetic and anti-aging products.
- It’s a supplemental source of vitamins C, A, B, and E, beta-carotene, minerals, amino acids, and fatty acids.
- In culinary, it’s used to make jams, jellies, fruit wines, liquors, and sauces.
Sea Buckthorn Curd
Talking of sauces, I shared this Chicken Salad with Sea Buckthorn Dressing two years ago. And now it’s time for some Sea Buckthorn Curd. As you see, sea buckthorns have a plenty of benefits, so you might consider trying discovering these beautiful (yet a bit unusually tasting) berries.
If you decide to give this Sea Buckthorn Curd a try, there are two things to remember:
- Berries are tart on its own, so there’s no need to add acidity. However, I still recommend adding just a few drops of fresh juice to accentuate the flavors.
- Since berries don’t have a pulp as citrus fruit do, the curd won’t be as thick as normally.
- You might need more sugar – trust your taste buds.
Good luck! Let me know if you’ve tried this.
Notes
If you're using bottled juice, you might need to adjust the amount of sugar (not less than 2/3 cup) or add more of lemon juice.
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Ingredients
- about 1 cup of sea buckthorn juice (or about 3 cups of frozen berries) * see notes
- 1-2 tbsp of lemon juice (optional)
- 4 eggs
- 125 gr butter
- 2/3 cup sugar (or up to 1 cup, to your taste)
Instructions
- If you don't have the juice, you will need to make some. Place the berries (unfrozen) in a medium saucepan with about 1/2 cup of water over medium heat. Get it boiling then reduce heat and let simmer for a few minutes. Off heat and cool a little.
- Process the berries (with the liquid) in the blender. Strain through a mesh sieve and discard the seeds. You should have about one cup of the juice. Don't take all if you have more or increase the amount of the other ingredients.
- In a medium, heavy bottomed saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the juice, sugar, and eggs.
- Cook at medium heat, stirring frequently with a whisk, until thickened, for about 10-12 minutes.
- Cool and then keep refrigerated.
- Enjoy!
Hi – I’m Ben, a blogger, recipe developer, and food photographer. I’m glad you’re here! I hope you will enjoy hundreds of delicious recipes and a pinch of havoc in the kitchen.
really awesome, I know very well about sea buckthorn in the form of juice, jams, capsules but I saw sea buckthorn in the form of curd the first time. great invention.
Ben, I remember when you posted that Chicken Salad with Sea Buckthorn Dressing – I cannot say I’ve seen Sea Buckthorns since your last post two years ago – I don’t know if they are not sold here or if I’m just not looking in the right places…either way, you have one fantastic looking curd here! The color is GORGEOUS! All I need is a spoon…and maybe a bib as I might just slurb this up way too quickly!
I had to google for a picture of Sea Buckthorns Ben as I’d never heard of them before, but on seeing the picture now I recognize them. Thanks for your enlightening details and introduction into them too. I’ve seen
them growing here but I can’t recall seeing them in the shops. Maybe I’ll need to take a trip over there to try them out! What amazing coloured berries they are and definitely something to brighten up this dull time of
the year.
Ben – sea buckthorn is a totally new thing to me! I love learning about new foods and this one sounds like it could be used in many different ways. I imagine it makes an interesting sauce and I like the idea it has a bit of a bitter flavor. This curd indeed is gorgeous – I adore the color. I’m going to have to see if I can find some of these gems around here. thanks for the lesson, and the recipe!
I’ve never heard of sea buckthorn but I’m so intrigued. I don’t know if they’re even something I can find around here but I’m going to try. Their color is so beautiful and I’m dreaming up all kinds of fabulous recipe with them :). Thank you for the intro. Hope you’re having a great weekend, Ben!
So I can’t say that I’ve ever had sea buckthorns. I kinda wish they didn’t have “thorn” in their names…that makes them sound less appetizing. But this curd looks amazing! I agree that the color is perfect for February, and I would gladly dig into this curd for dessert tonight. Wait, did I say tonight? I meant right now! Hope you guys are having a great weekend so far, Ben!
Oh my goodness!! I used to order sea buckthorn on the regular, after I had Lasik surgery and my eyes were so dry. That stuff works miracles! I’ve never seen them in a recipe though – this is so intriguing!!