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marilynfl

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I'm getting ready to make Tangerine Curd and am questioning the need for the cornstarch.

I've only ever made cooked lemon curd made with lemon juice, zest, sugar, butter, and eggs. And it thickened fine cooked to 170 degrees.

Do I need the cornstarch because the tangerine juice is less acidic? Or can I just leave it out and cook it longer like I do with the curd?

I'm looking for the cleanest taste possible, because the flavor of this fruit is great.

Also, Sandi....how important is the "vanilla sugar"? I would have to stop on the way home, buy some vanilla beans and store it in the sugar for a week before I can make the curd. Since I want to make the curd tonight, it appears I might be a tad screwed.

Digging around at GRS, I believe this is "Sue in San Diego's" recipe as posted and highly recommended by Sandi in Hawaii:

Tangerine Curd

1 C Vanilla sugar

4 Tbl cornstarch

6 tsp each tangerine/lemon zest (optional)

2 C tangerine juice

1/2 C lemon juice

12 beaten egg yolks

1 stick butter, cut up.

*Vanilla Sugar: Split a vanilla bean lengthwise. Store in 1 to 2 cups sugar in a covered container about one week. Before using the sugar, discard the bean. (I leave the bean in the container, and refill it with more sugar for the next time....)

In a small saucepan stir the Vanilla Sugar and cornstarch. Stir in tangerine juice and lemon juice. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir one more minute. Stir about half of the hot mixture into the egg yolks. Return all to saucepan, Cook and stir just till mixture begins to bubble. Remove from heat; stir in tangerine and lemon peels and butter just until melted (do not over beat). Pour curd ino a strainer over a container, to remove any cooked egg whites; then cover surface with plastic wrap, so a skin will not form on the curd. Cool, then chill for up to 2 weeks.

 
You'd need a lot of packets to make up 1 cup, and you'd be adding a lot of cornstarch (which

I believe is included in those packets to prevent clumping). Marilyn might be better off using regular white sugar and adding a splash of vanilla extract to the finished curd.

I don't know anything about the interplay of cornstarch and acid, but in this recipe it looks like (1) the cornstarch will interfere with the coagulation of the egg proteins at the bubbling stage, and (2) help set what looks like a lot of juice.

 
I sure didn't look down far enough to see the 1 cup. that would be way too much Oetkers.

 
Hi Marilyn - I'm probably too late, but you could use plain sugar instead of the vanilla sugar...

It's a very subtle flavor, so the curd would still be great without it.

I don't know about omitting the cornstarch - I've always used it. I've also made other curds without any cornstarch, and the texture is probably about the same.

But I've always just made it as written, and haven't felt the need to experiment, since it was so wonderful as it is smileys/smile.gif

If you haven't already made it, add a pinch of salt as well. It's not on my copy of the recipe, but it's one of those things I do unconsciously, and I always forget to notate it on my copies.

Enjoy!

 
Not made yet...flu took me down with a vengence last night. I bought

some vanilla beans and made the sugar today. If I can manage to juice the tangies without falling down, I'm making a small batch today.

 
Tangerine juice and acidity -- you may be right

I just made a simple pudding (cream, butter, and sugar brought to a boil, juice and zest stirred in) with tangerine juice instead of the usual lemon. After chilling, the top half was normal, but the bottom half had separated and was slightly watery. (A quick stir solved the problem.)

I wondered if you might be right that tangerine juice is less acidic -- it won't stabilize the curd as much as lemon juice would. You may want to include the cornstarch after all.

 
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