Mandarin Curd | Mandarins.com.au

Mandarin curd is one of the best things to make with winter fruit. It takes about 20 minutes, uses a handful of ingredients, and keeps in the fridge for two weeks. The flavour is brighter and more aromatic than lemon curd, with a natural sweetness that needs less added sugar.

Make it from May to August, when Australian mandarins are at peak juice and fragrance. Use it on toast, on pavlova, folded through whipped cream for an Eton mess, or spooned into pre-made tart shells for a quick dessert.

Quick guide

Four mandarin curd styles worth knowing:

Classic mandarin curd: the standard stovetop version, butter and eggs, strained smooth
Brown butter mandarin curd: nuttier, deeper flavour, suits darker winter desserts
Vegan or dairy-free mandarin curd: made with coconut oil and cornflour, no eggs
Honey mandarin curd: sweetened with honey rather than caster sugar, lighter in colour

Best mandarin variety for curd

Afourer is the ideal variety for curd: seedless, highly aromatic, and produces juice with a strong citrus character that comes through even after cooking. Honey Murcott also works well and gives a deeper, sweeter curd. Avoid varieties with many seeds, or strain the juice before using.

Imperial is the most available variety from May, and it produces a clean, bright curd without the extra sweetness of Honey Murcott. Good for tartlets and layer cakes where you want the flavour to be present but not dominant.

You need approximately 150ml of mandarin juice for a standard batch of curd. That is roughly 4 to 6 mandarins depending on size and variety. Juice more than you think you need; mandarin yield varies.

Classic mandarin curd

The method used by Delite Citrus and taste.com.au: whisk mandarin juice, zest, sugar, and eggs together in a heatproof bowl. Place over a saucepan of gently simmering water, making sure the bowl does not touch the water. Add chopped butter in pieces and stir continuously until the mixture thickens to a custard-like consistency. This takes 10 to 15 minutes over medium-low heat.

Strain through a fine sieve for a smooth, lump-free curd. Pour into sterilised jars and refrigerate. Keeps for up to two weeks.

An alternative hot-pan method from Delite Mandarins cooks the juice and zest in a stainless steel pot over medium heat until it thickens and becomes translucent, then removes from heat before adding the eggs, whisking quickly. The double-boiler method is more forgiving for beginners.

Key ingredients: mandarin juice and zest, eggs, caster sugar, butter, pinch of salt.

Uses: pavlova filling, tart filling, Eton mess, toast, spooned into Greek yoghurt, layered in sponge cakes.

Brown butter mandarin curd

The same technique as classic curd, with one change: brown the butter first in a small pan until it smells nutty and turns a light golden colour, then allow it to cool before adding to the curd mixture. The browned butter adds a caramelised depth that complements the mandarin’s floral notes.

This version suits serving alongside darker desserts: chocolate cake, walnut tart, or a winter steamed pudding with mandarin cream. It is slightly less suitable for a fresh pavlova, where the classic version reads cleaner.

Key ingredients: mandarin juice and zest, eggs, caster sugar, browned butter.

Vegan mandarin curd

For a dairy-free and egg-free version, use cornflour as the thickening agent and refined coconut oil in place of butter. Cook mandarin juice, sugar, and cornflour (dissolved in a little cold water first) in a saucepan over medium heat, whisking continuously until thick and glossy. Remove from heat and whisk in coconut oil.

The texture is slightly different from a butter curd: firmer when cold, lighter when at room temperature. The flavour is still distinctly mandarin, though the background richness of eggs and dairy is absent.

This version is suitable for most of the same uses as classic curd, and it sets well in tart shells. Keep refrigerated and use within one week.

Key ingredients: mandarin juice and zest, sugar, cornflour, coconut oil.

Honey mandarin curd

Substitute half or all of the caster sugar with a mild-flavoured honey: a light orange blossom honey works well and adds a complementary floral note. Use the same double-boiler method as classic curd.

The honey slightly changes the texture, making the curd a little softer when cold. Adjust lemon juice to taste if the honey is very sweet.

The Witches Kitchen blog uses 1 cup of mandarin juice and pulp (about 5 small mandarins), 2 tablespoons of butter, 3 eggs, and 2 tablespoons of sugar as a small everyday batch. This is the version for a quick breakfast curd made on a winter morning, spread on toasted sourdough.

Good for: morning toast, crepes, layered through yoghurt for a quick dessert.

Key ingredients: mandarin juice and zest, honey, eggs, butter.

What to do with the peel

After juicing mandarins for curd, keep the peel. It can be candied or dried for use in baking. See candied mandarin peel for methods.

When to make mandarin curd

Mandarins are in season from May through August. Afourer is available from late April and gives the best juice for curd. Honey Murcott peaks from July. See when Australian mandarins are in season for the full variety calendar.