Rhubarb Curd is an easy to make recipe that is unbelievably versatile in the kitchen. Spread it on scones, use it as a tart or cake filling or drizzle it over ice cream. Buy rhubarb when it’s in season and freeze it to make curd any time of year.

Sure, you’ve heard of Lemon Curd. But did you know you could make Passionfruit Curd, Raspberry Curd and many other fruit curds?

When I want to make a new fruit curd I usually just adjust the amount of sugar in the recipe based on the sweetness of the fruit.

For this Rhubarb Curd I had to make additional adjustments to the basic recipe.

Because I didn’t want to mask the wonderful and specific flavor of the Rhubarb, I reduced the number of eggs in the recipe and eliminated the butter all together.

Those changes allow the rhubarb flavor to shine, but also mean the curd is fairly runny. For this recipe the gelatin isn’t optional. You need it for the curd to be spreadable.

How to make Rhubarb Curd:

showing a bag of previously frozen rhubarb pieces

Use frozen rhubarb to make juicing the stalks easier. When rhubarb is in season, chop the fresh stalks and freeze to make curd any time of year.

three photos showing how to puree frozen rhubarb to make rhubarb curd

Place the defrosted rhubarb into a food processor.
Process the rhubarb until the fiber begins to break down.
Process for a full 5 minutes until the rhubarb has the texture of applesauce.

three photos showing how to strain rhubarb for juice

Place the pureed rhubarb in a strainer lined with cheesecloth.
Squeeze the juice from the rhubarb.
You will be left with just the dry fiber which can be composted or discarded.

16 oz of frozen rhubarb should yield 1 1/2 cups of rhubarb juice.

three photos showing how to cook rhubarb curd

Stir the rhubarb juice into the eggs and sugar.
Stir continuously to avoid burning.
The curd is ready when it begins to boil.

Tips for making Rhubarb Curd:

Use frozen rhubarb for the best results. Freezing the rhubarb helps break down the cell walls. This makes juicing the rhubarb easier. If you have fresh rhubarb, chop it up and freeze it for several hours before making the curd.
A little lemon juice emphasizes the tart rhubarb flavor.
Compared to my Lemon Curd recipe, this recipe has less sugar, fewer eggs and no butter. Eggs and butterfat would mute the rhubarb tang.
Always combine the sugar with the eggs before adding the rhubarb juice. If you add the juice to eggs without the sugar, the acidity in the fruit will “cook” the eggs.
It’s not necessary to use a double boiler. You can cook the curd directly on the stove as long as you keep the heat on medium-low and stir constantly to avoid burning.
The curd will keep for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator and can be frozen for several months.

I used this beautiful and delicious curd as a filling for a Rhubarb Meringue Tart. Try it!

For inspiration, here are some of my favorite ways to use fruit curds: As a topping for scones, in Lime Layered Cheesecake, Lemon Filled Shortbread, Raspberry Rose Tart, Pink Grapefruit Meringue Tart or Pina Colada Pie.

If you’ve got extra egg yolks, try this Yolks Only Lemon Curd.

Last, but certainly not least, all fruit curds (slightly warmed up), make a great topping for Vanilla Ice Cream.

I am obsessed with the unique flavor of rhubarb. You too? Here are a few more recipes for you to try:

If you love this recipe as much as I do, I’d really appreciate a 5-star review.

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4.63 from 8 reviews

Rhubarb Curd Recipe

By: Eileen Gray

Rhubarb curd is an easy to make recipe that is unbelievably versatile in the kitchen. Use curd as spread on scones, as a tart or cake filling or drizzle it over ice cream. Buy rhubarb when it's in season and freeze it to make curd any time you like. This recipe makes about 3 cups of curd.

Prep Time30

Bake Time10

Total Time40

12 servings

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Ingredients

16 ounces frozen rhubarb (defrosted)
2 ½ teaspoons gelatin powder (1 packet)
10 ounces granulated sugar (1 ¼ cups)
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons lemon juice
¼ teaspoon table salt

Instructions

In a food processor, puree the rhubarb for 4-5 minutes until it looks like applesauce. Strain the rhubarb through cheesecloth to remove the fiber. You should get 1 ½ cups (12 oz, 360ml) juice.
16 ounces frozen rhubarb
Bloom the gelatin in 1/4 cup of the rhubarb juice in a medium size bowl. Set it aside.
2 ½ teaspoons gelatin powder
Thoroughly whisk together the sugar and eggs in a medium saucepan. Add the rhubarb juice, lemon juice and salt.
10 ounces granulated sugar, 3 large eggs, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon table salt
Put a fine mesh sieve over the bowl with the gelatin and keep it near the stove.
Heat the egg/juice mixture over medium low heat, stirring constantly. You must be sure to keep stirring across the entire bottom and corners of the pot so the custard does not have a chance to stick. The mixture will start out opaque with white foam over the surface. As it heats up the curd will thicken and the foam will disappear.
Cook until the curd begins to boil. Immediately remove from the heat and pour through the sieve over the gelatin.
Stir until the gelatin is melted and thoroughly incorporated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and cool a bit before putting in the refrigerator.
Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight to set the gelatin.