Sweet with a light citrus tang, Tangelo curd is a seasonal delight you’ll want to have in your fridge. It makes delicious little dessert tarts, can be dolloped onto or spread over cakes, and is great to add into breakfast parfaits too.
In This Article
What Are Tangelos
Tangelos are a hybrid fruit that are a cross between mandarins or tangerines and pomelos or grapefruit. The variety we have here in Aus is called Minneola, which is a tangerine grapefruit cross.
If you’ve never had one, they taste a lot like a mandarin, an orange, and a ruby grapefruit combined. They’re sweet, with a little tang and they’re incredibly juicy too.
The distinct shape of tangelos – orange like with a knob at the end – makes them easy to spot. They’re easy to peel like mandarins but are heavier due to the volume of juice they contain.
Ingredients Needed For Tangelo Curd
Tangelos are a mid-winter to mid-spring fruit so July to October is when you’ll find them. If they’re out of season or you can’t find them where you are, oranges will work just fine too.
- Egg yolks – Give this curd its thick and rich finish.
- Tangelo juice – Contributes to the curd’s lovely sweetness and that touch of tanginess.
- Tangelo zest – This intensifies the tangelo/citrus flavour and I leave it in rather than strain it out at the end. I don’t find it makes the curd bitter at all.
- Butter or coconut oil – I’ve only used a small amount in comparison to some other curd recipes. This is so the fat doesn’t mask the fruitiness of the tangelo. If you’re using coconut oil, it does change the flavour profile a touch. You get citrus and coconut notes in this kind of curd, but I think it’s equally delicious.
- Honey – This adds plenty of sweetness but is also a perfect match for the tangelo. It helps to make it a very luscious curd.
This tangelo curd, like many fruit curds, has a custard-like consistency, which I prefer chilled. With this in mind, whilst you can eat this as soon as it’s done, I suggest popping it in the fridge for about an hour before using it. This also helps to thicken it up further.
How To Make This Tangelo Curd
I always used to think curds were so difficult to make. They’re really not though. However, you do need to ensure your pan is on a low heat, and that you stir often so the eggs don’t overcook. If you don’t you’ll have bits of scrambled egg all throughout your curd.
- Separate the eggs and put the yolks in a small saucepan (keep the whites to make meringue or an omelette with).
- Whisk the four yolks until they’re just combined.
- Add in the 1/3 cup honey, 60g/2oz butter or coconut oil, as well as the 100ml/3.5 fl oz tangelo juice and 2 teaspoons of zest.
- Turn the heat to low and start to stir everything with a wooden spoon. Keep stirring constantly until the curd thickens and will coat the back of the spoon. This was about 12-15 minutes for me. It may take longer if using coconut oil.
- Allow the curd to cool slightly, pour into jars and put in the fridge to set. This will take about an hour.
- This will make roughly 220ml / just a touch under half a pint.
I love to use this tangelo curd in breakfast parfaits or to dollop on cookies. That being said, it’s great in so many things. Use it as a slice topping, a cake filling, have it with scones… the list goes on.
FAQ
Most citrus curds, including this one, will keep in the fridge for up to one month. It’s quite a small batch so it should be well and truly gone in that time. If you do find you have some left, it can be frozen and defrosted when needed.
They can be used for just about anything. I find this curd a perfect cake filling, I use a little in breakfast parfaits, you can make trifle with it, or use it to stuff some small (or one large) tart shell with. They’re delicious dolloped on scones or cookies too.
More Ideas For Spreads
If you try this recipe, I’d love to know. Leave a comment, rate it, and remember to tag @wholenaturalkitchen in your pics or reels on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok!
Tangelo Curd
Equipment
- 1 Small saucepan
Ingredients
- 4 egg yolks
- 3.5 fl oz tangelo juice, strained (100ml/about 1 large or 2 medium tangelos)
- 2 tsp tangelo zest (about one tangelo)
- 2 oz butter or coconut oil (60grams – see notes if using coconut oil)
- ⅓ cup honey
Instructions
- Separate the eggs and put the yolks in a small saucepan (keep the whites to make meringues or an omelette with).
- Whisk the yolks until they're just combined.
- Add in the honey, butter or coconut oil, as well as the tangelo juice and zest.
- Place the saucepan over a low heat on the stove and start to stir everything with a wooden spoon.
- Keep stirring constantly until the curd thickens and will coat the back of the spoon. This was about 12-15 minutes for me.
- Remove from the heat, allow the curd to cool slightly, pour into one large or two small jars and put in the fridge to set. This will take about an hour. The recipe yields roughly 200ml curd (a little less than half a pint).
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Gabby Campbell
Gabby is a degree qualified Naturopath/Nutritionist (BHSc Nat) with a love of all whole foods. She started her Naturopathic career in clinical practice before making the move to recipe development and online education – a result of wanting to combat the misinformation that abounds on the internet about food and health. Whole Natural Kitchen aims to transform the way you think about healthy eating by helping you embrace an abundance of nutritious foods while leaving the health fads behind. MORE ABOUT GABBY
I’ve never come across a tangelo before but I love oranges and citrus so this curd sounds delicious.
This works just as well with oranges Beth! But I can recommend trying a tangelo if you ever come across them. They’re so juicy, and have such a lovely flavour.
I have never heard of this fruit before, but it sounds like the perfect combination. Such a great way to use it too.
It’s absolutely delicious Dannii, I can definitely recommend trying it if you come across it.
Love your tangelo curd on my breakfast cereals, or toast. Definitely, a must-have in my fridge!
So glad you’re enjoying it Natalie!
I was looking for a citrusy curd to add to a pavlova for a party this weekend, and this looks sooo good. I may try this recipe using oranges, as it seems tangelos aren’t widely available here in the UK. Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Oranges work perfectly too Ieva! And are equally delicious.
I’ve never seen a tangelo but they look so juicy. I love spreads like this – so delicious on toast, ice cream or in little tarts. Thanks for sharing.
They are super juicy and delicious Amanda! And this curd is definitely perfect for all those suggestions. It’s very versatile.