When you’ve got a little bit of land, and decide to plant a Lilikoi (aka Passionfruit) vine, your first year’s harvest is incredibly productive. Lilkois  are round yellow almost egg like fruits that beneath it’s foam like and waxy exterior are full of clear orange capsules with big black seeds. Their tangy sweet juice is yummy in savory and sweet dishes alike. Extracting the juice from these pods can be tricky, it’s best to macerate the pulp with either the back of wooden spoon onto a fine sieve, or if you’ve got a rubber blade for your Cuisinart machine, separate the pods from their juice that way. I actually used a flour sifter of all things, and besides being a mess to clean out afterward, worked great for freeing the juice with little effort.

I took a typical recipe for lemon curd and adjusted the sugar for the sweeter lilikoi juice. Labor intensive, but worth it for it’s delicious and luscious flavor, this curd is perfect just on toast, or as a topping to yogurt or ice cream. It also makes a nice topping for my lemon currant scones.  I like my curd a little more on the tart and runny side, so just make sure not to over cook the egg mixture on the stove and watch closely for when it just coats the back of the spoon, or 180 degrees on a candy thermometer. Have fun in the kitchen!

Lilikoi Curd Recipe

6 large egg yolks, lightly beaten

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 freshly harvested lilikoi juice

1/4 lb (1 stick) of unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1 tablespoon grated lime zest (optional)

1) Strain the egg yolks through a sieve into a medium non reactive bowl over low heat.

2) Stir in the sugar and lilikoi juice, and cook stirring constantly with a flat bottomed wooden or silicone spoon, for about 10-12 minutes, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of the spoon.

3) Remove from heat and whisk mixture slightly until cooled. Stir in the butter, a piece at a time, until fully incorporated. Add the zest if you are doing so.

4) While still warm, pour the mixture into sterilized, hot jars, cover tightly and refrigerate until ready to use.