Here is everything you need to know about freezing lemon curd. Learn how well it freezes, how to process it, and how to thaw and use it.

Too much lemon curd on hand and thinking of freezing it? Can you freeze lemon curd?

That’s the 3 sentence version of the answer if you’re in a hurry.

Now, there’s (obviously) more. Here’s what we cover next:

• how well lemon curd freezes
• freeze lemon curd step by step
• thaw spread
• using lemon curd

Interested, keep reading

Does lemon curd freeze well?

Lemon curd freezes perfectly well with no side effects. That’s why all the recipes suggest freezing as the easiest method to preserve lemon paste.

And since homemade lemon curd only keeps for a week or so, it’s super helpful to have an easy way to preserve leftovers.

Related: How long does lemon curd last?

Now, there’s one thing about the process you need to know: lemon curd doesn’t exactly freeze solid. Instead, it ends up pretty firm, but if you freeze it in a container (like a silicone muffin pan), it doesn’t come out clean and is still sticky.

(It doesn’t stay liquid like frozen condensed milk does, but it’s not as firm as an ice cube.)

That’s important if you’re considering pre-freezing the desert and then freezing all the servings in a single freezer bag. If the portions are squeezed together in the bag, they will probably freeze together and the results of the previous freezing will be gone.

Because of that, I recommend freezing the lemon curd in small portions and storing each in a separate freezer bag. In this way, they cannot merge again.

Oh, and how sticky or solid your frozen lemon curd is depends on the recipe. All the more reason to follow the approach I suggest.

With that being said, it’s time to cover the freezing process.

How to Freeze Lemon Curd

This is how you freeze lemon curd:

1. Decide portions. If you only use a small amount of lemon curd at a time, you’ll probably want to divide yours into several parts. In this way, you can defrost exactly what you need for a dish or a meal. But, knowing that thawed lemon curd lasts for a couple of days, you can opt for larger portions that will last 4-5 days.
2. Portions in separate containers. Place each part of your lemon curd into a freezer-safe glass container, bag, or jar. If you are using a bag, squeeze out the extra air. For containers and jars, leave a little free space.
3. Freeze. Label each serving with the name and date if you like, and put them all in the freezer.

That’s all. Quick and easy, right?

How long can lemon curd be frozen?

Use your frozen lemon curd within 3 to 6 months for the best quality.

While the National Center for Home Food Preservation says you can freeze lemon curd for up to a year with no significant change in quality, I suggest limiting that period to about half a year.

Of course, nothing that bad will happen to the desert, even if it stays frozen for a few months longer than I recommend.

Pre-freeze and store portions together

As you can see in my photos, I pre-frozen the lemon curd in silicone muffin cups and transferred the frozen portions into a single freezer bag.

That approach works, but you have to make sure that the portions in the bag only touch slightly (the sticky surface is small). This way they’ll freeze together, but you’ll still be able to pull them apart easily (that’s what I did).

If you toss the chunks haphazardly into a bag, they’ll probably freeze together and end up in one big chunk. Which is the opposite of what you want.

That said, lemon curd usually doesn’t freeze, so you may be able to scoop a bit out with a spoon or cut off a piece with a knife. It will be a bit slow and frustrating, but doable.

In general, freezing each serving in a separate bag or container is the best option.

How to defrost lemon curd

Thaw the lemon curd overnight in the refrigerator. If you are thawing a large portion, start early, allowing up to 24 hours of refrigeration to ensure it is fully thawed. Once thawed, give it a good stir and it is ready to use.

Thawed lemon curd can keep in the refrigerator for at least a few days. So even if you have some leftovers after using it, you can probably use it one way or another.

Here is my lemon curd before defrosting:

And here’s the same serving after thawing in the fridge overnight:

How to use thawed lemon curd

Use thawed lemon curd the same way you would use fresh lemon curd. Freezing doesn’t affect the quality of the spread, so just because you frozen yours doesn’t limit how you can use it.

If you’re looking for ways to use lemon curd, here are some examples:

• cover your muffins, pancakes, buns and the like
• use as a filling in cupcakes (here is the recipe I used), cakes, crepes, etc.
• Sweeten dairy products like yogurt or cottage cheese
• ice cream scoop
• fold in whipped cream
• Make lemon bars (if you have leftovers)

If you need even more ideas on using frozen lemon curd, google a phrase like “uses for lemon curd.” You will find dozens of options.