HF’s food historian, Seren Hollins, digs into her rationing cookbooks for inspiration to turn fruit into slightly more wholesome preserves. Like our recipe for parsnip cake this brings out the natural sweetness of the fruit (or veg) to sweeten. Whilst some recipes suggest replacing sugar with stevia this one uses the fruit’s natural sweetness and fruit juice to add the sweetness to the jam.

Seren’s Tip: Pic the very best, ripest fruit you can find as there will be no added sugar to mask any tartness or pep up the end result.

INGREDIENTS

• 1.8kg pears, peeled and cored
• 2 lemons
• 60ml white grape juice
• 3 tsp pectin powder (for jam making)

METHOD

1           Quarter the prepared pears, cut each quarter in half, then place the pieces in a saucepan and cook (covered, with enough water to cover just the bottom of the pan) for 10–12 minutes, until soft.
2           Leave the softened pears to cool, then blend with a food processor, hand blender, or just a good old-fashioned potato masher if nothing else is to hand. Set aside the pear purée.
3           Finely slice 1 of the lemons after removing the pithy core. To do this, cut it in half along the stem line and remove the pithy centre, then turn each lemon half over and slice finely. Place the slices into a small saucepan, cover with water and simmer for 10 minutes.
4           Put the water in which the lemons simmered and the pear purée into a large saucepan, add the squeezed juice of the remaining lemon to the mixture, then bring to the boil over a medium heat. Once boiling, reduce to a gentle simmer, stirring regularly to prevent sticking or burning.
5           Blitz the lemon slices in a food processor and add the lemon pulp to the simmering pears, then stir well.
6           When the pear mixture has a soft, smooth consistency, remove it from the heat and add the white grape juice, stirring well.
7           Bring the pear mixture back to the boil and quickly stir in the pectin powder. Cook the jam, stirring constantly for exactly 1 minute, bring it back to the boil, then remove from the heat.
8           Pour the jam into sterilised jars, wiping the rims clean before sealing the lids.
This jam will keep for 8–10 weeks in the fridge, and is delicious in its own right, but is best spread on thick toast.
 https://homefarmer.co.uk

 

 How to Freeze Eggs

Andrea Chesman, author of Kitchen Know-How shares her advice on how to freeze eggs. Legally an egg can be laid as many as 30 days before it must be packaged. Its’ sell-by date is another 30 days after that. The egg is still considered fresh for another 3 to 5 weeks after that, so there’s no real hurry for getting eggs into the freezer. However, there is such a thing as too many eggs in the finite space of a refrigerator. In that case, freezing is a good option.
See also:

Selling Your Surplus Eggs

How to Pickle Quail Eggs

Why Chickens Lay Coloured Eggs

 

Eggs should be removed from their shells for freezing. They can be kept frozen for up to a year, and they should be thawed in the refrigerator the day before you intend to use them. There are textural changes: the yolks get rather gummy, and it is noticeable in omelets and scrambled eggs. They should be used only in dishes that will be completely cooked and combined with other ingredients, such as in custards and baked goods such as cookies and cakes. Cakes will not rise quite as high with frozen and thawed eggs, but the difference may not be that dramatic.

Whole Eggs

To freeze whole eggs, crack the eggs into a bowl and gently stir to break up the yolk, but do not beat them; you want to avoid incorporating air into the eggs. Egg yolks, gelatinize when frozen, becoming so thick and solid they are impossible to use. To prevent this and maintain the best texture, stir in ½ teaspoon salt per cup of eggs. Label the container with the date and the number of eggs.

Egg Yolks

The problem with egg yolks gelatinizing when freezing is even greater when you freeze yolks alone. To prevent this a much as possible, stir in either ⅛ teaspoon salt or 1½ teaspoons sugar per ¼ cup of egg yolks (about 4 yolks). Label the container with the date and the number of egg yolks and whether salt or sugar was added.

Egg Whites

Raw egg whites do not gelatinize when frozen, so no added salt or sugar is needed. Label the container with the date and the number of egg whites. Once thawed, whites will beat to a better volume if allowed to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

Frozen Eggs – The Maths

You’ll want to freeze eggs in convenient sizes for defrosting relatively small amounts at a time. Some people like to use ice cube trays for freezing the eggs, then transfer the eggs into freezer bags. (if you use plastic ice cube trays, be scrupulous about removing any egg residue before reusing the ice cube trays for ice!)

1 whole egg = 2 cubes

2 egg yolks = 1 cube

1 egg white = 1 cube

2 cubes = ¼ cup

4 cubes = ½ cup

6 cubes = ¾ cup

8 cubes = 1 cup

1 tablespoon thawed egg yolk = 1 large fresh egg yolk

2 tablespoons thawed egg white = 1 large fresh egg white

3 tablespoons thawed whole egg = 1 large fresh egg

Fresh vs Older Eggs

Fresh eggs generally taste better than older eggs, but there are two instances where older eggs are more desirable than fresh eggs:

• When you are beating egg whites separately – to make meringues and mousses, for example, or to lighten a batter – the whites will achieve a greater volume if they are slightly older.
• When you are hear-boiling eggs, the older eggs will release their shells and peel more readily than fresher eggs.

This useful egg wisdom was from Kitchen Know-How by Andrea Chesman, published by Storey as part of their The Backyard Homestead range. Packed full of information and little gems of advice and myriad tips for the homesteader/home farmer and smallholder this is an extremely comprehensive guide giving plenty of ideas for making the most out of everything you grow and raise.
The book is split into 3 chunky sections: Getting the Most from Fresh Food, Food Preservation and Homestead cooking and is great for dipping in and dipping out for advice as well as ‘I didn’t know that’ nuggets making it a worth while read indeed.
www.homefarmer.co.uk

https://poultrykeeper.com

Soft, Thin or Missing Egg Shells

Tim Daniels 1st December 2009 Egg Problems

Soft or missing egg shells (sometimes called shell-less eggs) are quite common in older birds, especially high production hybrids / good layers, especially as they come into or out of lay for the season. A ‘soft shelled egg’ is one that has a membrane but no shell.

This short clip shows you the difference between a thin egg-shell and a soft egg without a shell, just the membrane:
Back garden chicken-keepers are often concerned when they find a soft-shelled egg so this article aims to provide information about the causes of these strange eggs.

Some causes of soft-shelled eggs

Here are some of the reasons chickens lay shell-less or thin shelled eggs. I don’t think this list covers every situation but should cover the majority of cases.

1. In good layers

Good layers are the usual candidates for soft / shell-less eggs. For example hybrid hens have been selectively bred to lay hundreds of eggs (it’s not uncommon for the commercial ‘brown hens’ we see to lay 320 or more in a year) and I believe they are just producing eggs faster than they can shell them. The normal ‘shelling process’ usually takes around 24 hours and I have had hens produce a perfect egg followed by a shell-less egg in less than 12 hours.
In pullets (female chickens under a year old), sometimes an egg stays in the shell gland for too long and is often covered in excess calcium (see calcium coated shells), then the egg that follows doesn’t spend long enough in the shell gland. Again, the two eggs are laid closely together on the same day.
Having kept hybrids alongside pure breeds for many years, I’ve seen far more instances of shell-less eggs with the hybrids. Maybe we’ve pushed mother nature to the limit in our quest for more eggs?

2. Hot days

Thin egg shells or shell-less eggs can occur more frequently on hot days. This is associated with a lower food intake and shell thickness / shell will return to normal when the temperature drops again and your chicken’s food intake returns to normal. There have been some mentions of this in commercial farming where they see lower intakes of food on hot days and lower shell quality.

3. Insufficient shell-forming material

This is the most obvious, but I have only listed it as number 3 because most of us these days are feeding our birds with a modern balanced feed and our hens have some access to free range and grit. Poor shells however can occur if hens aren’t supplied with sufficient shell forming material (mainly calcium). Chickens get calcium from soluble grit often called Oyster shell grit (shown right) and this should be supplied either on its own or as ‘mixed grit’ which includes flint grit for digestion too.
Another big source of calcium in a hens diet comes from their food. If you look at the ingredients on the back of layers pellets, you will see there is far more calcium than other feeds such as growers pellets. Fresh greens also provide hens with a source of calcium.

4. Old age

Some birds can lay more soft egg shells as they age. Again, this is particularly true of hybrid breeds that have been optimised to give as many eggs as possible during their first year such as the Bovan Goldline often found on commercial farms. Once these birds reach 4 or 5 years old, you may find they start to lay eggs with soft shells. If you are keeping ex-batts then our section of Rehoming Ex-Battery Hens has a number of articles, specifically for ex-battery hens and their needs.

5. Insufficient protein in the diet

Chickens need the correct level of protein in their diet as well as minerals and various other vitamins. Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol) for example is used for the metabolism of calcium and phosphorus so that they are able to form egg shells as well as strong bones. Vitamin D is found in Cod Liver Oil but they shouldn’t normally need this if they are fed the correct formulated layers feed, are free range and have sunshine on their backs.

6. Overweight hens

Chickens that are over weight can stop producing eggs altogether or produce lower quality eggs, sometimes with missing shells. Take a look at the breast of your birds, when the feathers are parted, you should see the skin is thin (almost like tracing paper) where the breast bone protrudes forward. If there is a thick skin, or you can’t see the breast bone clearly, the chances are your birds are carrying too much fat.

Caution: Mixed Corn and kitchen scraps
Mixed corn or ‘scratch’ as it’s sometimes called is made up mainly of wheat with a little cracked maize (yellow in colour). Wheat typically contains 10% protein which isn’t a sufficient amount for a laying hen. Maize is very fattening and hens carrying fat internally are more prone to laying problems such as prolapse and lay more shell-less eggs.Keep corn as a treat only. A handful per day per bird is sufficient.

You can check to see that you are feeding your chickens correctly on this page: Feeding Chickens. I only give my hens an extra handful of mixed corn on cold winter days – they can use the extra fat to keep warm.
Feeding household / kitchen scraps is technically no longer allowed by DEFRA but if you feed ‘allotment scraps’ (where scraps have not gone into the house / kitchen), they can be a bit of a mixed bag of what a hen needs in her diet. Whilst this is a way to save on feed costs, as a general rule, scraps shouldn’t exceed 25% of a hen’s diet. Allotment scraps should ideally be boiled and then mixed with layers mash to make a crumbly mixture so the hen is getting  a more balanced diet from the layers feed but since you’re not allowed to even pass through the kitchen with these scraps, it makes boiling them tricky!
The best way to ensure a hen is getting the correct diet is to use a balanced layers feed and then supplement this with greens and some free range for a hen to top up with other things she needs during the peak months of egg production.
If hens can be allowed to free range on grass or rough ground then this is much better than any vitamin drink or supplement. They will be able to pick up a lot of the extra grit, vitamins and minerals they need and be a lot less prone to health problems as well as soft-shelled eggs.

A soft, shell-less egg, laid by one of my hybrid hens.

Other reasons for soft-shelled eggs

If the above doesn’t seem to be the cause in your case or soft-shelled eggs are being laid regularly, then there could be a number of other reasons:

• Inflamation of the oviduct (and there isn’t anything that can be done about this as far as I know).
• Calcium absorption problems (if the diet is correct and oyster shell grit is provided ad-lib then there is sufficient calcium available but it cannot be absorbed correctly by the hen).
• Stress. The problem usually goes away once the cause of stress is removed. Keep an eye out for bullying / feather picking, especially if it is occurring around the nest boxes and you are finding the soft-shelled eggs outside of the nest boxes. Apple Cider Vinegar is good to help hens with stress.

Soft shelled eggs laid once in a while are nothing to worry about. Hens that are at the start of their laying period, or have come to the end of it, often lay a soft-shelled egg.

 https://poultrykeeper.com/egg-problems/soft-thin-or-missing-egg-shells/

 

By Ben Hardy

Orange Wine Recipe

Ben Hardy, wine blogger, occasional contributor in Home Farmer, prolific wine maker and author of Ben’s Adventures in Wine Making shares his Orange Wine Recipe.
See also:
Tutti-Fruity Christmas Wine
Spiced Beetroot Wine
Dandelion Wine
Strawberry Wine
Crab Apple Wine

Orange wine is one of my favourites. It is a reliable white that is both sharp and crisp. It is often one of my ‘midweek’ wines: something to open when I fancy a glass by itself without wanting to finish the whole bottle. It also works well with food – in particular Chinese or Thai, when the refreshing, slightly bitter taste cuts through the spice. However, be warned, orange wine is not universally popular.

 A double batch will give me twelve bottles, and this means I can space them out, one a month – that is the intention, anyway. The recipe and method below, though, is for a single batch. If you do make it but find that you dislike it, better that you only have six bottles rather than twelve to pour down the sink or give away as presents.

You will need a dozen oranges, and the cheapest place I have found to buy these is Leeds Market, where in the past I have bought ten for a pound. These were small, so, repressing all my Yorkshire miserliness, I splashed out the following year and bought larger oranges at eight for a pound. The total cost for six bottles comes to a staggering £4, give or take a penny or two. Extravagance indeed.

Try and avoid the pith but don’t worry too much about a little bit getting in.

All recipes I have seen for orange wine come with dire warnings about what might happen should you get any pith whatsoever into your mixture. These soothsayers of doom generally predict death and destruction on a global scale. In fact, I find it impossible to wholly avoid pith and a little does not seem to matter. The pith, it is true, is the orange’s most bitter part and this wine does have bitter undertones, but no one throws out their pots of marmalade for the sake of an orange peel taste.
INGREDIENTS
12 oranges
3lb of sugar
61/2 pints of water
A sachet of yeast
1 tsp yeast nutrient
1 tsp pectolase
METHOD
1          Take six of the oranges and peel the zest thinly.
2          Put the zest (with or without a bit of pith) into a bowl and pour over 2 pints of boiling water. Cover the bowl and leave to stand for about a day (exact timing is not important).
3          Squeeze all twelve oranges and put the juice into a sealable bucket.
4          Add the sugar, the remaining water (which can be just cold tap water) and the water that contained the peel (but not the peel itself).
5          Add the yeast and chemicals and stir until the sugar has dissolved. If you added boiling water, you will need to wait until the liquid is no more that 35°C.
6          Store the bucket in a warm place with its lid on and leave for 5–6 days to allow fermentation to calm sufficiently.
7          Sieve the liquid into a demijohn to filter out any pips and other unwanted bits of orange.
8          Leave the demijohn to stand for 2–3 months. The wine should clear to a pleasing yellow colour with a small sediment.
9          Rack the wine into a fresh demijohn and make up any gap with a syrup made from a ratio of 6oz sugar to 1 pint of water – you will probably only need a 1/2 pint of water and 3oz of sugar.
If making in March the wine will be ready for bottling in September, but you can leave it as long as you want before doing this after you have racked it.  You should be able to drink it 12 months after step 1-6
Click here to keep up with Ben’s wine making adventures.
Click here to buy Ben’s Adventures in Wine Making

 https://homefarmer.co.uk/

 

Lemon Ketchup By Ruth Tott

 

Food historian Seren Hollins makes a special lemon ketchup – or catsup as it was actually should be called. This sauce is great for stir-frys, to drizzle over new potatoes or indeed to add a bit of zest to a standard salad. Naturally it is fantastic with fish and seafood – infact it is perfect, absolutely perfect, with fish and chips making it an alternative to tomato ketchup or even mayonaise. This is a great alternative to Lemon Curd if you’ve ‘bagged’ a lot of lemons that need using up.
It not only tastes great but it’s simple to make as well!

Ingredients

• 12 large unwaxed lemons, grated rind and juice
• 2 pints white wine vinegar
• 4 tbsp mustard seeds (yellow)
• 1 tbsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp white pepper
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 2 tbsp white granulated sugar
• 1 finely minced shallot or small onion
• 2 tbsp salt
• Dash of cayenne pepper

Method

Mix together  all the above ingredients in a mixing basin, cover and allow  to stand in a cool place for 3 hours.
Place the ingredients into a heavy based saucepan and bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Pour into a sterilised jar(s) I use the swing top/clamp down Kilner style jar, cover tightly and allow to stand for 2 weeks, stirring every day. After two weeks decant into sterilised jars and seal.

 https://homefarmer.co.uk/

 

 

 

 

 

By Ruth Tott

Keeping Ducks

Whilst keeping chickens in the garden is popular once more keeping ducks on the same basis is often considered far more difficult yet, as Terry Beebe explains, you don’t need a huge pond or land to keep them and in many instances they are proving to be better and more reliable layers than chickens, more hardy and they eat slugs – this alone should make many gardeners pick up and take notice.
But before you ‘dive in’ do your homework and contact organisations such as The British Waterfowl Association and the Call Duck Association and of course, once you’ve decided on the breed best suited to your needs each breed has it’s own association too so there is plenty of help and support around.  You must also, of course, make sure that your desire to keep ducks is not just a whim and that you maintain good animal welfare all the time and that you adhere to any legal requirements. DEFRA has issued guidelines for keeping backyard poultry which you must consult.

DUCK VARIETIES

There are several types of duck: diving, dabbling, perching, domestic, wild, and ornamental, with some breeds belonging to more than one of these categories. Almost all are descendants of the wild Mallard, the notable exception being the Muscovy duck, which originates from Central and South America and was introduced to Europe by the Spanish.

Mallards

Diving Ducks

This group includes Tufted ducks and Pochards, which can go to considerable depths to obtain food. Diving ducks simply love poking around at the bottom of ponds.

Dabbling Ducks

The Mallard and many of the domestic breeds belong to this group. The term simply means that they tend to dabble about on the surface, although they are quite capable of submerging themselves, should that be required.

Perching Ducks

The Mandarin and the Carolina, both of which are adapted for perching and nesting in trees, are members of this group. They also spend a lot of time in water, but will nest in trees or a nest box, should one be provided. The Muscovy is a perching duck, but in common with geese they tend to spend a lot of time grazing.

Domestic Ducks

Generally kept for utility purposes (usually meaning meat and eggs), the domestic duck is an ideal addition to most smallholdings because they provide a ready-made income, as both the eggs and meat are desirable products. One of the most popular breeds within this category are the Indian Runner Ducks, good layers and great fun to keep.

Assorted commercial Runner ducks.

Wild Ducks

These are simply those still found in the wild.

Ornamental or Exhibition Ducks

This group comprises primarily those with their own breed society and a defined standard to aspire to and compete with.

White Crested ducks.

BUYING DUCKS

Selecting ducks is really no different from choosing any poultry: birds need to be alert and should stand erect. Any that appear droopy in posture or look dull should be avoided – a sign of ill health or a potential problem in all poultry. Birds must also have a nice healthy sheen on the feathers; any with a ragged plumage may be suffering from some type of parasite or worm, with the single exception to this rule being when they are moulting – a natural process that occurs once or twice a year depending on the breed.
Look out for a slipped wing – known as ‘angel wing’, when a wing droops or drags on the floor – as this can be due to muscular weakness. Avoid breeding from such birds, as it is often hereditary. Good strong legs and feet are essential, so make sure there is no sign of limping. Check the bill, too, for signs of discharge.

A call duck with clear signs of angel wing.

Generally speaking, ducks are strong and healthy, and usually less susceptible to disease than chickens, but even so, careful selection of stock is of the utmost importance, especially if looking to show or breed them.

HOUSING REQUIREMENTS

As long as you provide sufficient space for the breed and number you intend to keep, all you need to do in addition is to provide a dry floor, a good roof, and shelter from the wind with good ventilation. Birds will need plenty of space to move around, flap their wings and be comfortable, and as with any birds, overcrowding will lead to problems. Try to provide as much space as possible, which will give room for expansion, should the opportunity arise. You could use a standard poultry house with the perches removed and a good door rather than a pop-hole – ducks prefer to emerge in a tight group, and this is difficult through a small pop-hole. A ramp will also be needed, and this should be as wide as possible to accommodate the morning mass exodus. The door should be positioned away from direct wind when opened.
Nest boxes are not necessary, as ducks tend to lay on the floor, so a narrow strip of wood holding some nesting material (chopped straw and/or wood shavings) in place will provide an ideal area for them to lay.
You can buy housing or construct your own and prices can range, as they do for chicken housing, from the moderate to the out and out ridiculous.

ACCESS TO WATER

Waterfowl need access to water, but not necessarily huge ponds or lakes. As long as the ducks can submerge their heads it should be sufficient; an old sink, plastic pond or a children’s paddling pool will usually keep them happy.

However, the breed you keep can affect the amount of water required.

Diving ducks need access to water at least 90cm (3ft) deep. Dabbling ducks, on the other hand, only require about 30cm (1ft), but can manage in as little as 15cm (6in), which will allow them to surface swim and dip their heads. If you cannot provide a depth of at least 90cm (3ft), diving ducks should definitely not be kept.

FEEDING

All ducks need a supply of protein, carbohydrates, fats, minerals and vitamins. There are now standard feeds available containing all that is needed to keep them in good health. That traditional duck favourite, bread, is fine as a treat, but make sure it is broken into very small pieces, and feed it only occasionally. Poultry layers’ pellets, duck pellets and mixed corn are ideal and should be fed all year round. Add oyster-shell for good eggshell quality and the birds should remain in tip-top condition.
Ducks will find their own natural food during the day (especially if allowed to free range), and this makes sure they get a natural complement to the feed you supply. Remove any feed with signs of mould, as this can introduce disease – keeping feed fresh will pay dividends both for your pocket and for the health of the ducks.

PINIONING

Many ducks are good flyers and will fly away given half the chance. To prevent them escaping, many keepers pinion the birds. This is carried out more on lighter weight breeds, as they have more of a tendency to fly than larger, heavier breeds. Pinioning involves removing the larger of the two wing sections attached to the end joint on the wing. The joint is then cauterised to help stop bleeding and to help the wing heal faster. It is essential that this is done correctly.
Pinioning may seem brutal, but it is the only effective way to prevent birds escaping if they are allowed to free range; the only other option is to keep them enclosed. It is better to be able to offer them freedom and to avoid the need for escape-free duck pens, which would make keeping ducks prohibitively expensive.

Pinioning must be carried out either by a vet or an experienced breeder to make sure it is done correctly. It should also be carried out when the birds are only a few days old, as it can prove very stressful for adult birds.

PREDATORS

The principal predators are the same as for chickens, and include foxes, rats, mink (now a native in parts of the UK), weasels, stoats, mice and a variety of birds such as magpies, rooks and birds of prey. Of course, a number of these are a nuisance rather than a cause of death, but even these creatures can cause health problems, as they do with chickens.
It is difficult to provide 100 per cent guaranteed protection from these predators, but making sure they are secure at night and as secure as possible in a run or safe area during the daytime will help. With rodents you have the option of trapping or poisoning, but always place poison where there is absolutely no chance of the ducks eating it by mistake. For foxes and the odd domestic dog, you will need strong, secure fencing up to 1.8m (6ft) high and sunk at least 30cm (12in) into the ground to prevent them from digging underneath. Hanging CDs above pens on string will frighten away most predatory birds, as movement causes the discs to flash as they blow in the wind.

A quick summary

• Make sure there are no restrictions on the land where the ducks are to be kept.
• The area the ducks occupy will need to be rotated often to keep the ground fresh and clean – their webbed feet will also turn a damp lawn to mush very quickly as they paddle about.
• Ducks are described as less destructive to veg than chickens (although the jury is out on this!), and they also eat more slugs.
• Water must be available, with the quantity and depth dependent on the breed.
• Suitable shelter that is warm, dry and well ventilated but draught free must be provided.
• Duck eggs are richer and larger than hens’ eggs, and many breeds are excellent layers.
•  Many exotic breeds are not prolific layers; if egg production is required, select a suitable commercial breed for the job.
• https://homefarmer.co.uk/keeping-ducks/?fb_ref=Default

 

 

 

By Ruth Tott

Lemon Curd

Curd can be made out of any, usually citrus, fruit and the most common one is Lemon Curd and can be spread on toast or used in other recipes such as this one for Lemon Curd Bread and Butter Pudding or Lemon Crumble Tray Bake.  You can add it to ice cream to make Lemon Curd Ripple, sandwich in biscuits to make a Lemon Curd Dodger or add it to cheesecake. You don’t need to use just one fruit either – you can introduce an additional fruit into the mix too, Bramley Apple Lemon Curd for instance. The skill is not to scramble the eggs which is why curd is usually made on the hob rather than in a microwave although it can be done.  – lumpy lemon curd does not hit the spot. LizzieB’s recipe makes a slightly thicker than custard, smooth, mellow yellow curd that is tangy and zesty.

INGREDIENTS

• The rind of 1 unwaxed lemon
• The juice of 3 large lemons
• 200g sugar
• 110g butter
• 2 large eggs
• 2 egg yolks

METHOD

1           Place the lemon rind, lemon juice, sugar and butter in a heatproof bowl.
2           Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir until the butter has melted.
3           Beat the eggs and egg yolks together in a separate bowl.
4           Remove the heatproof bowl from the heat, add the eggs carefully, then beat together well to combine.
5           Place the bowl back over the heat and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
6           Transfer to a pre-prepared jar, then seal and store in the fridge.
The lemon curd will keep for up to 2 months in the fridge.
 www.homefarmer.co.uk