Lemnon custard issues

[Delightful Den]

My wife and I love the lemon custard from the EDC book however it is grainy with pieces of lemon zest.  Am I doing something wrong or is it supposed to be this way? 

[CreamPuff63]

I've never had any problems DD that I've noted. You would need to blitz it for the 20 secs, and make sure the sides have been scraped down if there are still chunky pieces of zest stuck to the sides of the bowl before cooking the custard.

[faffa_70]

Hi DD, if you add your flour with your sugar and zest and mill them together you get a better result. This helps to absorb the moisture from the zest and it will mill finer. I also dry my rinds out and store for later use and they are also perfect for custard

[CreamPuff63]

do you reckon the newest EDC will reflect that faffa?

[faffa_70]

wouldn't have a clue CP    I have noticed that the amount of oil in your zest will really affect your outcome with this - which is understandable and why the flour helps 

[CreamPuff63]

To be sure, to be sure, but the EDC doesn't mention anything about flour,:

and about zesting with the lemon rind, flour and sugar...

[faffa_70]

it may eventually happen I guess. I can't remember if it is a HO directive for consultants or not. Have been doing it for a while at demo's and my note book has gone missing so can't tell you where it came from  (I have 2 years of consultant notes in it so I am mad about it lol)

[Delightful Den]

Thanks for the tips.  My EDC does say to mill the lemon zest flour and sugar together for 20 seconds at speed 9.  I have done this each time and pretty much get the same result. I get small (sand grain size) pieces of zest that affect the mouthfeel of the custard. 

I did think of trying lemon juice but thought that this would just curdle the milk.  I also thought about using Limoncello (just like you would vanilla) in place of the lemon zest. 

Cooking with alcohol how could it go wrong!!

[faffa_70]

Cooking with alcohol how could it go wrong!!

- NEVER lol

try milling for a bit longer and see how it goes. I would mill for 20 seconds, scrape the bowl down and mill again for another 10-20 and see how that is.

otherwise seriously save your zest and dry it  I have a HUGE moccona coffee jar full of lemon, orange and lime zest (yes that is 3 jars full ) If it isn't used in the recipe when I use the juice I save the zest 

[CreamPuff63]

how do you dry out your rinds - in the open air?

[faffa_70]

yep just plain old sitting on a saucer on the bench lol because I peel the zest only from them with a really really good peeler, they are only very thing and dry in no time 

[tarosuma]

I have found that the dryness of the zest makes a big difference as does milling it with the flour.  I peel my zest off ages before I need it and often put it in the hotwater airing cupboard to dry it out. 
Another thing is I am pretty sure it says somewhere to use unwaxed lemons -  are lemons usually waxed?  Because if they are, I imagine that would make it much harder to grind them down finely.
I always use lemons off my tree and mill it with the flour.  I do however do the 20 secs stated and then scrape down and do another 20.  I have found the extra time does make a difference.

[judydawn]

I use a microplane zester - can't get it much finer than that 

[Cornish Cream]

Here in the UK most citrus fruits are waxed.Unwaxed lemons are more expensive to buy,can never figure out why

[CreamPuff63]

think they would be more expensive because they wouldn't have as long shelf life CC. I have one of those Enjo cloths that wipes the wax off