Australia's beloved preserve: sharper than English curd, richer with butter, a staple of the Antipodean larder
Origin: Australia
From the journey of Lemon.
Lemon butter is the Australian name for what English cooks call lemon curd, a thick, egg-and-butter preserve of lemon juice and zest, but in Australia, the preparation has evolved into something distinctly its own: typically sharper, more intensely lemony, and higher in butter than the British version, reflecting the use of local Eureka and Lisbon lemons (which are more acidic than the English Meyer or Italian sfusato) and the Australian domestic tradition of more generous butter use in preserves and baked goods. The eucalyptus-edged summers of coastal New South Wales and Western Australia, where lemon trees grow prolifically in home gardens, established lemon butter as one of the defining jars of the Australian pantry. Lemon trees are ubiquitous in Australian backyards, they are one of the most commonly grown backyard fruit trees, and the abundance of home-grown lemons in late winter and spring (the Australian lemon season) created a strong preserving tradition. The Women's Weekly Cookbook (first published 1952) and subsequent editions made lemon butter one of the most reproduced Australian home recipes of the 20th century. Australian lemon butter is eaten spread on bread and butter, piped into pavlova (the other great Australian lemon vehicle), spooned over ice cream, used to fill sponge cakes, and layered into lamingtons and cream buns. It is also an important ingredient in the Australian pavlova tradition: the combination of crisp meringue, whipped cream, and tart lemon butter (drizzled or spread over the cream) is considered by many Australian cooks to be the definitive pavlova topping: the lemon butter cutting through the sweetness of the meringue and the richness of the cream in a way that fresh lemon cannot. The distinction between Australian lemon butter and English lemon curd is partly nominal and partly substantive. Australian recipes typically call for more butter and a higher proportion of lemon juice, producing a richer, sharper result. The technique is the same; gentle heat, constant stirring, bain-marie or very low direct heat; but the balance point is different: where English lemon curd tends toward sweetness-with-sharpness, Australian lemon butter tends toward sharpness-with-richness.
Australian lemon butter keeps refrigerated for 3–4 weeks. It is used as: a spread on toast, crumpets, and scones; a filling for sponge cakes and tarts; a topping or filling for pavlova (spread between cream layers or drizzled on top); a sauce for ice cream; a filling for brandy snaps and cream puffs. The 'butter' in the name refers to the butter content, not to a dairy butter product in the American sense; it is still a citrus preserve, not a butter substitute. For a lime butter, substitute lime juice and zest directly for the lemon.
Mapping Culinary History
To explore — select an ingredient below.
To explore — select an ingredient below · click any location dot on the map for recipes and stories · browse the information panel on the right · trace the full journey on the timeline.
Journey Point Map Key