Review & Giveaway: Fruit Curds: Make and Bake – Win a Preserves Workshop with Vivien Lloyd
Review & Giveaway:
– Fruit Curds: Make and Bake –
Win a Preserves Workshop with Vivien Lloyd
Image: Rob Walster of Big Blu Design
As many of my readers know, I love preserving and I recently entered some of my marmalade into the World’s Original Marmalade Awards, with some success, as you can read here: Pink Grapefruit Marmalade and The Lavender & Lovage Marmalade Awards Results! I am delighted to say that my three jars came away with a silver, bronze and a merit, which was a huge surprise. I put most of this success down to the fact that I had recently attended one of Vivien Lloyd’s excellent workshops at her beautiful Somerset farmhouse home, where I learned the art of marmalade and baking with marmalade. I had previously attended one of Vivien’s autumn workshops, Damson Day, where damsons were the fruit of the day, and jelly, cheese and jam chutney was made, and tasted with chocolate and wine! Vivien is a well-known and much respected WI judge, as well as being the author of First Preserves (Marmalades, Jams, Chutneys), a best-selling and hugely informative preserves cookbook, and several eBooks about jam, marmalade and chutney. As an avid preserver of many years, (about twenty years to be precise) Vivien and I often share our passion for traditional methods of preserving on Twitter, where you can see us “tweeting” away about all things sticky with sugar, fruit and vinegar! I was delighted therefore to be asked to review her latest eBook, Fruit Curds – Make and Bake, as I love fruit curds and I am always keen to discover new recipes. Apart from my review, you can also see an interesting introductory video here, which introduces the book by Vivien herself: Fruit Curds – Make and Bake an Introduction. I decided to “test drive” Vivien’s new eBook by making a classic Lemon Curd recipe, as I had a glut of lemons and plenty of fresh free-range eggs, courtesy of my chickens. I will share the photos in this post and the recipe can be found in Viven’s new eBook, which, is ONLY £5:99.
Lemon Curd
Review:
Fruit Curds – Make and Bake by Vivien Lloyd, the eBook has an attractive cover which would immediately appeal to all readers looking for an informative as well as original book about making and baking with fruit curds. The book has 60 pages, which are packed with vital information about how to make curds, as well as helpful sections on suppliers, ingredients and weights and measures. The book opens with a section About the Author, and then leads on to 10 chapters as follows:
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Equipment
Chapter 3: Ingredients
Chapter 4: Stage of Making Fruit Curds
Chapter 5: Curd Recipes
Chapter 6: Curds in Competitions
Chapter 7: Curds in Cookery
Chapter 8: Suppliers
Chapter 9: Weights and Measures
Chapter 10: Acknowledgements
Copyright and Dedication
(I am delighted and honoured to say that I mentioned in Vivien’s dedication, which was a wonderful surprise on reading the book!)
Image: Rob Walster of Big Blu Design
There are 22 recipes in the book, and all of them are imaginative and exciting, they comprise:
Curd recipes: Apple Curd; Gooseberry Curd; Grapefruit Curd; Lemon Curd; Lemon Curd – microwave; Lemon curd – pressure cooker; Lemon and Lime Curd; Orange Curd; Raspberry and Apple Curd; Seville Orange Curd
Curds in cookery recipes: Blueberry and Lemon Curd Cake; Coconut and Raspberry Cookies; Curd and Cream Tartlets; Fruit Curd Sponge; Lemon and Ginger Fool; Lemon Curd Sponge Torte; Orange Curd Cheesecake; Orange Curd Meringue Cake; Pavlova with Lemon Curd, Oranges and Blueberries; Rhubarb and Lemon Curd Cake; Spiced Apple Muffins
Classic Lemon Curd
I had planned to make some Raspberry and Apple curd, but I was bereft of raspberries (in the freezer), so I decided to try my hand at Vivien’s Lemon Curd, and, as you can see from the photos, it turned out extremely well – bright and beautifully set with a nice lemony tang to it. (I always make my mum’s lemon curd recipe, and so this is HIGH praise indeed, as my mum’s recipe is fabulous!) Vivien’s instructions were clear and concise and I loved the step-by-step photos that accompany the recipes, which are great to follow for amateurs and more experienced curd makers alike. I have earmarked several baking recipes to make very soon, and the obvious choice is the Lemon Curd Sponge Torte, which sounds and looks amazing, as well as the Rhubarb and Lemon Curd Cake, as Yorkshire rhubarb is in season right now. There is a Define, Highlight, Note and Search facility, that makes using and reading this book SO easy and helpful (enabling the reader to explore further information on-line and set up a personal notebook), and I loved how I could “slide” through the whole book with ease, making curd whilst reading the eBook in the kitchen!
Making lemon curd – a screenshot from the eBook
Image: Big Blu Design
In addition to the curd and baking recipes, I thought the suppliers, weights and measures and competitions chapters were excellent additions to the book, taking this eBook over and beyond many other preserves books that are available. Not only has Vivien suggested suppliers in the UK, but she has also added links to suppliers in the USA and Australia, which makes this book international and globally appreciated. The weights and measures chapter is also International, which makes this eBook suitable for the American and Australian audience.
Image: Big Blu Design
To summarise, this is a visually attractive and informative book, where the history of fruit curds is explained in the introduction and baking recipes are shared, which will entice the reader to bake using their freshly made curds. I have no hesitation in recommending this book to all Lavender and Lovage readers, the visual impact of the book is of the highest quality and the layout is well planned with useful step-by-step photos. £5:99 buys you 60 pages of excellent curd making instruction with some innovative recipes and essential tips for those wanting to enter their curds in to competitions. The embedded videos are extremely helpful and provide an invaluable “hand” to novices who may be nervous about approaching preserving at this level. Vivien speaks with a clear and authoritative voice and her recipes are based on traditional fruit curd recipes, with a touch of modernity. This is the fourth eBook that Vivien has published, and her previous three books (and her hardback book “First Preserves”) can be found and bought here: Vivien Lloyd Book, eBooks and Produce. Lavender and Lovage awards this fabulous little book a well deserved 5 stars for design, the embedded videos, innovative recipes, clear and concise instructions and stunning imagery.
Disclaimer: I was sent a free copy of this eBook to review: all views and opinions are my own. Karen S Burns-Booth
Review & Giveaway: Fruit Curds: Make and Bake – Win a Preserves Workshop with Vivien Lloyd
Giveaway:
I am THRILLED to be able to offer ALL Lavender and Lovage readers the chance to WIN a ONE DAY workshop with Vivien in her beautiful Somerset Farmhouse! Each workshop is worth in excess £75 and lunch and light refreshments are provided throughout the day. The date and choice of workshop will be mutually decided between the winner and Vivien, but Vivien hosts the following workshops, to give you an idea:
Black and Red Currants – Summer Workshop – July
Damson Day – Autumn Workshop – September and October
(please see my review here: Damson Day)
Sensational Sevilles – Winter Workshop – January and February
(please see my review here: Making Marmalade)
The Prize:
One “one day” preserves and baking workshop with Vivien at her Somerset Farmhouse Home for One person to include tuition, lunch, light refreshments and home-made preserves (baking) to take home that have been made on the day. Travel is not included.
To enter this Giveaway, all you have to do is the following:
1. Complete the Rafflecopter widget below to verify your entries – ONE mandatory questions will appear, which you need to answer by leaving a comment at the bottom of the post, before going back to the Rafflecopter form and hitting “Enter”. (After this, you can complete the bonus entries as explained on the form to increase your odds of winning – you can also return daily to tweet this for more bonus entries)
2. Entries are by blog comment, Twitter, Facebook etc
3. Closing Date: 26th May 2013
(For more information on how to enter blog giveaways using Rafflecopter please see this short video)
You can win more bonus entries by tweeting on a daily basis.
It’s EASY! Rafflecopter will tweet, like and follow on your behalf. For information on finding the URL of your tweet please see this.
GOOD LUCK!
Karen
Lemon Curd
Lime curd all the way! Reminds me of my childhood and my grandma.
I love lime curd too!
Love Lemon curd haven’t had it for years though
All citrus curds are lush!
Mmmm love curds!
Me too!
I’d love to learn how to make jam, it looks quite daunting and I’ve never tried so it would be great if someone showed me how!
GOOD LUCK Caroline!
Definitely classic strawberry jam, remember going strawberry picking with my mum when I was little- she used to make jam from it. Always so expensive though, so your workshop will help me learn how to make it for myself!
Lovely memories then……thanks for entering!
My favourite jam as to be blackcurrent
I grow blackcurrants and love them in jam!
I’ve recently discovered the delights of home preserving – and consequently, so have my friends and family!
Good for you, it’s quite therapeutic isn’t it?
probably strawberry jam
Always a classic favourite!
Marmalade
yum
=)
LOVE a good marmalade! 🙂
Blackcurrant, but I’ve never made it
Had the most amazing apricot, almond and honey jam on a Mormon homestead in Utah, wish I had packed my suitcas with jars and jars of it 🙂
It’s got to be gooseberry jam. It’s the first one I ever made with my mother and then it became my job to pick the gooseberries from the garden and make the jam each year.
tangy sharp lemon curd
I would love to win this workshop because I need some preserving skills to use on my homegrown fruit and veg. I’ve made marmalade, jam and curd, but frequently end up with an ‘interesting’ product that only I will eat. This is having a detrimental effect on my waistline!
Lovely lovely lovely
looks lovely! have shared 🙂
My favourite is lemon curd, i love anything lemony.
Strawberry jam
My favourite jam is raspberry with the pips
I love lemon curd. Once I tried to make my own … eh, well … not just tried, it worked out well, but unfortunately at that time it was more lemon curd I could handle while it was staying good.
I love lemon curd, this would be great fun!
Damson jam! – we have a tree in our garden that is prolific so we are able to make jam every year. Happy memories of the whole family picking and preparing the fruit for the marathon jam making session!
Lemon curd.
I’d love to win this to learn how to make lemon curd
I do love a good curd! My favourite is undoubtedly lemon curd…it’s one of my favourite things!
I love fig jam (on dark brown bread)
i love blueberry jam because blueberries are my favourite fruit
THe lemon curd looks so good, wish I could reach in and grab it from the screen.
Thanks so much!
Blueberry jam–it reminds me of trips to the countryside when I was a kid. I’d love to win this prize as I’ve never attempted to make my own jam, but love to cook and often cook with store bought jam.
Strawberry Jam sandwiches, bring back memories for when I was a kid
Morello Cherry Jam – just because it is deliciously sweet and fruity. I would love to win this prize because I am useless in the kitchen and am now endeavouring to teach myself to cook and would love to be able to preserve fruit.
I love watermelon jam.
I would love to go on the workshop so that I could come up with my own interesting flavour combinations
White peach jam. A colleague at work had a glut of white peaches one year, so was giving them away. I made the best jam I have ever made (and took it into work with a baguette).
I love every jam or preserve but I do have a love of the classic Strawberry jam 🙂
Apricot jam, reminds me of school dinners! Would love to win this as it is a unique experience and something I’d love to do
I have recently discovered chilli jam and love it, made a batch for friends ( mainly us ) and they seems to like it. be good to broaden my repertoire
I haven’t had Lemon Curd for years.
Rhubarb and Ginger. It’s one my mum used to make!
it has to be lemon curd, i remember making tarts with my mum from a very early age and getting to lick the spoon and hopefully the jar as well yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmy
Love Lemon curd haven’t had it for years though
when i first met my boyfriend, we saw a jam maker and joked about me spending my days cooking and making jam. every day i wish i bough that jam maker!!
Plain old strawberry jam sandwiches. A treat as a child, i still love them today x
Lemon curd
I adore Lemon curd in a tart, it reminds me of going to stay at my step familys farm and making them, I want to win because I want to learn to forage and being able to make preserves will make sure I dont waste whatever I collect.
Strawberry jam is my favourite – not been successful in making it as yet though, couldn’t get it to set. Had more success with plums though and seem to remember making lemon curd in school many years ago
Strawberry and champagne for when I’m feeling decadent!
commented on the strawberry curd post here: https://www.lavenderandlovage.com/2013/04/studio-pottery-baguette-and-fresh-strawberry-curd-recipe.html#comment-111991
Difficult one but has to be any shredless marmalade. I used to hate the “fishies”, as my Dad used to call them, and when my mother and grandmother first made me toast with a beautiful, crystal clear marmalade, I was over the moon. Hot buttered toast, cold butterd toast – it doesn’t matter as long as the tangy bitter sweetness isn’t contaminated by “fishies”!
I love lemon curd and putting it in muffins
lemon curd ,to fill my lemon sandwich cake
blackcurrant with lots of bits
I love lemon curd on toast