Passionfruit Butter or Passionfruit Curd

Passionfruit  are in season, and it is wonderful to have the time now to convert the surplus into preserves and special treats.  The bittersweet flavour and fragrance of the common purple passionfruit is without peer.

Ingredients:

10 large passionfruit
3 eggs
200g castor sugar
30 g unsalted butter
1/3 cup (80ml) lemon juice

Cut the passionfruit in half with a sharp, serrated knife and take out the pulp.
Beat the eggs well.Tip the eggs into a stainless steel saucepan, and add the passionfruit pulp, sugar, chopped butter and lemon juice.

Stir ingredients over a low heat until mixture comes to the boil, then keep at a simmer for 15 minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon to ensure it doesn't burn or reduce down too much.

The  mixture will thicken by the end of this cooking time, but will set properly and reach the required consistency when it cools.

Ladle the hot passionfruit butter into into clean, warm sterilised jars and seal.

When opened, store the jars in the refrigerator.