Try Lime Curd!

Yesterday, on a bench outside the Post Office, I noticed two large boxes. I knew what was in them without even looking! MEXICAN LIMES. The glut of the extra heavy harvest is upon us and people are giving away their bounty before Thanksgiving. This is a regular occurrence in Borrego, where all kinds of citrus appear as if by magic - free for the taking-here and there throughout the village.

We have too many limes, too, and are thinking up ways to make use of them. I have been making lime pies, freezing zest and juice, trying to preserve them in water ( which only works for about several weeks ) and, more recently, making lime curd. WE LOVE CURD! I have already given away jars of it and am going to make more today. It is pretty, has a refreshing sweet sour taste and is great on English muffins or bagels. We prefer it to jam. Recipe follows: ( Betty Crocker )

1 cup sugar, 1 cup lime juice, 1 tablespoon finely grated peel, 3 tablespoons butter, cut up, 3 eggs. In 1,1/2 quart saucepan, mix lime juice, sugar and grated peel with a whisk. Stir in slightly beaten eggs and butter. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture coats the back of your spoon. Don't boil. Pour into a one pint container or two one cup containers. Will keep up to two months in the refrigerator.

A tip: I use the fine grate attachment on the food processor to grate peel. About four limes at a time can bounce around until peel gets thin. The limes may still be juiced, afterwards.