THE BEST Classic Lemon Bars Recipe - foodiecrush.com (2024)

FAQs

Why did my lemon bars turn brown? ›

Remove your lemon bars from the oven before they turn brown on top. Browning means they're over-cooked, and the custard mixture can curdle. They will be pale yellow, only very slightly jiggly and will not hold a fingerprint when they are done.

The crust forms when the sugar in the lemon bar mixture caramelizes and browns during baking, creating a slightly firm, crispy layer over the bars. The top crust isn't always visible, as we all enjoy sprinkling powdered sugar on top of the bars before serving.

Ingredients. Recipes vary slightly, but lemon bar recipes call for lemon juice, and many suggest fresh squeezed. Other ingredients include butter, white sugar, flour, eggs, and salt.

Lemon bars should be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated in order to prevent bacterial growth or foodborne illness. The filling in lemon bars is made with eggs and can become a breeding ground for bacteria if it's kept in the danger zone (between 41 and 153 degrees F).

Serving, Storing, and Freezing

Serving: Lemon bars are fine to keep out at room temperature for up to 6 hours or so. Storing: Store cooked lemon bars or leftovers in the refrigerator. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and store for up to 2 days. Make-Ahead: You can make lemon bars up to two days in advance.

I have found that a hot, wet, very sharp knife helps quite a bit. Also, make sure the bars are completely chilled before cutting.

To prevent the lemon filling from sticking to the knife, you can dip the knife into warm water and wipe it dry before each cut. The warmth of the knife will help glide through the filling without dragging or smearing it.

You will get6 bars with a little extra space for a sample for the cook, to taste for quality control.

Acidic ingredients can cause the metallic pots or spoons to leach into the ingredients. Whenever making things with lemon, vinegar or other highly acidic ingredients it is best to stick with heatproof glass bowls and pans, stainless steel pots and silicone utensils.

As soon as it's done, take the pan out of the oven. This will ensure that the lemon curd is baked enough so that it holds it's shape, but not overbaked – otherwise your lemon bars will be rubbery and can taste more eggy too. Thirdly, this recipe uses a traditional shortbread crust for the base of the lemon bars.

What is the white stuff floating in my lemon juice? ›

It is likely a combination of placenta, vesicle, endocarp, and possibly some mesocarp. Basically, its the white stuff inside the lemon. Little tiny bits of lemon. Many commercial juice preparers will include the zest ground very fine as it has a lot of oil and flavour.

To Keep Powdered Sugar from Melting, Add Cornstarch

You don't want to add too much cornstarch, though: At a certain point you'll be dusting the top of your cake with cornstarch instead of powdered sugar — and we don't want that! So go slow and be conservative with the amount of cornstarch you add.

Key Tips. Don't bake in aluminum foil or directly in an aluminum pan. Aluminum will react with the acidic lemon juice and give the bars a metallic taste and can even affect the color.

How Much Juice in One Lemon? On average, there are 3 tablespoons of juice in one lemon. So, for a cup of fresh lemon juice, you would need 5 and a quarter lemons. But, because some lemons are less juicy than others, it's safe to say you'd need 5 and a half lemons for a cup of lemon juice.

Bright yellow lemons radiate sunshine and happiness, but a spoiled lemon exhibits brown spots, discoloration, and utter sadness (via Lucky Belly). Dark green or white lemons with dusty or fuzzy molded skin are inedible and color alterations mean the fruit is tainted.

The USDA says that you can safely keep lemon bars in the fridge for seven days, but The Kitchn recommends consuming the bars in three days. If you've made a whole batch just for yourself and can't finish all your lemon bars in a few days, another option is freezing them.

Scale can also affect the skin of citrus fruit. This shows as little brown spots or flecks on the peel. The quality of the fruit is unaffected and is fine to eat.

Lemon juice – like most fruit juice – contains carbon compounds. These compounds are pretty much colorless at room temperature. Heat breaks down these compounds and releases the carbon. When carbon comes in contact with air (specifically oxygen), oxidation occurs and the substance turns light or dark brown.