The stages of whipped egg whites
Stage 1: Foamy eggs
Once you’ve begun to whip the egg whites, the bubbles will be very large, and the foam will be yellowish, clear and still runny. This is the moment when you need to add the cream of tartar.
There are two solutions when it comes to keeping egg whites from becoming dry and hard: add either an acidic or a sweet ingredient to the mix. Note that the addition of salt will not help the whipped eggs maintain their peaks.
The most effective acidic ingredient is cream of tartar, a white powder that’s a by-product of winemaking. In Europe, the preferred ingredient to add to whipped egg whites is lemon juice or vinegar. This is also effective, as the acidity in these ingredients prevents protein molecules from attaching to one another. This allows the foam to stay smooth for a bit longer. Egg whites whipped into peaks with cream of tartar allows cakes and soufflés to rise. We recommend adding ⅛ tsp (0.5 ml) of cream of tartar per egg white.
Stage 2: Curved or soft peaks
At this stage, the air bubbles will be small, but still visible; the egg whites will be foamy, white and soft. When removing the whisk, they’ll form peaks that fall back down. You can now begin to gradually add sugar.
Stage 3: Firm peaks that stand up
The air bubbles will be tiny at this stage. The meringue will be firm, but still soft. It’ll form peaks that point straight up when removing the whisk. You can now stop and use the meringue immediately.
Stage 4: Dry foam (warning!)
At this point, the meringue will have a dry and grainy appearance. It’ll no longer be soft, but rather too firm. Liquid may have accumulated at the bottom of the bowl. But don’t throw it out! Add another egg white and whisk again. The meringue will be nearly as nice as it was before it turned grainy.
Yes and no. Contrary to popular belief, a bit of egg yolk in a large volume of whites won’t prevent them from rising into peaks. You will, however, have to whip the mixture longer. Keep in mind that if there are a lot of yolk drops in the egg whites, it’ll be difficult to beat them into peaks and they’ll never firm up. One tip to retrieving an egg yolk that has fallen in the whites is to use a piece of eggshell. The yolk will stick to the shell and can then easily be removed.
Read the articles below for more tips and tricks on meringue:
