grrrrr, I cant make meringues

[chickenboy7c2d]

I was just about to make baked alaska for the arrival of my sister, but there is a problem...
The eggs are too fresh, so the whites aren't firm enough, they stay watery when i try to whip them. So i'll stick to plain ice cream, Boring!

Does anyone else have this problem with thier eggs being way too fresh to make meringues or is there something wrong with my chickens whites?

 

[Whispering Winds]

I have read if you add powdered sugar that helps to "frim" it up and also unflavored gelatin. Having the whites a full room temp is the most important too.

 

[maizey]

also make sure you dont have even one speck of the yolk in there and make sure your bowl and beaters don't have any residual oil on them.. even traces of oils and fats will keep the meringue from comming together. a half teaspoon or so of cream of tarter will help stabilize it too.

 

[chickenvirgin]

I am a chef and the eggs only have to be a few days old to make meringues. Make sure to wash everything that is in contact with the eggs are washed in soapy hot water, a little bit of oil and the meringues won't work also have the eggs at room temp. There is also a old wives tale that says if you are in your moon time they won't whip either......

 

[goosemama]

Are your whites not whipping at all or not staying whipped once you add sugar etc.? If even fresh eggs are chilled first they should whip nice and high. I always add about l/4tsp of Cream of Tartar which helps them whip, dash salt then whip to firm peaks. My trouble has always been after adding the sugar and putting it on a pie etc. they deflate when cooked. I have since started using 3/4 cup of corn syrup brought to a boil then slowing drizzle that in place of the sugar at the end of the whipping process. It partially cooks the whites so they hold longer. A recipe I had used a simple sugar syrup with water brought to candy temp but that's too much work so I've substituted corns syrup which is already thick - I just bring it to a boil first. Hope this helps.

 

[goosemama]

Good tips from "Chickenvirgin" - it is essential there is no fat whatsoever on the beaters or in the bowl when whipping meringues. I often rinse out the same bowl when baking but NOT with meringues - wash it with hot soap and water. Also another point is if it is humid the day you are trying to make meringues they will not work. Good luck

 

[pips&peeps]

Have you tried using duck eggs???? They make nice meringue!!!

I made awesome coconut macaroons a whileback with mine.

 

[halo]

Ive never had a problem making meringue with fresh eggs. Must be another reason for the failure.

Alright, Jean, wheres that recipe???

 

[pips&peeps]

Just used one from my handy dandy Betty Crocker cookbook and used duck eggs instead of chicken eggs. They were huge and fluffy; the meringue whipped up so high with the duck eggs.

MMMMM

I want to make some, but I have no duck eggs. They quit laying a couple weeks ago.

Ok, well then I will have to go make some Christmas spritz cookies. The ones with lots of butter and make your butt grow just looking at them.

 

[bigmike&nan]

I do hope you see this in a timely fashion. I copied this from an old Advanced Baking and Pastry notebook of mine, Chef Bo Friberg, great grouchy old fellow.


http://www.chefbo.com/

A lot of technical stuff but I hope it helps. (Be certain that your whole beating setup is very, very clean and dry. Splash a little vinegar in the beating bowl and then wipe it dry with a very clean towel). Also absolutely NO YOLK material as fat is another enemy of of meringues.

Meringue:
4 Types: Common/French, Italian, Japonaise, and Swiss.
(Contains twice as much sugar as eggs by weight)

**By Law you must heat eggs to 140 deg. F.
2-1 Common/French: 1# Egg Whites to 2# Sugar

4-3 Italian: 1# Egg White to 1# 8 oz. Sugar (less sugar
more egg whites).


**Tartaric acid will help stiffen stale egg whites. Fresh egg
whites are not runny. Leftover cracked eggs that are more
than a few days old should not be used for anything where
lots of air is incorporated into it. Use them in Danish dough.

**Inhibitors to peaking egg whites are fat (be certain that
the beating setup (bowl/beater) is clean and sanitary).

**Beat whites, slowly add sugar (don't add it too quickly...)
until all sugar is added.

**Don't let meringue sit too long as it will jell and soften, it
also loses the smoothness of it's finish.


JAPONAISE: piped circles of meringue containing finely
ground/blanched almonds.

Sponges, meringues, cookies are made now in factories in
Europe as the slow oven cooking time of meringues can't
be wasted in most shops.

Bake meringue in 200 deg. F oven (range is 200-225).
Higher temperatures will cause product to absorb air,


then get very brittle and will break easily when stored
or handled.

**Color should be slightly carmelized. Overdone meringue
will be BITTER...


MERINGUE CLACEE CHANTILLY: meringue, ice cream, and
whipped cream.


Use a #5 - 7 Plain tip and pipe a concentric circle. Then pipe
one more circle on top of the edge, then another on top of
that to form a cup