How To Beat Egg Whites

The step of beating egg whites, to soft, firm or stiff peaks, appears in many recipes, such as meringues, souffles, and cakes. Beating egg whites sounds easy enough, but sometimes problems arise. Here are a few tips to help ensure success at beating egg whites, and to help achieve the most volume from the whites.

1. Separate the eggs. Eggs separate more easily when they are very cold, the whites should be brought to room temperature after separation to ensure maximum volume. To separate eggs, make a clean crack as close to the center of the egg as possible, hold it over a bowl and allow the white to seep out, transferring the yolk between the two shell halves. You may also crack the egg into your hand and hold the yolk in your palm, allowing the white to run off, but this is messier. Ensure there is absolutely no trace of yolk in the white (a trace of white in the yolk is usually not a problem). Separate each egg over an empty bowl, so if some yolk does leak in, only one egg white is ruined and not all of them.
2. The best type of bowl to use is copper, followed by stainless steel then glass. Plastic does not work well, and metal and aluminum bowls may have a negative reaction with the egg whites. Ensure both the bowl and the beaters are very clean, free of any grease, fully dry, and at room temperature.
3. Always begin beating at low speed, then gradually increase to high speed. Adding cream of tartar will help to stabilize the egg whites, add it once the whites are foamy, 1/8 teaspoon per white. Sugar also helps to stabilize and flavour the whites. Sugar should be added once soft peaks form, a tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. Beaten egg whites should form moist, shiny peaks. Soft peaks just begin to hold, and will deform after a few seconds. Firm peaks will hold, but the tips will deform after a few seconds. Stiff peaks will fully hold, and will not deform. They can stand straight up without collapsing at all, and the whites are thick and heavy. Beaten egg whites should never be dry or grainy, if they are, they have been over-beaten. To fix this, add one unbeaten egg white to the mixture, beat again to form peaks, and remove 1/4 cup before proceeding with the recipe.
5. Beaten egg whites must be used immediately. When adding egg whites to a batter, always use a rubber spatula to gently fold the whites into the heavier mixture. Start with a small spoonful, then add the remaining whites all at once. Whites should be folded in very gently so they do not deflate, do not stir, beat, or overmix. A few streaks of white left are actually preferable.

“Eggs.” hhttp://www.joyofbaking.com/eggs.html. Joy of Baking, n.d. Friday, August 26, 2011