Egg whites

[DavidS]

Is anyone here a chef or at least an experienced cook? For the life of me I cannot get air into my egg whites to get a stiff peak. I have 4 egg whites, a beautiful stainless steel bowl and a normal sized whisk. I whisk and whisk and whisk away until my arm is ready to fall off. I do the same thing with cream and am able to get moderate peaks with the whipped cream. I don't use nor would I intend to use anything electronic.

 

[Ravi]

It's possible you're getting a bit of the yolk in and screwing yourself up. Try buying the little cartons of eggwhites...make sure you get the ones that are for whipping.

Make sure the cream is really cold and the whisk and the bowl are perfectly clean.

What do you have against electric beaters? You could also get a manual crank beater.

 

[strollingbones]

it is hard to beat egg whites to a stiff peak without a beater...a whisk just cant do it...make sure the bowls are clean and cold...stainless steel...my kitchen aid never fails me

are you using cream of tartar that will help stablizes the whites...plus if you are adding sugar to the egg whites it will help

 

[editec]

Is anyone here a chef or at least an experienced cook? For the life of me I cannot get air into my egg whites to get a stiff peak. I have 4 egg whites, a beautiful stainless steel bowl and a normal sized whisk. I whisk and whisk and whisk away until my arm is ready to fall off. I do the same thing with cream and am able to get moderate peaks with the whipped cream. I don't use nor would I intend to use anything electronic.

Use a cold bowl to begin with.

Don't overbeat them.

I expect that you get them as stiff as they're ever going to get, and aren't realizing it.

Then, hoping to get the eggs to peak stiffly, you beat the air back out of them and end up with eggwhite soup.

Remember that the peaks you are hoping to get, aren't going to be stiff until you cook the eggs.

What's you shooting for, before cooking, is a creamy consistency in your egg whites,, not a stiff consistency.

If the egg whites stick to a tablespoon, and slowly ooze off, they're done.

 

[catzmeow]

I'm not sure it is possible to get a good meringue consistency without an electric beater. I've never succeeded, anyway.

 

[Ravi]

YOU BEAT EGGWHITES AT ROOM TEMPERATURE YOU BUNCH OF FREAKING MORONS!!!

 

[catzmeow]

YOU BEAT EGGWHITES AT ROOM TEMPERATURE YOU BUNCH OF FREAKING MORONS!!!

I wonder if DavidS has highly developed forearms from all that egg beating he does.

 

[AllieBaba]

Use eggs at room temperature.

I wouldn't use sugar in egg whites because it has a tendency to liquify after cooking, so you have a lovely slime under your meringue.

Cream of tartar will help.

Use a wire whisk (wisk????). You aren't going to get there using a fork, bud.

 

[random3434]

YOU BEAT EGGWHITES AT ROOM TEMPERATURE YOU BUNCH OF FREAKING MORONS!!!

Are you channeling DiveCon Ravi?

 

[strollingbones]

YOU BEAT EGGWHITES AT ROOM TEMPERATURE YOU BUNCH OF FREAKING MORONS!!!

The first step is that the bowl and beaters should be absolutely clean. If there is a little oil residue in the bowl or a little hint of yolk in the whites, it will interfere seriously with the formation of air bubbles. The bowl should also be dry as water will inhibit the formation of the foam. One of the steps you’re taking is important, beating the whites at room temperature. The proteins in the whites expand better when warm, so you will get better volume from the eggs. Older eggs also whip more easily because of chemical changes that have taken place as they aged.

You’re also right about wanting to add something to the mix. You should start with a pinch of salt in the whites, which will help firm up the proteins. About a quarter-way through the beating process, you add an acid to the foam, which stabilizes it and helps keep the bubbles from bursting when you stop beating. Most people use cream of tartar, but one or two drops of lemon juice or vinegar will work as well. Finally, if your whites seem unstable at the end of the beating, or if you have overbeaten them — and if your whites will be used in a dessert — beat 1 tablespoon of sugar in for only about 15 seconds. This will restabilize the foam, but you must use it quickly, or it will break down into a mess

How can you tell when the whites are done? Kamman places an uncooked egg (scrupulously cleaned) on top of the foam. If it doesn’t sink at all, you’ve gone too far. If it sinks 1/4-inch into the foam, your whites are perfect

How to beat or whip egg whites

who you calling a moron you fucking right bitch...lol...it is whipping cream you use the cold bowls with...o hell ravi..its david and a hand whisk...never gonna happen

 

[Ravi]

Hey, it's one of David's threads, I had to be inflammatory.

 

[del]

Hey, it's one of David's threads, I had to be inflammatory.

i think the idea of DavidS and a wire whisk is quite inflammatory on its own.

 

[PoliticalChic]

Hey, it's one of David's threads, I had to be inflammatory.

i think the idea of DavidS and a wire whisk is quite inflammatory on its own.

I wonder what he will do with the stiff white peaks...

 

[del]

Hey, it's one of David's threads, I had to be inflammatory.

i think the idea of DavidS and a wire whisk is quite inflammatory on its own.

I wonder what he will do with the stiff white peaks...

*shudder*

 

[strollingbones]

o damn what a nasty image....the stiff egg whites....just nasty there pc

 

[del]

o damn what a nasty image....the stiff egg whites....just nasty there pc

yeah, isn't she a pistol?

 

[Coloradomtnman]

Put the clean metal bowl in a larger container filled with ice. Make sure the ice surrounds the metal bowl. Now whip, but not too much. Just, whip it good.

 

[random3434]

I can't believe William Joyce didn't start this thread first about the separation of egg whites.

 

[DavidS]

my arm hurts.

 

[AllieBaba]

You use cold stuff for whipped cream, not for egg whites.