I always wondered why my lemon meringue pie never fluffed up the way it was supposed to…but I love lemon meringue and have been on a quest to solve this problem! Well, I think I finally figured out the trick (at least I think, help me out if I am wrong!). It is all in separating the egg - careful and complete separation of the whites from the yolks. I always used the egg shell approach by passing the yolk back and forth in the shell and letting the whites drain out. I have learned this is not the best method for separation and is more susceptible for mixing of the yolk and white. I have learned that if even a tiny bit of the yolks get into the whites they will not foam.
So for all your egg separating needs, here are a few ideas. Thanks to WikiHow for the help in developing my egg handling skills!
1. Crack eggs on a curved surface
Apparently, you are ten times more likely to break the yolk of an egg on a flat surface as opposed to a curved surface.
2. Crack your egg over a funnel or slotted spoon
Hold a small funnel over a bowl, or let rest standing up in the bottom of the bowl. Allow the funnel to collect the egg yolk while the bowl collects the whites. Another choice is to crack your egg in a slotted spoon over a bowl, allowing the whites to drain into the bowl. Shake gently.
3. How to catch a shell
To remove any shell that may fall into the bowl, instead of fumbling around like me using my fingers to try to carefully scoop it out, follow this tip: use another piece of the egg shell. It acts like a magnet and will take 1/10 of the time as the finger route!
4. How to peel an egg
This was my second pursuit…how to successfully peel a hard boiled egg without destroying the egg or losing half of it in the shell while trying to peel. Check out these other suggestions. It’s all about getting rid of the air bubbles in the end of the egg first!
Further Resources
For all the wonderful health benefits of quality eggs, check out Kimi’s post on the powerhouse of eggs. Which eggs to choice? Choice free range!
That’s what I have been learning lately! Hope you enjoyed my silly kitchen tips for the day!
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August 19th, 2008 at 2:25 am
Over beating the whites, or folding too much can also contribute to non fluffy whites.
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August 19th, 2008 at 5:32 am
So that’s how to catch and egg shell! Yea, I’ve been known to use the finger many a time! And I seriously think I’m gonna boil some eggs today to try out that video tip!
I have heard (and notice from experience) that fresh eggs actually are harder to peel than old eggs. I don’t know why, they just are. And I pick up fresh eggs from the farm when I need them so I always have to try and remember to save some to hard boil. They are so much easier to peel when they are a couple weeks old.
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August 19th, 2008 at 8:06 am
I’ve nominated you for a brilliant weblog award. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on being a passionate wife, mother, and daughter!
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August 19th, 2008 at 8:23 am
That how to peel a hard boiled egg was so cool. Have you tried it???
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August 19th, 2008 at 10:33 am
Awesome tips! Thank you so much for sharing them. I plan to put them to good use.
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August 19th, 2008 at 4:19 pm
One thing I thought of today… maybe it’s the sugar (or substitute) you are using?
I use white sugar..I think it’s probably the only bad thing we eat lol. (no red meat, pork, shell fish etc, and of course, mostly no white starches)
I’ve been meaning to ask,,,have you made Risotto? I have the ingredients, but I’ve never made it, but I’ve tried it.
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August 19th, 2008 at 7:16 pm
You hit the nail on the head. If I had a dime for every time my professor warned us against getting egg yolks in the whites I would be a rich woman! You also have to be extremely careful not to have any trace of fat or oil on the cooking bowls and utensils you are using. Sounds like you got it under control. Thanks for the cool tip on getting the shell out with another shell…brilliant!
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August 20th, 2008 at 9:43 am
Great post! I use my hands to seperate egg whites from yolks. If you can stand the mess on your hands it is a great way to do it.
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