Monday 4 June 2012

HOW TO: Aged Egg Whites

Certain recipes (such as macarons, for instance,) call for 'aged egg whites'. Simple enough, although it does require planning in advance as the egg whites must be separated around two days before they are needed for the recipe (adventure) in question.  

Method:
  1. Crack your egg on the side of a bowl and juggle the yolk backwards and forwards between the two shells. Let the white trickle into an immaculately clean bowl 'A'. Be careful not to let the whites dribble around your fingers as natural oils from your skin may ruin the 'whippability' of the whites. Save the yolk for another recipe and bin the shells. 
  2. Transfer the contents of bowl 'A' to bowl 'B'. This way, should an egg yolk burst into the first bowl, it will not ruin the previously divided egg whites as these will be sitting in bowl 'B'.
  3. Repeat this process for each egg whilst following the 'if in doubt, throw it out' rule. Any trace of egg yolk (fat) will ruin your meringue.
  4. Cover bowl 'B' with plastic wrap and poke some holes into it so as to help with the evaporation process.
  5. Refrigerate for 1-4 days and then use as required. 




6 comments:

  1. Your photos always look ace! Any tips?

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    1. Thanks Rachel! I really appreciate your comment. It means a lot ^_^ Most times I post-process my photos ... but only slightly! I don't use photoshop or anything like that. Wishing you a pleasant week xx Maria

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  2. Nice post Maria. But, I feel there is some myth to meringues. I've made a countless amount of meringues in my time and seen many made. I've seen a few bits of yolk make it into the whites and it will still produce a light meringue. Now, I'm not recommending anyone slack on separating yolks and whites, just don't throw away a dozen egg whites because a spec or two of yolk got in there.

    On the other hand, you are VERY right about the keeping all tools and bowls clean. To me, that's the most important part.

    Keep up the good work!

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    1. Hi, Jason, thanks for your detailed comment! I might agree with you if/when using the egg whites immediately. However the fat would get dispersed into the rest of the whites as the hours/days roll by when ageing them and they won't whip up nicely. It would be rather pointless to age whites if there is a chance of them not whipping up. That said, I choose to put any suspicious ones aside for something else where a whole egg is required (rather than binning them) :) Keep well! x Maria

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  3. Dear Maria -- should the curd have a slight egg smell to it as it cooks? I used fresh eggs, and I know that they make up a lot of what's left after the water has evaporated, but the smell still seems a little strong in the pot. It's not really unpleasant, just odorous. Thanks!

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  4. Could I leave the egg out of the fridge and in the shells for a day and use the whites the next day?

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