How to Whisk Eggs
Set out the eggs., Separate the whites from the yolks, if necessary., Figure out how much you need to whisk your egg whites., Select a clean, dry glass, copper, or stainless steel bowl., Choose a clean balloon whisk with many thin wires., Hold the...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Set out the eggs.
Place your eggs on your counter about 30 minutes before you intend to use them.
Eggs whip to a greater volume when they’re at room temperature (between 68° and 70° Fahrenheit or between 20° and 25° Celsius.If you’re short on time, you can place whole eggs in a bowl of warm water for 5 to 10 minutes to bring them to room temperature quickly.
If you only need egg whites for your recipe, separate the eggs while they’re still cold.
The white and yolk will separate easier before they warm up to room temperature. -
Step 2: Separate the whites from the yolks
Crack your egg as close to the middle as possible.
Let the yolk settle in the bottom half of the shell and let the egg whites run into the bowl.
Then use the shell halves to transfer the egg back-and-forth until all of the whites are in the bowl.
You can also crack the egg into your opened hand.
Keep the yolk in the palm of your hand while letting the whites slide through your fingertips into the bowls.
Use a small bowl to catch your egg whites, then transfer them to your larger mixing bowl.
That way, you can help prevent any yolk from getting into the rest of your ingredients. , Depending on your recipe, your egg whites will need to achieve either soft, firm, or stiff peaks.
Soft peaks are those just starting to hold their shape.
If you stop whisking and turn your whisk upside down, the peaks will hold for a second before melting back into themselves.Some recipes ask you to whip the whites to a soft peak stage before adding other ingredients, like sugar.
Firm, or medium, peaks hold their shape longer than soft peaks, but they gradually lose their form, and their peaks flop over.Stiff peaks stand firm when the whisk is turned upside down.
The egg white mixture will be stiff and heavy at this stage.Recipes for meringues require you to whisk or beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. , Never use a plastic bowl to whisk egg whites.
The tiny nicks and scratches in plastic bowls can interfere with the smooth whisking of the egg whites.Chefs prefer copper bowls, because tiny amounts of copper ions combine with the egg whites and help make the egg whites more stable.
Additionally, it is difficult to overbeat eggs in a copper bowl.Copper bowls are expensive, so home chefs typically use glass or stainless steel bowls. , Balloon whisks are characterized by their large, round heads, useful for beating air into egg whites efficiently.Whisks with at least eight sturdy, flexible wires are best for whipping egg whites., Use your other hand to hold onto the bowl.Use a circular motion and make about two rotations around the bowl per second.
After about 30 seconds, your egg whites will begin to look foamy.
You can also try using a figure-eight motion in this step.Keep your egg whites moving constantly and occasionally lift the whisk to incorporate even more air into them. , This acidic by-product from the winemaking process adds stability to your egg whites.The addition of cream of tartar is not necessary if you are using a copper bowl. , Continue to whisk your eggs in a quick, circular motion; you should notice an increase in volume after 2 or 3 minutes of continuous whisking.
As you continue to whip more air into your egg whites, you should reach maximum volume for them in 12–18 minutes.Whisking whites by hand to a stiff peak stage requires tremendous arm strength and much time.
It will take several minutes to achieve stiff peaks when whisking by hand. -
Step 3: if necessary.
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Step 4: Figure out how much you need to whisk your egg whites.
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Step 5: Select a clean
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Step 6: dry glass
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Step 7: copper
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Step 8: or stainless steel bowl.
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Step 9: Choose a clean balloon whisk with many thin wires.
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Step 10: Hold the whisk firmly and begin to slowly whisk the egg whites.
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Step 11: Add cream of tartar to your egg whites once they are foamy.
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Step 12: Increase your speed.
Detailed Guide
Place your eggs on your counter about 30 minutes before you intend to use them.
Eggs whip to a greater volume when they’re at room temperature (between 68° and 70° Fahrenheit or between 20° and 25° Celsius.If you’re short on time, you can place whole eggs in a bowl of warm water for 5 to 10 minutes to bring them to room temperature quickly.
If you only need egg whites for your recipe, separate the eggs while they’re still cold.
The white and yolk will separate easier before they warm up to room temperature.
Crack your egg as close to the middle as possible.
Let the yolk settle in the bottom half of the shell and let the egg whites run into the bowl.
Then use the shell halves to transfer the egg back-and-forth until all of the whites are in the bowl.
You can also crack the egg into your opened hand.
Keep the yolk in the palm of your hand while letting the whites slide through your fingertips into the bowls.
Use a small bowl to catch your egg whites, then transfer them to your larger mixing bowl.
That way, you can help prevent any yolk from getting into the rest of your ingredients. , Depending on your recipe, your egg whites will need to achieve either soft, firm, or stiff peaks.
Soft peaks are those just starting to hold their shape.
If you stop whisking and turn your whisk upside down, the peaks will hold for a second before melting back into themselves.Some recipes ask you to whip the whites to a soft peak stage before adding other ingredients, like sugar.
Firm, or medium, peaks hold their shape longer than soft peaks, but they gradually lose their form, and their peaks flop over.Stiff peaks stand firm when the whisk is turned upside down.
The egg white mixture will be stiff and heavy at this stage.Recipes for meringues require you to whisk or beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. , Never use a plastic bowl to whisk egg whites.
The tiny nicks and scratches in plastic bowls can interfere with the smooth whisking of the egg whites.Chefs prefer copper bowls, because tiny amounts of copper ions combine with the egg whites and help make the egg whites more stable.
Additionally, it is difficult to overbeat eggs in a copper bowl.Copper bowls are expensive, so home chefs typically use glass or stainless steel bowls. , Balloon whisks are characterized by their large, round heads, useful for beating air into egg whites efficiently.Whisks with at least eight sturdy, flexible wires are best for whipping egg whites., Use your other hand to hold onto the bowl.Use a circular motion and make about two rotations around the bowl per second.
After about 30 seconds, your egg whites will begin to look foamy.
You can also try using a figure-eight motion in this step.Keep your egg whites moving constantly and occasionally lift the whisk to incorporate even more air into them. , This acidic by-product from the winemaking process adds stability to your egg whites.The addition of cream of tartar is not necessary if you are using a copper bowl. , Continue to whisk your eggs in a quick, circular motion; you should notice an increase in volume after 2 or 3 minutes of continuous whisking.
As you continue to whip more air into your egg whites, you should reach maximum volume for them in 12–18 minutes.Whisking whites by hand to a stiff peak stage requires tremendous arm strength and much time.
It will take several minutes to achieve stiff peaks when whisking by hand.
About the Author
Natalie Green
Enthusiastic about teaching organization techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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