Why do egg whites whip up into fluffy white meringue clouds? What techniques will produce the best meringue?

When egg whites are beaten, they stretch and trap air bubbles. Smaller air bubbles will last longer and be and more stable than large air bubbles. Using the right beater will determine the end result. A balloon whisk for your mixer, or a hand operated balloon whisk will produce the best meringue. Be sure to beat the egg whites at high speed to insure good aeration.

Adding an acid such as 1/8 tsp. cream of tartar per large egg will strengthen the egg white proteins. Add sugar, if the recipe calls for it, after adding the cream of tartar. Sugar also strengthens the meringue. Once the foamy whites are established and no liquid egg white is apparent, add the sugar slowly (about one tablespoon per 30 seconds to one minute). The sugar needs to dissolve uniformly. Adding the sugar before the egg whites reach the soft peak stage can result in “plastic-like” meringue.

Fat is the enemy of meringue, in fact, egg whites will not foam in the presence of fat. A dirty mixing bowl, or even the slightest bit of wayward yolk will cause a failure to foam.

If you have a copper mixing bowl, the ions in the copper will release and act like an acid to assist in fortifying the foam, and give a creamy look to the meringue. Copper also helps to keep the whites cooler than in a glass or other type of metal mixing bowl.

A note: a too small mixing bowl will not allow for the production of good foam, and the foam could collapse. Allow approximately 1 cup of bowl volume per egg (white).

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