1,473 easy and fully explained recipes, with +66K photos and 78 videos

Preserving egg yolks

If you're using only the egg whites in a recipe (such as meringues ), you'll need to store the yolks until you're ready to use them again.
There's nothing very complicated about this in principle - all you have to do is chill them, but there are a few pitfalls to be avoided in practice.

4,437 5/5 (35 reviews)

Keywords for this post:Yolk Egg Storage Fridge Cold

Last modified on: June 18^th 2024

For this post: Comment Follow Send to a friend

Preserving egg yolks

Intact yolks if possible

Here's something to keep in mind: whole, or intact, yolks keep much better than if they're punctured, or liquid.
This is because the thin film that forms them, the membrane, also protects them from the outside, and prevents them from drying out.
So, as long as possible, keep them in their intact form, even if in your next recipe you'll have to crack them to incorporate them. It's best to do this at the last minute.

The enemy of yolks: dryness

The simplest and most natural way to chill yolks is to put them in a ramekin (or other small container), and place it in the fridge.

jaunes d'oeufs récipient frigo

But there are two small errors here: yolks fear dryness, and as the membrane is very fragile and thin, it will quickly dry out and stick, especially if left in the open air, and even more so if left in the cold, which tends to dry everything out.

Well-preserved yolks

So how do you keep your yolks in good condition?
You just need to do 2 things:

1) Put 1 teaspoon of neutral oil or even water in the bottom of the container before the yolks, then pour in the yolks.

jaunes d’œufs huilés pour le frigo

This will prevent them from drying out on contact with the container and sticking to the bottom.

2) Wrap the container with the yolks at all costs, or use a container with a lid, to isolate them from the air as much as possible.

Don't worry either, if you get one or more yolks punctured, it's no big deal, just a little less easy to handle, as the liquid yolks are very thick and sticky, and you'll have a bit of trouble emptying the container completely without loss (a maryse will be almost indispensable).

jaunes d'oeufs crevés et intacts

To sum up: try to keep your yolks intact, in a filmed or closed container, over a teaspoon of oil or water to prevent them from sticking.

Lasts posts

Travel cakes

You may have come across the term "travel cakes" ("gateaux de voyage" in french) for certain pastries, so let's take a look at what they're all about.
January 27^th 20251,456

The aromatic power of sugar

In the kitchen, sugar doesn't just sweeten, it also has an exceptional ability to capture flavors. Combined with aromatic ingredients, such as citrus zest, it acts as a veritable sponge for aromas. By taking the time to let the sugar soak up the flavors, you can transform your desserts, making...
December 25^th 20241,8335

The little trap of thick cream

When you need to add cream to a recipe, you might be wondering: thick (heavy) cream or liquid cream? In most cases, there's no big difference: you can use either. But there is one exception, and that's when the cream needs to be cooked, for a sauce for example, and here the difference between...
December 13^th 20242,7545

Sauce and salad: When and how to mix them?

When dressing a salad, there's a kind of golden rule: add the dressing very shortly before serving, especially if your salad contains crunchy elements such as croutons or fresh vegetables, which will retain their crunchiness or crispiness. But, as is often the case in the kitchen, there are...
November 29^th 20242,8975

No need to boil gelatin

Gelatin is a magical ingredient for making light, creamy, structured desserts, yet it's often misused in the kitchen. A common mistake in some recipes is the idea that it needs to be boiled for it to work properly, but this is a mistake indeed: gelatin melts at a much lower temperature, around...
November 21^th 20242,6475

See all posts Random post RSS feeds

Other pages you may also like

The super powers of cornstarch

I start this new year by evoking an old product, that you most probably have in your cupboards, a white powder, often in a small cardboard package with a slightly outdated look, only the "gluten free" is relatively recent, it is simply cornstarch, hence its name of maïzena. It's used for a lot...
January 14^th 202210 K

Salt and yeast

Let's take a look at an old baker's legend: You may have already read that somewhere in a recipe that uses baker's yeast(bread, pastries, leavened doughs in general) it is often specified "Don't put salt in contact with the yeast, you'll kill it (the yeast)"! Well, that's a belief, and there are...
March 15^th 201970 K4.3

Fruits which can ruin your jelly

There are many ways of making a fruit mousse, but one of the simplest is to prepare a fruit jelly (basically a fresh fruit coulis with gelatine) and then mix this jelly before it sets completely with whipped cream. The result is perfect for filling a charlotte, for example. But do beware;...
March 6^th 201373 K4.0

Chive flowers

Did you know that? Chive flowers are not only a beautiful purple color, but they are also edible and delicious.
May 29^th 201944 K4.4

Sugar syrups

In cooking, and especially in pastry, we often use sugar syrups, a simple mixture of water and sugar in varying proportions. Here is a presentation of their differences. .
January 17^th 20238,0454.8