How to beat egg whites


How to beat egg whites
Beat egg whites is very common in cooking and pastry, here are some tips to get there easily.
561 K 3.5/5 (109 reviews)
Grade this recipe:
Keywords:
Last modified on: February 21th 2011
For 4 eggs whites, you will need:
  • 1 egg white 4 egg whites
  • 2 lemon juice ½ teaspoon lemon juice (optional)
  • Total weight: 120 grams

Times for this recipe
Preparation: 5 min.

Step by step recipe


Stage 1 - 5 min.
How to beat egg whites
Whisk at high speed.

You can add a teaspoon of lemon juice before you start beating to prevent them from "graining" (forming small grains), which can happen with very fresh egg whites.

If the egg whites are to be sweetened (for meringues, for example), add 2 tablespoons of the sugar halfway through the whipping, to support them and help them rise.

Stage 2
How to beat egg whites
Beating egg whites incorporates air, which creates a foam made up of ever smaller bubbles of air and drops of white (albumen + water), see the microscope photo on right.

This fact give us some rules for egg whites:
  • Fresh egg whites give better results that old ones, because they contain more water.
  • If you add water or a liquid which contains some (fruit juice, ...) to egg whites to be beaten, you will have a greater volume of foam.
  • Fat is the enemy when beating egg whites, because it obstructs or prevents the formation of foam, so it's necessary to be sure that the egg whites contain no traces of yolk (not a drop), and that the container that you're going to use is completely clean (be particularly careful with plastic bowls).
Remarks
Contrary to popular belief, adding a pinch of salt to the egg whites before beating them doesn't help.
Keeping: 1 hour bfore use.
Source: Home made.
Nutritional information
Proteins (gr)Carbohydrates (gr)Fats (gr)Energy value (in k-calories)Energy value (in k-joules)
Whole recipe6 RDI=2 %0030 RDI=1 %110 RDI: 1 %
Per 100 g5 RDI=2 %0020 RDI=1 %90 RDI: 1 %
Per egg whites1 RDI=1 %006 RDI=0 %30 RDI: 0 %
The % figures are calculated in relation to the Recommended Dietary Intake , or RDI of 2,000 k-calories (or 8,400 k-joules) per day for a woman Change to a man
Possible allergens in this recipe: egg
How much will it cost?
  • For 4 eggs whites : 0.35 €
  • Per egg whites : 0.10 €

Change currency:

Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
This recipe uses (among others)
Other recipes you may also like
Natural leaven
Natural leaven
Leaven is a natural raising agent, a fermented mixture of water, flour and the microscopic yeasts which are present in the air. It's a delicate living substance, sensitive to the external environment. The recipe is around 4000 years old and dates back to the Egypt of the Pharaohs, via a beautiful...
April 3rd 20201.71 M 304.0 7 days 15 min.
Scandinavian cocktail
Scandinavian cocktail
A very refreshing starter, containing prawns and smoked fish.
February 21th 2011302 K5 55 min.
Quick bramble jelly
Quick bramble jelly
Fruit jelly is jam made with the juice only. All the skin and seeds are strained out, which gives a very smooth texture. Here's a quick recipe which will give you an excellent jelly, and which keeps the full flavour of the blackberries thanks to its very brief cooking.
July 5th 2013285 K4.2 50 min.
Kouign-amann
Kouign-amann
Kouign-amann is a traditional cake from Brittany. the name means butter cake in Breton (Kouign = cake, amann = butter). It is a sort of caramelized millefeuille, crunchy on the outside and melting in the middle.
May 24th 2018145 K4.3 6 hours 40 min.
Late Winter Soup with Fresh Spinach
Late Winter Soup with Fresh Spinach
This is a delicious recipe for an end-of-winter soup. It combines fresh spinach with diced potato and smoked sausage.
May 10th 201579 K4.9 50 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com

Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2025-07-20)

*Your e-mail Your first name or nickname
I am not a leaving thing
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Post a comment or question
Posted by:
I am not a leaving thing

Follow this recipe (as 5 people already do)
If you are interested in this recipe, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the recipe is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
I am not a leaving thing
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.

Back to top of page