This site uses only a few technical cookies necessary for its operation. By continuing to browse, you accept their use.
To find out more...
To find out more...
How to beat egg whites
Beat egg whites is very common in cooking and pastry, here are some tips to get there easily.
569 K 3.5/5 (109 reviews)
5 min.
Easy
4 eggs whites
2 IngredientsLast modified on: February 21th 2011
For 4 eggs whites, you will need:
- 1
4 egg whites - 2
½ teaspoon lemon juice (optional) - Total weight: 120 grams
Change these quantities to make:
Change measures:
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 5 min.
Step by step recipe
Stage 1 - 5 min.
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.
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
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:
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 recipe | 6 RDI=2 % | 0 | 0 | 30 RDI=1 % | 110 RDI: 1 % |
| Per 100 g | 5 RDI=2 % | 0 | 0 | 20 RDI=1 % | 90 RDI: 1 % |
| Per egg whites | 1 RDI=1 % | 0 | 0 | 6 RDI=0 % | 30 RDI: 0 % |
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)
Egg white
Like these other recipes: Vanilla ice cream, Walnut paste, Pistachio madeleines, Coconut tuiles, Strawberry sorbet, ... See them all 52
Other recipes you may also like
Almond cream
Light and delicious, it is used in a lot of desserts like tarts, cakes and pies (epiphany galette). August 31th 2025483 K 25 20 min.
Vol-au-vent cases
Vol-au-vents, whether large or bite-sized, need a special pastry case that is hollow to take the filling. Here is how to prepare these delicate cases using puff pastry. October 16th 2013325 K4.1 45 min.
Spinach and hard-boiled egg gratin
In this gratin, spinach and hard-boiled eggs are combined with bechamel sauce and topped with grated cheese. December 18th 2013157 K4.7 35 min.
Lime confectioner's custard (pastry cream)
Taking its inspiration from lemon confectioner's custard, this version has a distinctive lime flavour. Both juice and zest are used to combine the juice's slight acidity with a hint of bitterness from the zest. July 21th 2019117 K3 60 min.
Smoky sausage and mash
This is sausage and mash with a smoky Gallic twist: the smoked sausage (Morteau sausage here) is cooked in with the potatoes, so that they take on its smoky flavour. The potatoes are turned into a French-style purée – softer and richer than British mash. July 21th 202145 K 1 hour 35 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2025-10-12)
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Post a comment or question
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.
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.