Egg-beating

[Mama Mangia]

EGG-BEATING


Successful egg-beating is very important in cooking.

Usually there are two different stages: soft peak and stiff peak.

To make soft peak egg whites, use medium speed on your electric mixer and beat the egg whites until they foam and turn white. When lifting the beaters you should have a soft curl. If adding sugar for the recipe, add gradually after you have reached the soft peak stage.

For stiff peak egg whites, continue beating until they turn whiter and the peaks stand straight up when you lift the beaters. At this point, no more air can be held by the egg whites and if you continue to beat, the whites will break down, dry and lose volume.

[Raquelita]

Do you ever think about how much work it must have been to beat eggs by hand before they had beaters? Makes me very thankful for that particular appliance!

[Mama Mangia]

Been there - done that!!!!

[aeiou]

It is like making whipped topping from fresh cream, without the modern day mixer it was extremely difficult and your arm and hand tired out before you had it completed.

[Mrs. Chipotle]

Originally Posted by Raquelita

Do you ever think about how much work it must have been to beat eggs by hand before they had beaters? Makes me very thankful for that particular appliance!

I often had that thought while reading the Little House on the Prairie books because they often talked about beating egg whites by hand. What a chore!

[Mama Mangia]

Geez - I must be an ancient relic here!!! That is how I learned.

I bet none of you remember the cake recipes - BEAT 300 STROKES.

That's where the old joke came from - "Did you know that Betty Crocker was STIR crazy?"

All the old recipes called for 100 strokes, 300 strokes - geez - now I really feel like a dinosaur!!!!

[Mrs. Chipotle]

I do remember the brownie mixes that said to mix by hand 50 strokes. I always thought that was barely enough to get everything moistened, though I suppose that was the point.

Sheesh, and now I am craving a brownie.

[Upennmama]

I always beat my eggs and whipped cream by hand. I don't know why, I have a stand mixer! I am just a martyr, I guess.

[BagCSC]

I have beating them by hand as well....what a pain. I had a mixer, but could only find one of the beaters, so didnt have a choice.

[DevilsCharm]

I don't mix unless it's with an electric beater, those things work great. I didn't know anything about that peak thing, I just beat until it looks good.