I can never get my egg whites to peak. My mixutre always stays runny.... please help....

Hi ran07- and welcome to Spice Place!

How are you whipping your egg whites? Using an electric mixer- or hand-whipping? Are you adding cream of tarter to them?

first, are your beaters and bowl absolutely clean and especially oil free.
and is there not a smidgen of yolk in the whites?? if you think there is, always just start over with new whites.
Are you adding a bit of cream of tarter or other acid and adding the sugar very slowly??

here is some meringue info--
Perfect Meringues - Allrecipes

Happy Holidays,
Nan

Thank you both. Yes, all is clean and dry. I have tried both using a large whip by hand and also a hand mixer. I use a recipie with cream of tartar. I will try adding the sugar *much* more slowly and see how that works. Thanks again!

Always start with a clean, dry bowl. The bowl must be grease free, because any amount of oil or fat will wreck a meringue. Glass, ceramic, stainless steel, and copper bowls are all suitable. However much plastic bowls may appear clean, they may still have trace amounts of oil on their surface ? as a result it is best to not use them at all.

· Cold eggs separate easily, but eggs whip to a higher volume when at room temperature. The solution is to separate the cold eggs, and then set them aside for 10 or 15 minutes. Separate each egg into two small bowls, one for the white and one for the yolk, and then add the white portion to the larger bowl. This also allows you to reserve any with broken yolks for another purpose. NOTE - Even a small amount of yolk can deflate the egg whites, so always be careful when handling the whites.



INGREDIENTS AND METHOD

Many people have great success using cream of tartar, white vinegar, or lemon juice to stabilize the meringue. Try adding 1/8 teaspoon of one of these per egg white to the unbeaten eggs. If you are using a copper bowl to whip the egg whites in, the addition of the cream of tartar is not necessary. Continue whipping until medium soft peaks begin to form. Then beat in 2 tablespoons of white sugar per egg white and continue to beat until egg whites are glossy and hold a firm peak.



A never-fail method for producing the perfect meringue is one that uses a cornstarch and water mixture. Stir together, and heat to form a gel. Then beat gradually into the meringue. This is an excellent way to avoid shrinking problems.



Spread the meringue over piping hot filling, and spread to the edges to seal. Hot filling is necessary to insure that the inside of the meringue cooks, preventing weeping. Hint: Fine cake crumbs sprinkled lightly over the filling will absorb liquid between the layers (another preventative against weeping).



The preferred baking method is one that combines high temperatures with a short baking time. This prevents overcooking the outside (and also prevents beading). Bake at 425º F (220º C) for 4 to 5 minutes.