meringue sweating

[maxmillan]

My sister made a lemon meringue pie (from a package) and made a meringue with egg whites. She baked this at 350F for 20 minutes. While it was cooling on the counter the meringue started sweating.

I make my meringue from scratch but use a blowtorch for caramelizing the meringue and never have this problem.

She wants to bake the meringue instead of using a blowtorch so what can she do to avoid meringue sweat?

[ladyyoung98]

thats a new one on me...when i bake my meringues i never have the sweating problems so im not what to tell you there..though you might want to recheck the temp called for as well as the time as it seesm to me that the heat may not be high enough and the cook time may be overly long? i dont recall that mine was ever in the oven for more than five to seven minutes and got the nice brown coloration

[glossyp]

Check this earlier thread - they might have some hints which will help answer the question.

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=61040

[bripastryguy]

To add to this topic....

I make a few desserts at my shop that are topped with meringue...

Meringue

6 c Egg Whites

3# 12 oz granulated sugar

cooked over a waterbath until stinging temp( I dont know exact temp, but you know what I'm takin about) Not whipping just stirring until hot. Place mix in 20 Qt mixer with whip and turn machine on speed 2. It takes forever but when done at this slow rate most of the time meringue turns out great. But there are many instances when after the meringue has been pipied, torched and refrigerated it leaches out liquid and deflates.

A side note- All the desserts are frozen and sold that way, usually they are fine. Why does sometimes it leak and other times it doesnt?

[Peachpie9]

I have read that the key to keeping meringues from sweating or weeping is SEALING the dessert with the meringue. That is, when you mound the meringue on the filling, be SURE to seal completely by making sure the meringue contacts the crust UNINTERRUPTEDLY. If you leave the tinyest hole, the filling reacts with the meringue to cause the sweating or weeping. It works for me every time, but my husband hates meringue, so I make it infrequently. Mmmmmm, lemon meringue pie!

Catherine

Edited March 31, 2005 by Peachpie9 (log)

[DiH]

My trusty ol' BH&G cookbook cautions, "To prevent weeping (the watery layer that forms between the meringue and filling), spoon meringue onto piping hot filling to help the underside of the meringue cook at the same rate as the top surface. Don't underbake meringue."

Di

[Wendy DeBord]

usually they are fine. Why does sometimes it leak and other times it doesnt?

I wish I had the answer Brian. I can't seem to find a perfectly consistant answer myself. I've tried all the methods, including The Bakers Dozen cornstarch method...........none seem to work always. Just bringing your meringue to the crust to seal it doesn't prevent weaping. Nor does putting it on a hot or cold filling solve this issue. Placing cake crumbs between your meringue and filling to absorb the weaping can work, but alters your product too much for my taste....and just leaves you with a soggie wierd layer between the two.

The best solution I've had is using meringue powder instead of fresh whites. Some of the comerical meringue powders taste better then others, so you have to shop around. I've got some right now that's pretty close to dried whites with no sugar added. I add xxxsugar to taste and often I add vanilla too.

[Sarah Phillips]

My sister made a lemon meringue pie (from a package) and made a meringue with egg whites.  She baked this at 350F for 20 minutes.  While it was cooling on the counter the meringue started sweating.

I make my meringue from scratch but use a blowtorch for caramelizing the meringue and never have this problem.

She wants to bake the meringue instead of using a blowtorch so what can she do to avoid meringue sweat?

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Maxmillan,

Another big culprit of weeping meringue comes from simply overbaking it. 20 minutes is a long time .... Your sister should bake it for about 12 minutes (at 350 degrees F) or until the topping is lightly browned on the very peaks of the meringue, not all over....

Edited March 31, 2005 by Sarah Phillips (log)