What is it?

Egg white is a mixture of protein (10%) and water. Egg whites have myriad kitchen uses: they help dry out and crisp baked goods; in deep-fry batters, whites repel grease, making a lighter product. But egg whites are best known for how they whip up to lofty heights in soufflés, meringues, angel food cakes, and much more.

Kitchen math:

Most recipes call for large egg whites. If the recipe doesn’t specify, assume large.

An extra-large egg yields 2-2/3 Tbs. whites

A large egg yields 2-1/4 Tbs. whites

A medium egg yields 2 Tbs. whites

Don’t have it?

Packaged egg whites can take the place of fresh eggs in many recipes.

How to choose:

When it comes to choosing eggs for whipping, professional opinions differ. As eggs age, the whites become thinner and whip easily to great volume. Fresher eggs are more viscous so they take longer to beat, but some cooks think that the resulting foam is more stable. For making clouds of meringue in particular, you can use older whites for extra volume and add a little cream of tartar to stabilize the foam.

How to prep:

Egg separate best when cold, but egg whites whip up better at room temperature. When separating eggs, it’s important that none of the yolks mix with the whites. Yolks contain fat, and even a tiny amount of fat will ruin an egg white’s ability to trap and hold air. Before you begin, set three bowls or containers on the counter in front of you. Crack an egg and separate the white into one bowl, put the yolk in the second bowl, and then pour the cleanly separated white into the third. Repeat with each egg. That way, if a yolk breaks or an egg is spoiled, you won’t contaminate the entire batch of already-separated whites. If you spot a small speck of yolk in the whites, use a clean egg shell to scoop it out; it will attract the yolk like a magnet.

How to store:

Separated egg whites will hold for a few day in the refrigerator covered tightly. Egg whites can also be frozen for longer storage.

Cross Reference

eggs; egg yolks

Recipes

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  Recipe

  Chocolate and Peppermint Macarons

  Put a fun holiday spin on these delicate French meringue sandwich cookies by rolling them in crushed peppermint candies. As with any macaron, they require a bit of work and…

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  Recipe

  Sweet Potato Pie with Marshmallow Fluff

  A riff on the classic sweet-potato-and-marshmallow Thanksgiving side, this not-too-sweet pie has a light, billowy topping; together, they make a perfect bite. Torching the topping is optional but adds toasty…

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  Recipe

  Very Vanilla Layer Cake

  Simple, understated, and elegant, this deeply vanilla cake is moist, yet light and airy, thanks to the addition of beaten egg whites. Pair it with Very Vanilla Frosting or use…

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  Recipe

  Islas Flotantes

  In this tropical rendition of the classic French dessert île flottante (floating island), meringues are poached in a mixture of coconut milk and puréed fruit, instead of the traditional custard.

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  Recipe

  Pistachio Amaretti

  These cookies are crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside, and a subtle shade of green all over. Pistachios are grown in Sicily, so it’s traditional for Sicilians to…

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  Recipe

  Ricciarelli

  These cookies from the almond-growing region of Siena date back to at least the 15th century. They’re melt-in-your-mouth tender, but with a nice chew. Their cracked, snowy-white tops make a…

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  Recipe

  General Tso’s Chicken

  This version of General Tso’s Chicken resembles the original created by Peng Chang-Kuei in Taiwan. Strictly speaking it is not a traditional Hunan dish, but the technique and flavors are…

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  Recipe

  Blueberry Crostata with Lemon Ice Cream

  Lemon ice cream is a diva—it has to be the star of an á la mode duo—so we’ve paired it with a rustic blueberry crostata that’s not fussed up with…

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  Recipe

  Espresso-Chocolate Marble Chiffon Cake

  Use your choice of chocolate for the glaze—milk chocolate will contrast the coffee flavor and sweeten the cake, while dark chocolate will add a rich, pleasantly bitter edge.

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  Recipe

  Chocolate Stout Macaroons

  You might be surprised how well a dark, bitter beer like stout complements sweet coconut. Melted dark chocolate helps marry the contrasting flavors.