Separating Eggs

There are a couple of ways to separate eggs; learn about them and choose which one is best for you.

Separating eggs is one of those kitchen tasks that children love and adults dread. If the tiniest bit of egg yolk gets into the egg whites, the whites will not beat to fluffy peaks. Use separated egg whites and yolks in these recipes:

• Chocolate Chip Meringue Bars
• Lemon Meringue Pie
• My Signature Cake

Here are a few foolproof ways to separate your whites from the yolks.

• Use your fingers! Carefully break the egg into your cupped hand, held over the egg white bowl. Gently jiggle your fingers, letting the whites stream through, keeping the yolk intact. Then just drop the yolk into another bowl.
• Use an egg separating tool I myself prefer the simple plastic egg separators. All you have to do is carefully break the egg over the separator. The yolk will plop into the basket, and the whites will flow into the container below.
• Use the egg shell This is the most difficult method; gently crack the egg over the egg white bowl and, using the two halves of the shell, rock the yolk back and forth between the halves, letting the whites flow into the bowl. The danger here is that the sharp edges of the shell can pierce the yolk, ruining your efforts.

More tips: separate the eggs while they're still cold from the fridge because it's easier. Let the whites warm up for 30 minutes or so before beating them because they'll reach a higher volume. If a bit of eggshell gets into the whites, use another piece of eggshell to remove it. And practice! This is one baking skill where you'll improve with time and experience.