meringue question/help please

[shelley72]

hi i was going to try the recipe for mini meringues from the fay ripley book this afternoon, and it calls for white vinegar. this isnt the same as white wine vinegar is it? i dont remember seeing it at the supermarket before (tho maybe because ive not looked)?
would the recipe work without it?
tia

I think the 'white' vinegar is the clear distilled malt vinegar. Personally speaking, I don't bother with vinegar in meringues. It may alter the texture, I don't know. But have not had any complaints!

No, it's not the same, and I wouldn't use wine vinegar. Just don't use any. It'll be fine. The vinegar just helps the egg whites to whip quickly.

So long as your bowl is spotlessly clean, your egg whites have no yolk in and you have an electric mixer or an immunity to wankers' cramp you'll be fine :)

i've never used vinegar in meringues before so i am sure it'll work fine

white vinegar is usually with the malt vinegar in the supermarket, not the same as white wine vinegar

I've been making some today

I use 2 oz of caster sugar per egg white and that's it.

I think the pavlovas put other things such as cream of tartar, vinegar etc. But for straight forward meringues, you just need your eggs and sugar and the squeaky clean bowl.

but for those in the know ..... why have some come out perfect little mounds of whiteness and others have browny caramel ooze coming out of the bottom?

Depends mainly on the temperature/length of cooking.

The really perfect, snow-white ones that you see in shops/on cookery shows are usually Italian meringue, which is made differently and is cooked by whisking the egg whites with very hot sugar syrup.

thank you! will attempt tomorrow (sidetracked now with dinner) and come back if they dont look as they do in her picture . i have never attempted meringues before - they are one of the things that frighten me (along with home made custard and bechamel) so fingers crossed!

Any vinegar is fine - I usually use malt

I think the weeping thing may be to do with adding too much sugar at a time, and before the previous lot is really fully incorporated. I am an impatient meringue maker, so always suffer with it, except when I force myself to do it properly and only add a dessert spoonful of sugar at a time. Might that be it for you?

I used to make the most glorious pavlovas in a restaurant. We whisked the egg whites and sugar together for ages (none of the pantsing about adding a little at a time), then added white wine vinegar and vanilla.

I've always used white wine vinegar for meringue. Works well. Yum...

I always use malt vinegar in my meringues and they haven't failed yet (and I have made a lot).

I use a recipe where I add a bit of cornflour mixed to a paste with vinegar or lemon juice. Makes the most delicious chewy meringues.

well i made the meringues this morning and i think that they are edible at least crisp on the outside but a bit marshmallowey in the middle - is this because i left out the vinegar? taste fine enough though. i do now have 2 egg yolks that i have yet to find a home for. i did see this morning that they sell liquid egg yolk? has anyone used this - the carton says its more economical than buying eggs?!