I’m trying to make some meringues. I whisked the eggs. They went all fluffy, but not what I’d consider “firm”, which is what all the recipies I have called for. So I kept whisking (using both a manual whisk and a handheld electric one) and the fluffyness went away and now the egg whites are a soggy mixture and I’ve been whisking for a good five or ten minutes and it’s not stiffening at all. Do I need to keep going? Was the fluffy bit the “stiff” bit? Have I missed something?
It sounds like you overbeat and ruined them. There’s a test you need to do when they get fluffy – pick up the whisk and examine the “peaks”. Do they flop over gently? You have “soft peaks”. Are they rigid and unbending when exposed to gravity? That’s “firm [or “stiff”] peaks”, which is probably what you want for a meringue. Don’t beat them after that stage, or you’ll deflate them, as you’ve seen.
Sugar helps with meringue. Whip them a bit, then add sugar gradually. Egg whites will take quite a lot of sugar, which gives strength to the meringue.
Someone more experienced might come along and detail this better than I have.
A pinch of cream of tartar, at the beginning, adds stability as well. If you happen to be using an unlined copper bowl, you won’t need the cream of tartar; the copper reacts mysteriously with the eggs and has the same stabilizing effect.
There’s two things really important when preparing meringues:
First - make sure that there’s absolutely NO yolk traces in the egg whites or they won’t get firm. This also applies to fat of any kind. If you have whisked butter with the whisk previously, for example, you need to make sure that it’s thoroughly cleaned.
Second - everything that comes into contact with the egg whites needs to be really cold. It works best when you put the whisk and the bowl and the egg whites into the fridge for some time, especially in the summer.
To test the firmness, I use a knife. You cut into the meringue mass, if you can clearly see the cut it’s firm enough.
Your egg whites sound ruined, I am afraid to say, as masonite already stated you probably overbeat them…
Forgot to mention: fat is deadly to egg whites. Make sure everything is scrupulously clean, and separate each egg into a small bowl or saucer, adding each white to the mixing bowl only when you’re sure it’s entirely free of yolk. Also, don’t use a plastic bowl; they’re never 100% clean and will add enough fat (from previous uses) to ruin your meringue.
Although I’m in no position to refute Ms. Child, I myself have had much better luck with meringue when starting with chilled egg whites. Try this: chill 15 minutes. Whip until fluffy/frothy, add 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar, whip to “soft peak” stage (when you lift the whisk, a peak will form but will droop over). Then add sugar gradually. If, for instance, the recipe calls for 6 tbsp, add it one tbsp at a time and sprinkle it in with one hand while whipping with the other. This will make it glossy and it will form stiff peaks. Everybody’s right about the fat. No fat! Absolutely!