- Start whisking gently to slowly start building the network of bubbles, then increase speed. Use a hand-held electric whisk, free-standing mixer or balloon whisk, rather than a food processor with a whisk attachment, as this rarely gives maximum volume.
- Once mixture turns opaque, the first stage the egg whites reach is soft peak. To test this, dip the beaters into mixture then turn them upside down. The peak of the white should flop over to the side and just hold its shape.
- The next stage is medium peak. To test this, dip the beaters into the mixture again. The peak of the white should only bend a little and hold its shape well.
- The final stage is stiff peak. To test this, dip the beaters into the mixture again. The egg whites will stand in a peak pointing straight up and shouldn't drop when you turn the bowl upside down!
- Don’t over whisk the whites anymore than stiff peak or they will be dry and powdery which makes them difficult to use. Use the egg whites as soon as they’re whisked, if left to stand they will lose volume and collapse.
Use your skills to make these triple-tested recipes:
Espresso Martini Meringue Tart
Rhubarb, Rose and Orange Pavlova
Or, whisk up some egg whites to create 44 of the best marvellous meringue recipes
The GH Kitchen Team are Good Housekeeping’s resident recipe developers and all-round food obsessives. GH Kitchen Director Sarah Akhurst is our resident hosting pro and loves nothing more than putting on a foodie feast for friends. Our GH Kitchen Manager Linzi Pucino is our very own Italian food expert (originally hailing from the North East of Scotland!) and can be found working her way through midweek recipes that cover all bases, from haggis to ragu! Our Kitchen Editor Nadine Brown loves digging into the stories behind her favourite foods and enjoys applying her eclectic tastes to more modern, flavour-forward recipes - just don't give her too much chilli! Our Junior Food Content Produce Frankie Prichard combines a love of beautiful presentation and flavour-led, seasonal cooking in her recipe development, along with a passion for bringing people together through food. With a wealth of professional kitchen experience between them, they’re dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work every single time
