Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase using my links.
In the south, we’re serious about a few things. Crispy Fried Chicken, luscious potato salad, fluffy biscuits on Sunday morning and Pie. Pie of all kinds ranks high on the southern cooks dessert list, but especially Meringue pies. Lemon, Chocolate, Coconut and Key Lime just scratch the surface of what a good southern cook can top with her perfect ‘mile high’ meringue. Don’t mention topping any of those pies with cool whip or whipped topping, you’ll be shooed from the kitchen faster than a black cat!
Southern cooks of all experience will tell you in a snap that their pride and joy is being able to make the perfect meringue for their pies. Its an art, but one that with a little practice, you can accomplish. (Not to be confused with Carrie, the merengue dancing dog)
Letterman removed this video.
She’s actually very talented ! (cute eh?) Ok, I had to show you that!
I’ve been through the trials, the tribulations and failures of weepy meringues, flat meringues and just plain sticky gooey meringue that just doesn’t taste good. So here are my tips for the perfect meringue. (I don’t use cream of tartar or cornstarch to get these fluffy clouds of goodness, just time, love and a good mixer)
Be sure your utensils and your hands are scrupulously clean and perfectly dried.
- Start with eggs that are a few days old. Any good southern cook will tell you that ‘perfectly fresh’ eggs don’t whip up as voluminously as eggs that are 3 days or so old.
- If you’re making a meringue pie, do it on a dry, non humid day. Humidity =moisture in the air, if you’re whipping in air, that humidity will affect your meringue
- Separate your eggs while they’re cold. Its just easier to separate white from yolk when they’re cold and the tiniest bit of yolk will ruin a good meringue.
- Don’t use your hands to separate the egg yolk from the whites. I know its the most convenient way for most of us, but fat and oil can wreck a good meringue too! Use a separator or just use the shells, transferring the yolk back and forth between the two and letting the whites fall into one bowl and the yolks into another.
- Use glass, copper or metal bowls and keep your hands out of the bowls and away from any surface that would touch the egg whites. Again, its the oil thing. Plastic bowls often retain oils from foods and the slightest oil from your hands will not help your meringue.
- After you’ve separated your egg whites from yolks, let them sit for about 30 minutes until they’ve reached room temperature. (about 70°).Its all about the foam, the bubbles the volume. Basically when you’re making meringue you’re whipping air into the egg whites, more air=more volume. A cold egg takes longer to whip than one at room temp and a beaten egg white can foam to 6 to 8 times its original volume if the egg whites have been at room temperature for 30 minutes before beating. (so say the folks at the egg board)
- Don’t start beating your egg whites and take a break to chat on the phone or answer the door. Once you’ve placed your egg whites in a tall bowl and attached your whisk attachment to your mixer, don’t stop until they reach the soft peak stage. Set your mixer to medium high and go for it.
- Add the sugar after the whites have reached the soft peak stage (they’re fluffy and when you lift the beater the peaks fold over the beater edge) . Superfine sugar works the best when making meringues. Don’t worry if you don’t have this in the pantry though, you can make your own using your food processor or blender by pulsing your sugar a few times to break the crystals up into smaller ones.
- Add your sugar in gradually. I use a tablespoon to do this, adding in about 1/4 cup of sugar per egg white. Sugar stiffens the foam of the egg whites and you can check to see if the sugar is completely dissolved by rubbing a bit of the mixture between your fingers. DON’T put your fingers into the meringue, use a clean spoon to dip some out. If it feels gritty, continue beating some more.
- Your pie meringue is done when you lift the beater out and the whites stand at attention! Again, don’t take a break during the process, start it and work it through and you’ll have the perfect mile high meringue for your pies!
- Make your meringue first. Then make the pie filling. The warmth from the pie filling begins the cooking process and makes the meringue less likely to shrink away from the sides of your pie crust.
- Baking longer and slower (325°) for about 25 minutes will help your meringue cook through better and give you those gloriously browned peaks.
- Don’t put a meringue pie in the refrigerator. Store at room temp under a glass or metal bowl. If you store in the fridge, you’ll have leaky, weepy meringue.
- Use a sharp knife dipped in water to cut meringue pies cleanly, wipe and dip in cool water between slices.
Meringue pies are lots of work, don’t misunderstand me, but they’re oh so yummy and you’ll revel in the joy from the folks around the table!
What are your best tips for great pies? Got a favorite meringue recipe? Share em with us!
Great tips for meringue!
The first lesson I learned, and the hard way I might add, was about meringues! I LOVE LOVE LOVE making Pavlova, which IS, meringues! Using fresh eggs was not the way to do it!
I’m so glad you brought that point up. I think it’s really important to fluffy, high, WONDERFUL meringue!
I love a mile high meringue… and even the little meringue goodies… but yeah…give those eggs a little time don’t shoot for the super fresh ones in the fridge.. you’ll never get that high and mighty fluff!
Thanks for this awesome post!! My dad was a HUGE cream pie lover and mom always made a banana cream and coconut cream for him…….then suddenly she started having trouble with the meringue……I think it was getting all runny in the pie (under the meringue) I can’t remember exactly because it’s been about 8 yrs ago…….she never could figure out what was going wrong, when she never had the problem before………but dad passed away 7 years ago, and I don’t think she’s made a cream pie since then :-(
I’ll have to share this post with her.
Great tips!!! Meringue always scares me a little, but it’s so pretty!
its not scary, really! just follow the tips.. and you’re golden
I’m curious about one thing, do you ever add vanilla to flavor at all? Or let it go with just egg whites and sugar? Thanks! Great tips. I’ve had the hardest relationship with Meringue my whole life. Mostly it tastes great, but goes flat. =(
never add flavoring. the egg whites will not come to a stiff peak. You’ll simply have cooked egg whites as the alcohol will interact and cook them
Do you only use sugar and egg whites, mine calls for cream of tartar and some corn starch. My momma always used just egg whites and sugar but I have wondered why some call for this
adding cream of tartar isn’t necessary nor is corn starch. If you’re making your meringue on a good dry day. The additives only make it have a funny taste
I love lemon meringue pie. It is one of my all time favorites, but I have never attempted to make it myself, though.
Although it might seem intimidating, its really easy, if you follow the tips. I’ve made my share of bad ones. But I love making it now.
Thanks for these tips! I’ve always been a little intimated so I haven’t tried making meringue but I’ll be sure to try it after reading this!
Meringue for me was always an enigma, until I listened to what my mama said!
Great tips! I have never made a meringue pie, but now I want to! I have made apple pies and blueberry pies before though!
I just listened to my mama. Mine always were a fail, until I finally listened.. and bam!
My mom makes this kind of pie. It’s absolutely delicious! I am glad that I now have a recipe to go by, thanks to you!
Enjoy!
Meringue is the absolute best way to top any cream or refrigerated pie! Dump the coolwhip go with meringue!
Great tips! I don’t think I can never make this lol you make it look way too easy
It really IS easy! Try it and lmk what you think!
Thanks for the inside scoop on making the most amazing meringue. My family’s sweet tooth (sweet teeth?) will be 100% satisfied tonight!
yep we got the teeth satisfied! <3
Those peaks look amazing, I bow down to your meringue skills. I am a pie failure but I want to learn, time to start practicing right?
yep, time to start practicing! Honestly I’ve had more fail than success over the years, but my lemon meringue pie (with the mile high meringue) is ALWAYS a hit!
Ooh those are so good. I’d love to make the perfect one. This is helpful!
I can proudly tell you it’s an art! And it takes some time to get er done as they say, but so worth it!
I love meringue, but it’s always humid here so I never make it. I love these tips, though! I want to give it a try – even with our 95% humid air!
I do have trouble here in LA, the humidity is horrible, but turning the AC down while I’m working with it helps so much!
I’ve never made a meringue and would love to! I do love to eat it, though!
do! and let me know how it turns out!
I first made meringue when I was in home ec in the 8th grade. I make a mean baked alaska! I will have to give this recipe a try though, it sounds delish!
oh yum Baked alaska! That’s wicked good stuff!