Egg Whites: From Spray Dried to Meringue

Egg Whites: From Spray Dried to Meringue.

The Struggle

One would think that spray drying egg whites would lead to a chemical change. A change that would rob them of all their wonderful attributes. Thankfully I can tell you that this is not the case. The spray drying process is perfect for this as it require no heat to dry the egg whites. This way when you reconstitute the egg whites in water they return to their original state and can be used pretty much for anything that a fresh egg white would. Another benefit is that our egg white powder does not contain any fillers or additives. Customer still want to put this product to the test and commonly ask:

“Can I make meringue out of egg white powder?”

The name’s Bond, Hydrogen/Oxygen Bond

Yes, but you will need to reconstitute the egg whites with water first. You read that right, water is what you will need to reinvigorate the egg white powder. The recipe is extremely easy, 2 tsp Egg white powder to 2 Tbsp warm water will give you 1 egg white. The water should be warmer than body temperature but not hotter than 120F as you don’t want to start the cooking process on the proteins in the whites. Generally I add a small amount of water to the egg white powder and mix it in until it forms a paste then I add the rest. This makes it much easier to mix in without clumping. If you do come across some clumps just do your best to break them up. If you have time give the egg whites time to rest before use as it will dissolve all those little clumps. If you need them immediately you can absolutely use them right away.

To make a meringue, take the reconstituted egg whites and place them in a mixer. Whip them as you would fresh egg whites and add the sugar to make a meringue. Its as simple as that and requires no extra ingredient. But does it work the same as fresh egg whites?

Anything? EVERYTHING?

I have tested this product pretty extensively and I haven’t had any issues. Meringue works just as if you were using fresh egg whites. From basic meringue or a meringue that has been folded into chocolate mousse and even scrambled eggs everything has worked. But the ultimate stress test for a meringue is making souffle. We doubled it up by making a souffle out of only powdered egg product. Egg white powder for the meringue and our powdered egg yolks for the base. Going into this test I was sure it wasn’t going to work. As I folded my meringue into the base, filled my ramekins, and started my baking process I basically knew this wasn’t going to work. But, boy was I wrong! You wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between fresh egg and spray dried egg white souffle. This product is the real deal folks, take my word for it.

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