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Tried a meringue in 90% humidity last weekend
Honestly thought I could just wing it with a French meringue during a thunderstorm and it turned into a sticky puddle immediately. Anyone else learned the hard way that weather ruins whipped egg whites?
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keithbennett2d ago
...and bam, gone from cloud to soup faster than you can say "why didn't I check the forecast?" I tried a Swiss meringue during a humid spell last summer and ended up with a sticky, shiny mess that my cat wouldn't even touch. Weather is basically the enemy of anything made with whites and sugar, and humidity is the worst of them all. Now I just stick to buttercream on muggy days.
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thomas.tyler2d ago
Did you try adding a little cream of tartar before you started whipping? I started doing that on humid days and it makes a HUGE difference. Also, if your meringue starts looking too shiny and sticky, you can whip in a tablespoon of cornstarch - that saved a batch of mine last August when the dew point was brutal.
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david_rivera41d ago
Wait, I used to think a little humidity was no big deal and that people complaining about it were being dramatic, but after reading this I'm totally rethinking my approach. @thomas.tyler's tips about cream of tartar and cornstarch sound like exactly what I need to try next time I'm tempted to make meringue during a sticky summer spell (because let's be real, my buttercream just doesn't hit the same as a good meringue). I'm definitely saving that advice for when the forecast looks dicey, even though I still hate that weather makes baking such a gamble.
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