How Long Does Meringue Last?
Meringue is a classic French dessert that has been around for hundreds of years. It’s made with whipped egg whites and sugar, and it can be enjoyed in a variety of different ways.
Whether you’re making macarons or puddings, meringue is always the best when it’s fresh.
How long does meringue last? Cooked meringue can last for up to two weeks when stored in an airtight container at room temperature. However, raw meringue can only stay fresh for 24 hours.
In this post, we’ll explore the shelf life of meringue and give you some tips for keeping it fresh. If you’re an aspiring pastry chef, read on for all you need to know about meringue!
What Is Meringue?
Meringue is essentially cloud-like foam that’s made from just two ingredients: egg whites and sugar.
To make meringues, the egg whites are whipped at high speed to form stiff peaks, while the sugar is gradually added to the mixing bowl to help stabilize the foam.
Then, the meringue is baked for about an hour using moderate heat (about 200°F), which will help set the structure and allow the foam to stay put.
This super simple process allows you to create a beautiful, marshmallow-like foam that can be enjoyed on its own or as a topping for a dessert (like puddings).
The origins of meringue are unknown, but the most popular version of meringue is French meringue, which was created by the process we described above. This technique is most often used to make the cloud-like stuffing of macarons.
However, there are actually a few types of meringue; each uses a slightly different technique to create and stabilize the meringue.
Italian meringues use hot sugar syrup instead of regular sugar when whipping egg whites.
This substitution makes the meringue stiffer and fluffier, and the texture will be smoother because there will be no sugar grain. This technique is regularly used when making cake frosting.
On the other hand, Swiss meringue (also called meringue cuite) is not as stable as Italian meringue but much smoother than French meringue.
The making of Swiss meringue combines the whipping and heating process by combining the egg whites and sugar together while heating them in a double boiler, so the egg white is cooked at the same time that it is beaten.
Thanks to the heat, the sugar will be able to dissolve completely in a shorter time, which also allows the foam structure to be denser than French meringue. After removing from the double boiler, the mixture is whipped until stiff peaks form.
Here’s a video from Matt Adlard (the Topless Baker) on YouTube to break down the differences between these three meringues:
How To Make Meringue Cookies
Meringue can be enjoyed on its own, similar to how you would enjoy cookies or biscuits.
However, if you would like to make meringue cookies, you can alter the traditional European meringues mentioned above to make the structure more stable and more enjoyable to eat.
Properly cooked meringue cookies will be crunchy on the outside but foamy on the inside. The cookies will melt in your mouth, and they’re always a joy to eat!
Equipment
- Clean mixing bowl
- Hand mixer or a stand mixer
Ingredients
- 4 egg whites at room temperature
- ¼ tsp cream of tartar
- 1 cup of caster sugar
- 1 tsp of vanilla extract
- A pinch of salt
Instructions
1. Preheat your oven to 200°F.
2. Separate your egg whites into a mixing bowl. Then, mix in your cream of tartar and whip until the cream of tartar is well-mixed.
3. Slowly and gradually add your sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, while whipping the egg white at high speed.
- The sugar will need to be added very gradually so that it’s well-combined into the egg white. Otherwise, your meringue won’t be able to foam up and achieve the desired volume.
4. Continue to whip until you see stiff peaks, adding the vanilla extract while whipping. You can check if your meringue is done by pulling the mixer up — if the foam remains stiff on the beater, you’ve succeeded.
- Alternately, you can dip a clean finger into the meringue and check the texture of the foam. It should form a stiff peak that won’t deflate after a few seconds.
- You can also rub your fingers together to see if you can feel any sugar grains. If you do, make sure to whip the meringue for a few more seconds to make sure that the sugar is completely dissolved, which will ensure a super-smooth texture for your meringue.
5. Transfer your meringue to a piping bag with a piping tip. On a tray lined with parchment paper, make small “cookies” with about half an inch of space in between each.
6. Bake your meringue cookies for about 1 hour at 200°F, then turn off the oven and let the cookies rest in the oven for another hour while they cool down.
- This step will ensure that the meringue cookies are properly cooked and stabilized before you enjoy them.
Notes
- Your mixing bowl will need to be free of any fat residue. Otherwise, the fat will interfere with the structure of the foam. You can wipe down the bowl with lemon juice or vinegar to ensure that it’s completely clean.
- Room-temperature egg whites will have an easier time forming stiff peaks. If you have just removed your eggs from the refrigerator, leave them out for about an hour before using them so that they will return to room temperature.
- Cream of tartar is acidic, so it will help the structure to become more stable. If you don’t have cream of tartar, you can substitute it with another acid, such as vinegar or lemon juice.
- Salt will balance out your tastebuds and make the sweetness of meringue even sweeter.
- Caster sugar or any fine-grain sugar will dissolve more easily into the meringue, creating a super-smooth texture.
- You can add more flavors to your meringue cookies using cocoa powder, cinnamon, or anything you’d like!
Meringue Cookie Recipe
Properly cooked meringue cookies will be crunchy on the outside but foamy on the inside. The cookies will melt in your mouth, and they're always a joy to eat!Â
Ingredients
Equipment
- Clean mixing bowl
- Hand mixer or a stand mixer
Ingredients
- 4 egg whites at room temperature
- ¼ tsp cream of tartar
- 1 cup of caster sugar
- 1 tsp of vanilla extract
- A pinch of salt
Instructions
1. Preheat your oven to 200°F.
2. Separate your egg whites into a mixing bowl. Then, mix in your cream of tartar and whip until the cream of tartar is well-mixed.
3. Slowly and gradually add your sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, while whipping the egg white at high speed.
* The sugar will need to be added very gradually so that it's well-combined into the egg white. Otherwise, your meringue won't be able to foam up and achieve the desired volume.
4. Continue to whip until you see stiff peaks, adding the vanilla extract while whipping. You can check if your meringue is done by pulling the mixer up — if the foam remains stiff on the beater, you've succeeded.
* Alternately, you can dip a clean finger into the meringue and check the texture of the foam. It should form a stiff peak that won't deflate after a few seconds.
* You can also rub your fingers together to see if you can feel any sugar grains. If you do, make sure to whip the meringue for a few more seconds to make sure that the sugar is completely dissolved, which will ensure a super-smooth texture for your meringue.
5. Transfer your meringue to a piping bag with a piping tip. On a tray lined with parchment paper, make small "cookies" with about half an inch of space in between each.
6. Bake your meringue cookies for about 1 hour at 200°F, then turn off the oven and let the cookies rest in the oven for another hour while they cool down.
* This step will ensure that the meringue cookies are properly cooked and stabilized before you enjoy them.
Notes
- Your mixing bowl will need to be free of any fat residue. Otherwise, the fat will interfere with the structure of the foam. You can wipe down the bowl with lemon juice or vinegar to ensure that it's completely clean.
- Room-temperature egg whites will have an easier time forming stiff peaks. If you have just removed your eggs from the refrigerator, leave them out for about an hour before using them so that they will return to room temperature.Â
- Cream of tartar is acidic, so it will help the structure to become more stable. If you don't have cream of tartar, you can substitute it with another acid, such as vinegar or lemon juice.Â
- Salt will balance out your tastebuds and make the sweetness of meringue even sweeter.Â
- Caster sugar or any fine-grain sugar will dissolve more easily into the meringue, creating a super-smooth texture.
- You can add more flavors to your meringue cookies using cocoa powder, cinnamon, or anything you'd like!
If you’re more of a visual learner, here is a useful tutorial from Preppy Kitchen on YouTube to help you make the perfect meringue cookies:
How Long Does Meringue Last?
Meringue is always best when it is fresh since the foam structure can deflate, especially when the meringue is uncooked.
But if you want to store your meringue to enjoy at a later date, knowing how long it will last can be quite helpful.
Since there are various types of meringue with different cooking techniques, the best-by date is also different for each type.
Cooked French meringue can stay fresh at room temperature for up to 2 weeks, provided that they are stored in an airtight container away from heat and moisture.
Italian meringue and Swiss meringue techniques cook the egg whites during the whipping process, so they will stay fresh in the refrigerator for about five days.
Uncooked, raw meringues will need to be cooked within 24 hours because the foam may deflate, and the uncooked egg whites may spoil.
Store-bought meringue usually has preservatives that can extend its freshness, and it can last for up to a year. If you are using store-bought meringue, you can check the expiration date on the packaging.
How To Store Raw Meringue
Uncooked meringues will not stay fresh for long, and it’s best that you bake the meringue immediately after whipping to preserve the structure of the foam.
The raw meringue will need to be used within 24 hours after whipping. Otherwise, the foam will be deflated.
If you need to store raw meringue, make sure to keep it in an airtight container to keep moisture at bay and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to bake.
If you see that some of the foam has deflated after 24 hours, you can whip it again at high speed to restore the air bubbles inside the meringue.
How to Store Cooked Meringue
Cooked meringue has a pretty stable structure that can stay fresh for 2-3 weeks. However, if you want to maintain the structure and crispy outer layer of the meringue, then you will need to know how to store it properly.
The biggest factor that can destroy the crispiness of your meringue is moisture. The baking process will make all of the moisture evaporate from the meringue, making it super crispy and foamy.
However, if moisture in the air is soaked into the meringue, the texture will be lost, and the foam will no longer melt in your mouth.
That’s why it’s best to store cooked meringue in an airtight container, so that moisture cannot infiltrate the meringue.
The ideal temperature to store meringue is at or below room temperature. Heat can also interfere with the texture of the meringue, so it’s best to keep it in a dry and cool area of your home.
After baking your meringues, let them cool down completely in the oven before removing them from the baking tray. Then, transfer them to an airtight container and let them cool down some more.
After about an hour, you can seal the lid and keep the meringue in a dry and cool place for up to three weeks.
If your meringue is a part of a dessert, like pudding or a pie, make sure to keep it in the refrigerator.
However, the refrigerator can be a humid place, so make sure to use plastic wrap to cover the meringue so that the moisture can’t interfere with the meringue’s texture.
Can You Freeze Meringue?
If you don’t use up your meringue right away, you can freeze it to make it last longer!
The best part is you can freeze both raw and cooked meringue. When done properly, raw meringue will last in the freezer for up to a year, while cooked meringue will last for up to three months!
The key to freezing your meringue is to use a freezer-safe, airtight container. This type of container will ensure that moisture won’t be able to get into your meringue, keeping it fresh for longer.
If you would like to freeze your meringue, first, let it cool down to room temperature. Then, you can place it into your container.
If you have individual meringue cookies, you can arrange them in layers separated by parchment paper, which will make them easier to separate when you need to thaw them.
Then, seal the container to prevent any air or moisture from getting inside, and place them in your freezer.
If you need to thaw the meringue, do not thaw it at room temperature. The cold container will collect the moisture in the air, causing the meringue to”sweat” and become soggy.
Instead, you can thaw the meringue in the cold compartment of your refrigerator. The cold temperature will thaw the meringue gradually without collecting too much moisture, and this way, you can preserve the texture of the meringue.
Raw meringue may separate and lose some of its fluffiness in the freezer, but that doesn’t mean that the meringue has gone bad. If you see some signs of separation, simply whip it using your hand mixer again to restore its texture.
However, you should know that freezing meringue will cause it to lose some of its flavors, so you won’t be able to freeze it a second time without losing some deliciousness. Make sure to use up all of your meringue while it’s still fresh!
How To Tell If Your Meringue Has Gone Bad
It is not difficult to tell if your meringue has gone bad.
For example, if your container is not sealed tight, moisture can get inside, causing green molds and spoiling the meringue. If it smells rancid or looks discolored, then the meringue has gone bad.
Sometimes, the appearance may look the same, but the taste is bitter or sour, or if the meringue is soggy or chewy, then it’s considered spoiled.
Related Questions
Now that we’ve learned all about the different types of meringue, plus how to make meringue cookies, here are some additional questions that we thought you might have.
Why is my meringue runny?
Runny meringue is a sign that your egg whites are not properly whipped.
When you whip egg whites, the mixture will get thicker and thicker as you continue beating. When the egg whites are stiff enough to stand up on their own, then it is done.
If your meringue is runny, this means that you’re not done mixing.
You can continue beating the mixture for a few more minutes at high speed until you see the peaks forming, and the foam won’t deflate when you remove it from the mixer.
Why is my meringue not forming peaks?
If you have been whipping forever and your meringue has not formed peaks, then the cause might be something else.
The first reason for this may be that you’ve dumped all the sugar into the meringue at the same time.
The sugar is what stabilizes the structure, and if the sugar is not gradually well-combined into the egg yolk, then the structure may not be able to form.
That’s why you’ll need to add the sugar into the bowl slowly, one tablespoon at a time, so that the mixer has time to combine everything together to form the peaks.
The other factor that can cause this is when you use a dirty bowl with some fat residue. The fat residue in the bowl can interfere with the protein in the egg yolk, making it difficult to form air bubbles for the foam.
To avoid this issue, make sure to wipe down your mixing bowl with a bit of vinegar or lemon juice to get rid of the fat completely, and you can safely use your bowl to mix the meringue.
