Whipping egg whites without electricity

[Percysgirl]

My main bread recipe calls for egg whites beaten to a stiff peak. I'm wondering how best to plan to accomplish that feat without electricity. Would a manual rotary egg beater do it?

[serendipity]

You can do it this way but it is pretty hard to do.

 

I guess the pioneers managed somehow though!

 

I have often thought those women in the olden days must have had HUGE arm muscles.

[Cricket]

An eggbeaster would do it, but I recently splurged and got this from QVC... it is a non electric "Food Preperation Station" for slicing, beating, chopping and spinning:

 

 

King Pro 11 Piece Food Preparation Station

 

 

[sassenach]

Thats perfect for my needs! Thanks!

[Crazy4Canning]

I read somewhere (I'm sorry I don't remember where) that copper bowls for manual egg white beating were used to help achieve loft and soft peaks...maybe even glossiness for meringues.

 

I don't know if this is true, but I seem to remember it being so.

 

I have no reason to believe WHY a hand-rotary beater wouldn't work. I've used it for meringues with great results before I got my hand mixer.

[Girl Next Door]

You actually CAN use a non-electric beater or even a fork. There are some tricks to it. (used to work in a bakery) First, make sure the utensils are clean and grease free. Second, add a pinch of cream of tartar. Third, make sure everything is room temperature because they whip to higher peaks. Leave them sitting out for around 30 minutes. HTH!

[Snowmom]

I think your best bet is to get an old fashioned egg beater and then use it in a glass bowl.

 

Pictures at: http://www.google.com/products?hl=en&q...=1&ct=title

 

But, I'm almost sure you can find them at Wal-Mart and a lot of the other stores.

 

 

 

[SlingMama]

There is a related thread over in Pioneer Living http://mrssurvival.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=33248

 

And I still haven't gotten around to purchasing an egg beater. Bad SlingMama

[serendipity]

Me either, SlingMama. I keep looking at one in a local store but it is $10 and I know I can find one at a rummage sale for less. Hopefullly soon, though.

 

And besides, the new one has plastic gears with a metal body. I do not wish to pay $10 for something that is more than likely to not hold up over time without breaking.

 

(Grr...I hate the way things are manufactured these days so cheaply).

[Snowmom]

 

for posting the other forum here, SlingMama. I just went over there and took a look around and I found a picture of a beater that I had forgotten all about. My mother had one of these and I have no idea who ended up with it when her things were divided up years ago. Here is the site.

 

http://www.goantiques.com/detail,egg-beater,1848024.html

 

 

 

[westbrook]

whipping egg whites...

 

 

of course an egg beater is perfect but a whisk will also work.

 

The comment on the copper bowl is correct... you use a copper bowl to whip egg whites to a frothy consistancy.

 

However, you don't need a copper bowl.... but you do need... either Cream of Tartar, Lemon Juice, or Vinegar!

 

one of these three items breaks down the strings in the egg whites which allows it to be beaten and froth.

 

A copper bowl allows you to just use the egg white with out any other additions.

 

Wilton's Merginue powder, which is a subsitute for egg whites doesn't need anything to help it whip. This is a great product if you want to store it as it will last a long time..not sure how long since mine is only 3 years old.

For those concerned about sommonila, this is a perfect replacement for egg whites.

 

For those wondering how the copper bol works??? *shrug* I donno, it just works!