the eggs. Old eggs at room temperature are
often recommended on the grounds that the
whites are thinner and therefore foam more
rapidly. This is true, and very fresh eggs are
said to be almost impossible to foam by hand.
But fresh eggs are less alkaline and so make a
more stable foam; the older thin white also
drains from the foam more easily, and old
eggs are more likely to leave traces of yolk in
the white. Cold yolks are less likely to break
as you separate them from the whites, and the
whipping process quickly warms cold eggs
anyway. Fresh eggs right out of the
refrigerator will work fine, especially if
you’re using an electric mixer. Egg foams can
also be made with dried egg whites. Powdered
egg whites are pure, pasteurized, freeze-dried
egg whites. “Meringue powder” contains more
sugar than egg, and includes gums to stabilize
the foam.
Bowl and Whisk The bowl in which you beat