How to store meringue or meringue so it does not get damp

Hygroscopic desserts with a porous structure poorly tolerate high humidity and absorb extraneous odors. To preserve the consumer properties of a sweet product, you need to create ideal storage conditions.

Types of meringues

Depending on the method of preparation, there are three varieties of meringue:

Classic French.

The easiest dessert to make. It is made by whipping whites with powdered sugar and a pinch of salt to stabilize it. French meringue is used to decorate cakes, and the cream is deposited on a baking tray for baking meringue in the oven.

Swiss

Swiss meringue is cooked in a water bath. While the water is heating, the whites and sugar are continuously whipped until steady peaks form. Stable cream made according to Swiss technology is used to decorate cakes, pies, and to butter the cakes.

Italian

Boiled and evaporated to a thick consistency of syrup is introduced in a thin stream of whites, beating all the time with a mixer. This makes the densest, most stable cream, which is used to fill waffle tubes, eclairs, make caps for cupcakes.

A separate type of meringue on albumin is prepared by any of the three suggested methods. To reconstitute dry egg white, one part of it is combined with nine parts of liquid. This can be juice, morsel, fruit or vegetable puree. These components enrich the dessert with nutrients and play the role of food colorings.

How meringue differs from meringue

Meringue is a pastry cream made of proteins whipped with granulated sugar or powdered sugar. The dessert can be raw or baked.

Meringue is an oven-dried confection made of meringue.

Where and how to store

Since protein desserts quickly absorb moisture and environmental odors, pack them hermetically.

Suitable packaging is a paper bag, cardboard box, food plastic container. Place confectionery products in a kitchen cabinet behind a closed door or in a bread bin.

Only completely dried meringues are sent for storage. Moisture residue causes the surface to crack, shape settling, and shorten the shelf life. To check if the cake is ready, break it in two pieces. If the middle is dry, you hear a characteristic crunch, remove the dessert from the tray, put it in a large container. Cover with a lid after cooling.

To save the shape, it is safer to put the meringues in a single row, leaving space between the lid of the container and the top of the cakes. If you want to pack the dessert in several layers, they are lined with parchment paper.

Optimal storage conditions for sweets - humidity not more than 75%, temperature - 20-22 ° C, no direct sunlight, the lack of proximity of products with strong aroma.

Purchased meringue is better preserved in its factory packaging. To keep the meringue longer without losing its consumer properties, do not rush with the filling. It is better to apply the cream just before eating. The exception is cakes, which need time for soaking.

In a refrigerator without a "no frost" system, the treats, regardless of packaging, quickly absorb condensation, losing their shape, flavor, and brittle structure. Dried dessert - a breeding ground for the reproduction of harmful microorganisms, dangerous to health.

Shelf life of meringue

The shelf life of store-bought meringue and self-cooked meringue differ significantly.

Homemade meringues

Homemade meringues retain their shape, color, flavor, and texture for up to seven days if the storage conditions are followed. If you send the dessert to the refrigerator, it will keep in its normal state for no more than two days.

Purchased

The shelf life of store-bought meringue is indicated by the manufacturer on the packaging. There is no single standard. Terms depend on the composition (with or without cream), the method of preparation.

On average, a dessert made of natural ingredients retains its organoleptic properties for up to two weeks. When preservatives are included, the product remains edible for up to three months.

Q&A

Consumers of meringue wonder if the product cannot be stored in the refrigerator, whether the ban applies to the freezer, and whether there are differences in the shelf life of fresh and dried protein products.

How long does meringue on albumin keep?

In an airtight sealed bag, albumin meringue keeps up to 14 days at room temperature and up to two months in the freezer.

Can I freeze meringue?

The dessert can withstand sub-zero temperatures without changing its structure. At -18°C the meringue keeps well for up to three months. If the dessert is blast-frozen, it keeps for up to a year at -18 °C, and up to half a year at -5 °C.

The taste remains unchanged for 3-5 days, then slightly deteriorates, but the shape remains the same. Before sending it to the freezer, pack the meringue hermetically in a pastry bag or in a low, wide container.

Defrost meringue 2 to 3 hours before use at room temperature. Once defrosted, the meringue may be kept in the cupboard for 72 hours, but it should not be refrozen.

A great way to end a holiday meal is to serve meringue or dessert with meringue. To avoid doubting the freshness of the sweets, keep the confectionery for no more than a week at room temperature or send it to long-term storage in the freezer.