Seperating egg whites

what2do

Something I should really know but anyways.... how do you seperate the white in the egg? I never try any recipes that mention egg whites for this reason!

is_that_so

I usually do the following

Crack the egg
Turn it so the crack is facing me
Open it and tilt one of shell parts to catch the yolk.
Now tilt it so yolk goes into other half.
Keep doing this till all of the white has dropped into your cup/bowl.

Try it the next time you're cooking.

olaola

Nigella uses her fingers as a sieve, personally I just use the shell method.

Prob the most important thing is having fresh eggs - as the yokes will break in older ones.

rubadub

I also do the tilt in the shell method. However I was thinking of doing a large batch, I was wondering if I could put them gently in a plastic sieve and let them slowly drop through.

olaola

rubadub wrote: »

I also do the tilt in the shell method. However I was thinking of doing a large batch, I was wondering if I could put them gently in a plastic sieve and let them slowly drop through.

I dunno if that would work - the whites are kind of held together by some mystical 'egg force'! You know what I mean? Have you ever tried to get a broken egg down the sink?!

Vegeta

easiest way and believe me I have eaten a lot of eggs

is to just crack them all into a bowl and using half a shell scoop out the yellows whole.

quickest and easiest way

what2do

Thanks for your help .... sounds easy enough, now just have to see if I can do it!

Pigletlover

I use the method of passing the egg yolk back and forth using the shell. I tried the Nigella method but I usually end up breaking the yolk. If I'm using a recipe that involves seperating a few eggs, I do them individually into a small bowl first just in case I go wrong with one, at least then the other egg whites won't be ruined. And if a bit of eggshell gets in the easiest way to get it out is by using another eggshell to scoop it out.

antoniosicily

definitely using the shell

Mr. Presentable

Using the shell is best. If you are making meringue you must not get even the tiniest spot of yolk in with the whites, so use three bowls - one for yolks, one for clean whites, and one for one white at a time so as if you have an accident you ruin just one!

The Sweeper

Mucky child that I am I use my fingers.

Half dozen eggs: three small bowls.

Break egg into bowl A. This way you don't ever break a bad egg into your pile of eggs, ruining the lot. Also if you ruin the split you haven't ruined your bowl of whites, as nipplenuts says. Using fingers similarly to the grab in 'win the teddy' amusement game, get them under the yolk without trying to pick it up or poke it, and just lift. Yolk goes into bowl B, white tipped into bowl C. Repeat with eggs until done.

rubadub

olaola wrote: »

I dunno if that would work - the whites are kind of held together by some mystical 'egg force'! You know what I mean? Have you ever tried to get a broken egg down the sink?!

I know what you mean. When you tilt eggs in shells you see it almost over the edge, and then BAM, it just goes over in a split second. I am wondering if you could push the white and force it through the sieve, and that weird effect could drag the rest of the egg white through.

You can buy things (yolks!) to do it/help it

http://search.ebay.ie/search/search.dll?sofocus=bs&sbrftog=1&catref=C6&sacur=0&from=R10&saobfmts=insif&saaff=afdefault&fcl=3&frpp=50&saslop=1&fss=0&satitle=egg+yolk+separator&sacat=-1%26catref%3DC6&a25563=-24&a10244=-24&alist=a25563%2Ca42078%2Ca14%2Ca56%2Ca10244&pfmode=1&reqtype=1&gcs=2404&pfid=3892&pf_query=egg+yolk+separator&sargn=-1%26saslc%3D3&sappl=1&sabfmts=1&ga10244=10425&ftrt=1&ftrv=1&saprclo=&saprchi=&salic=-15&fhlc=1&fsop=3%26fsoo%3D1&coaction=compare&copagenum=1&coentrypage=search


http://search.ebay.ie/search/search.dll?sofocus=bs&sbrftog=1&catref=C6&sacur=0&from=R10&saobfmts=insif&saaff=afdefault&fcl=3&frpp=50&saslop=1&fss=0&satitle=egg+white+separator&sacat=-1%26catref%3DC6&sargn=-1%26saslc%3D3&sappl=1&sabfmts=1&ga10244=10425&ftrt=1&ftrv=1&saprclo=&saprchi=&salic=-15&fhlc=1&fsop=3%26fsoo%3D1&coaction=compare&copagenum=1&coentrypage=search

The Sweeper

I gotta be honest, rubadub, the gadgets look useless. You're still going to have to tip each yolk out of the gadget before cracking the next into it, I could see you cracking an egg, waiting for the white to fall through, then tipping the yolk out, then cracking the next egg... I can't see it being the labour-saving or time-saving device you might hope for.

Can't see the sieve method working either - the holes are too fine in most sieves and the egg white too jelly-like. I think you're just going to have to do it one by one - but do use three bowls to get a bit of a production line going.

rubadub

Minesajackdaniels wrote: »

I gotta be honest, rubadub, the gadgets look useless. You're still going to have to tip each yolk out of the gadget before cracking the next into it, I could see you cracking an egg, waiting for the white to fall through, then tipping the yolk out, then cracking the next egg... I can't see it being the labour-saving or time-saving device you might hope for.

I agree. Just letting people know, some seem to like gadgets for everything, and I was sort of pointing it out that way, as in "they even have a gadget to do that". In the other thread people were looking for rice cookers. A pressure cooker will do rice well, and tons of other stuff.

I remember my mate telling my brother he got a popcorn maker, my brother said he had one too, pointing to a saucepan!

A lot of these gadgets just take up space in the end.

The Sweeper

True. I own a popcorn maker, I like it because it's a hot air model and you've no oily saucepan to clean afterwards. QED: labour-saving gadget. I think it's the only gadget I own though. Oh - I do have a garlic crusher, which is the best damn garlic crusher ever and if it broke and I couldn't get exactly the same design I wouldn't bother replacing it. I'm not sure that counts though. I don't even own a toasted sandwich maker anymore. That's what the grill's for...

BaZmO*

Minesajackdaniels wrote: »

I gotta be honest, rubadub, the gadgets look useless.

Those gadgets do actually work, my Grandmother has had one for years, but you're right about them not saving time. Personally I just use the shell to separate, I can even do it with one hand. (fnarr fnarr!)

rubadub

I had no sieve and it would be too small. I found a plastic basket thing from a salad drier gadet. Put the eggs in and it did work at the start. I think if they were left ages it would have gone through. I was doing what I described pulling the egg white from underneath and it pulled the top bit through. Then I pulled it too hard and a yolk cracked. The ridges were sort of sharp in places that might have done it, might be possible if one had perfect sized holes that were smooth. But stick to the shells in the meantime!