Hi! I’ve made a few batches of macarons and trying to improve with each attempt. I usually use a carton of egg whites from Trader Joe’s – I’m wondering how long is recommended to age or leave the closed/sealed carton out of the fridge to help shorten the time needed to whip the eggs into the meringue? I’ve seen anything from a few hours to a full day in advance.
I’ve included a few photos of my past attempts – sometimes I win and sometimes the batter comes out more dry or not as smooth and fluffy so to speak so I don’t get that nice ruffle. (5-6 was a total rush job so apologies for how cracked they ended up 😅😭)
Any feedback and advice is much appreciated!
by Peonyprincess137
7 Comments
Unfortunately you will not get good results with egg carton egg whites. The pasteurization process is not kind to whatever properties they need to make good macarons. If you want pretty, classic macarons you just gotta bite the bullet and get eggs and separate.
I use egg yolks in fillings, generally: French buttercream, fruit curds, and custards. If I have extra I use them for ice cream or brioche.
If you don’t care how they look and they taste good like this, I wouldn’t worry about it.
It’s generally difficult/impossible to get a proper macaron from carton egg whites. Use fresh eggs instead and you can try aging if it’s referenced in your recipe of choice, but not necessary.
I recommend using fresh eggs and not aging them.
The protein in older eggs begins to denature and are less able to hold a stiff peak. There’s no telling how old carton eggs are.
Supposedly, the aging of eggs is supposed to allow them to “dry out”, but any amount of drying done by evaporation is really minuscule. Moreover, there are more effective methods for controlling the stability of egg whites.
Give it a shot!
I would generally agree that fresh egg whites are best but I have been able to achieve very good looking macarons by using about half fresh egg whites and half carton egg whites . i used to age my egg whites but i stopped doing it and haven’t noticed much of a difference
Love the rustic 19th century macaron look.
I used to use exclusively carton egg whites (although never tried TJ’s) and had great success, but for some reason stopped getting a strong enough meringue so switched to fresh and they’re SO much better. Also, aging them makes no difference IMO. I would advise to also leave out coloring them until you’ve got your recipe and method down pat, that way you know that your color is for sure not a factor in any flaw you’re seeing in your shells.
I had trouble when I tried to use egg cartons, so now I always use separated eggs that aren’t too old. This batter looks a bit undermixed to me as well? 5-10 more folds could help with that. Do you bang the trays on the bench before cooking? I usually bang them until the tick marks from piping disappear into the batter. This helps to remove air bubbles and flatten the tops. Good luck!