Table of Contents
Why does my lemon meringue pie get watery?
There are two essential components to any lemon meringue pie. The lemon meringue filling is thickened with cornstarch. But if you overwork the filling, the cornstarchs thickening abilities are weakened, and youll be left with a runny mess. To prevent this, youll cook the filling in two intervals.
Why did my lemon meringue pie not set?
It happens due to moisture. To minimize this, we are adding cornstarch in the meringue, because cornstarch also absorbs excess water. Also, avoid over-baking the pie and dont put a warm pie into the fridge.
Should meringue be put on hot or cold filling?
To prevent this, never spread meringue over a cold filling. Instead, spread the meringue over the filling while its still hot. The fillings heat will help cook the center of the meringue.
How do you keep the crust from getting soggy in a lemon meringue pie?
Blind Bake The most common way to ward off a soggy pie crust is by a process called blind baking. Blind baking means you pre-bake the crust (sometimes covered with parchment or foil and weighed down with pie weights to prevent the crust from bubbling up) so that it sets and crisps up before you add any wet filling.
Should you refrigerate lemon meringue pie?
Bacteria grow rapidly at temperatures between 40 °F and 140 °F; lemon meringue pie should be discarded if left out for more than 2 hours at room temperature. Freshly baked lemon meringue pie will keep for about 2 to 3 days in the fridge; refrigerate covered loosely with aluminum foil or plastic wrap.
What can I do with failed meringue mixture?
If the meringue mixture becomes flat or runny when the sugar is added then it usually means that the egg whites were not quite whisked enough before the sugar was added. It sometimes helps to whisk the whites, then add a tablespoon of sugar and whisk the whites back to medium peaks before adding the rest of the sugar.
Can you reheat lemon meringue pie?
If the filling is a baked custard made of lemon juice, eggs and cornflour (cornstach) then it is fairly easy to have a hot filling when the meringue is added, but if the filling is a lemon curd then it will need to be very gently and carefully reheated until hot (taking care not to let it boil).
Can you fix runny lemon curd?
If it really is too thin then the easiest solution is to get it back onto the heat to cook it for a little longer. As with the main recipe, make sure you whisk it as it heats to ensure it doesnt go lumpy. Another way to thicken lemon curd is to heat it slightly and then whisk in more butter.
How do you thicken runny lemon pie filling?
If your pie filling is runny, add in one additional tablespoon of cornstarch to the lemon filling, and stir over medium heat. It should thicken in 1 to 2 minutes.
Can you over whip meringue?
Over whip the egg whites and you risk making them too firm and they will risk losing the moisture that they hold. This will affect your meringues crispness, as well as making it more likely to collapse or weep beads of sugar. As my meringue guru Gary Mehigan advises: If you over whip the egg whites you cannot fix it.
Is cream of tartar the same as meringue powder?
Meringue powder and cream of tartar are quite different in terms of composition and functionality. Meringue powder is made mostly of dried egg whites and can be mixed with water to create a meringue. Cream of tartar is a stabilizer and is sometimes used in making meringue to keep the eggs from collapsing.
Why do you need cream of tartar in meringue?
Cream of tartar allows egg whites to be whipped for longer without collapsing. This produces small, abundant, evenly distributed air bubbles, which create a fine texture in the finished baked good.
How do you keep the bottom of a pie from getting soggy?
Coating the surface of the bottom crust will create a barrier to prevent sogginess. Adding a layer of corn syrup or a slightly beaten egg white before pouring in the filling will form a seal between the pie dough and the filling and will help make the crust crisp and flaky.
Do you bake the bottom pie crust first?
But the one surefire way to make absolutely certain your pies crust will be golden brown, crisp, and delicious just as appealing as its filling is to prebake it. Thats right: bake the bottom crust first, before adding the filling.
How long will a lemon meringue pie stay fresh?
Lemon meringue pie is best eaten the day its made, but leftovers will keep, loosely tented with aluminum foil and refrigerated, for up to 3 days. Never cover with plastic wraptoo much condensation will form under the wrapping. Do not freeze.