Meringues. What Did I Do Wrong ?

[Samuraisan]

I must have only made meringues a handful of times in all my cooking years, today I tried to make a lemon meringue pie, but the meringue has turned out soft, not crispy. I had beaten the eggwhites with sugar, and put it in a low oven, where did I go wrong ?

[Barmaid]

I always think meringue on top of a lemon meringue should have a crisp crust and a light gooey middle.

Did you whisk egg whites first til stiff and then add the sugar v slowly?
Is your kitchen very hot? Or is your sugar damp? Sugar quickly takes on moisture and can make a meringue collapse.

[Buenchico]

This might help:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/food/2011/01/how-to-make-the-perfect-mering.shtml

[Samuraisan]

Hi Bamaid. Yes I whipped them to peaks. Maybe I added to sugar too quickly..........My kitchen is not hot at all now in the winter ( very hot in the summer). I have just had a piece, tastes a bit rubbery, but not too bad.Maybe I will tell everyone it is supposed to be like that.

[AuntLydia]

You need a hot oven for the meringue on lemon meringue pie if you are making French meringue ( with raw sugar). The heat is needed to crisp the top quickly and make a marshmallow like consistency.

[Samuraisan]

I did all that Buenchico. I wonder if it was the baking temperature......

[Samuraisan]

Right AL, I think the oven was too cool then.

[Prudie]

How long did you put it in for? I make individual meringues, crispy on the outside and gooey in the middle, they have to go in a very low oven but at least for an hour and half to come out like that. Yours sound like they just weren't cooked.

[DTCwordfan]

Agree with Prudie - the lower the temp on the oven the better and that's where an expensive oven pays dividends - if they can get down to 110C.....depending on size, sixty to ninety minutes and let the oven cool down without opening the door once you turn the oven off.....

[Samuraisan]

Thanks Prudie. The top is brown and looks cooked. Do you follow those guidelines even if the meringue is on top of a pie ?

[Barmaid]

I made one at the weekend and put it in on 140ish fan for about 50 mins. It was pronounced delicious.

[Prudie]

Just to add I always thought the meringue on a lemon pie is meant to be soft but with a browned topping like you had, I've never had one with a crisp dry meringue top so maybe yours was right all along.