Meringue Hints Please

[plumcrazy01]

I have made Meringue before and it just doesn't seem to be fluffy and pretty as the photos in the cookbooks or on t.v. recipes. Any suggestions for a newbie attempting to make a pretty meringue for her pies etc...? Any tips will be helpful as I have a large family gather tomorrow and want to make Lemon Meringue pies as dessert. Being in the south, it is a crying shame when one doesn't have a pretty meringue on their bananna pudding or pies I really should have paid attention to Grandma when she made them but I was to much in a hurry to eat her desserts.

[KeeperOfTheGood]

Hey oh

Whipping egg whites is the opposite to whipping cream. Bowl and whisk should be at room temp or even a little warm, and the egg whites whould also be at room temp. Use a copper bowl and whisk. And use about 1 tsp for 6 whites cream of tartar. ( that cott is just a guess, I never measure my amount ).

There is even a techneque of using a warm water bath in whipping egg whites, but I have not had to try this as I get em firm enough by hand

Please, feel free to holler if I got any of that wrong, cause that means I am doing it wrong