🥚 Why meringue weeps and how to stop It? The science of Syneresis
Have you ever made a perfect-looking meringue, only to find it sweating liquid hours later, ruining your pie or cake topping?
That’s Syneresis—a physical phenomenon where the sugar in your meringue draws out the water from the egg whites, weakening its structure and causing separation.
But don’t panic—culinary science offers real solutions. We tested three techniques, observed the results after 24 and 48 hours… and the outcomes speak for themselves.
Let’s explore what worked, and how you can make meringue that stays beautiful, fluffy, and stable.
🧪 What is Syneresis?
Syneresis is a natural separation of liquid from a gel-like structure—in this case, egg whites stabilized by sugar. When sugar dissolves, it pulls moisture from the proteins, and if the structure isn't stable enough… the water leaks out.
This is why your meringue might look perfect at first but collapse or weep later on.
👨🔬 The 3 meringue methods we tested
We tested three different meringue preparations to compare their resistance to syneresis:
1️⃣ Classic French Meringue
Whip egg whites to soft peaks at medium speed.
Slowly drizzle in sugar while whipping.
Continue whipping at high speed until stiff peaks form.
🧯 Result: Light and airy—but most prone to syneresis after 24 hours.
2️⃣ Swiss Meringue
Combine egg whites and sugar in a bowl.
Gently heat over a double boiler, stirring constantly until the mix reaches ~60ºC and sugar dissolves.
Transfer to a stand mixer and whip until the bowl feels cool and stiff peaks form.
🧯 Result: Silky, stable, and glossy. Very resistant to syneresis, great after 48 hours.
3️⃣ Stabilized meringue with Xanthan base
Prepare a stabilizing base:
Blend 12g xanthan gum into 500g water.
Add xanthan slowly into a slow-whirling blender (no splashing!), blend until smooth.
Store in a clean container.
To make meringue:
Add egg whites and 10% of the xanthan base to the mixer.
Whip as with the French meringue.
🧯 Result: Strong structure, held well after 24 and even 48 hours.
🥼 Science-backed tips to avoid Syneresis
Don’t over-whip: It weakens the network that holds water, once you can see the meringue forms tips or stiff enough, it doesn't fall out when you turn over the bowl, it’s ready to go.
Add stabilizers like xanthan or use a cooked method (Swiss) to create a stronger gel matrix.
Control sugar: Too much, too fast = more water released.
Avoid humidity during storage. Use airtight containers or wrap it really well with plastic film.
Use clean, dry tools to keep proteins functioning properly.
💬 Which method do you use?
Have you tried any of these techniques? Got another secret for stable meringue?
Share it in the comments—let’s keep learning together!
🧾 Recipe summary
📍 Meringue base:
200g sugar
100g egg whites
🧪 Stabilizing base:
12g xanthan gum
500g water
Tip: Store both components in airtight containers in a cool place.