My pavlova tasted like cooked eggs - gross what did I do wrong?

[Razzberry]

So as the title suggests - my pavlova tasted like eggs!!! it smelt fowl too. The only thing I can think of is that maybe it cooked too long? any other ideas or tips?

[Astrid]

How fresh were the eggs? Could they have been rotten? Sometimes it is not obvious on cracking and only shows up with cooking.

[helle]

I've done this before. My first one actually. It was because I hadn't worked the whites enough, they needed slot of extra whipping!

[krysalyss]

Did you separate the yolks out well enough?

[Trillian]

Or not enough sugar perhaps? Pavs are terribly sweet normally.

[Razzberry]

Thanks girls,

I only bought the eggs yesterday with a usebuy of 25/8 so I think they were fresh? there was no yoke in there.

Next time I think I will add heaps more sugar and whip the egg whites more - what should the egg whites look like?

[Lily Dust]

I generally make sure they form pretty stiff glossy peaks

[~me~]

I follow a recipe by Maggie Beer from her Cook and the Chef show to the letter and it works a treat. The whites should be thick and glossy once whipped. You need to use a metal bowl with no trace of oil in at all.
Desserts require exact exact ingredients and cannot be messed with at all, that's been my experience in the past.
If at first you don't succeed, try again

[helle]

I whip mine stiff enough so that when I take the beater out there is a "ribbon" of meringue joining the whisk to the mixture. If that makes sense. Also the texture of it should feel smooth when you rub it between your fingers.

[Danielle_NZ]

I whip until they peak... meaning to me that when I turn the whisk / beater over the peak from where the egg whites left the bowl is still pointing up

[nothing2lose]

This might be a dumb question, but did anyone else think the pav was eggy???

Just wondering if it might be a case of pregnancy taste buds!!??

[Razzberry]

hehe, nah my hubby tasted it too and commented on it. I now can see that I didnt whip the eggs for long enough!!!

[NaeNae]

The correct ratio is 1/4 castor sugar per egg and be sure to add the sugar slowly as you're whipping it to ensure it dissolves properly also I have found that adding all the other wet ingredients at the beginning helps.

The eggs are whipped enough when you can turn the bowl upside down

Hope this helps

Nae x