How to Separate Egg Yolks from Egg Whites
To separate egg yolks from egg whites, crack the eggs onto a plate and squeeze an empty water bottle. Touch it to a yolk and let go, and the yolk gets sucked up whole. Squeeze it out onto another plate.
Today, I am going to show you how to separate egg whites from egg yolks. Usually this is a very difficult task, but this trick makes it very easy.
How to separate egg yolks with a water bottle
For the trick we need 2 plates and a small water bottle. The bottle has to be empty and clean, with the cap off.
- Crack all the eggs in one plate. Make sure the egg yolks are in perfect condition. A broken yolk runs into the whites, and then you can’t pick it up.
- Press the bottle and use the air pressure created to suck up the egg yolks carefully. Only squeeze a little, touch its mouth gently to the top of a yolk, then let go. The yolk slides up into the bottle in one piece, and the white stays on the plate.
- Put the egg yolks on the other plate. Hold the bottle over it and squeeze gently, and the yolk slides back out. Then go on to the next one.
Very easy, right? When you’re done, wash the bottle (and your hands) with warm, soapy water.
Why the bottle works
When you squeeze the bottle, you push some of the air out. Touch its mouth to the yolk and let go. The bottle springs back, and now there is less air pressure inside than outside. The higher pressure outside pushes the yolk into the bottle. The yolk is thicker than the white and holds its shape, so it goes in whole, while the runny white stays behind.
Keep the yolk out of the whites
Egg whites are very sensitive. If they are going to be whipped, for a meringue or a souffle, even a speck of yolk is a problem. The fat in the yolk keeps the whites from beating properly. So for whipping, crack each egg into a small bowl first, check the yolk, then add it to the plate. If a yolk breaks when you crack it, you only lose that egg, not all the whites.
The whites whip up bigger after 20 to 30 minutes at room temperature. So separate the eggs first, and let the whites wait while you get everything else ready.
No bottle? Use the shell
In my tiramisu video, I separate the eggs with the shell. Crack the egg over a bowl and open it slowly. The yolk stays in one half of the shell, and the white runs off into the bowl. Then drop the yolk into a second bowl.
Recipes with separated eggs
My tiramisu uses both, the yolks for the mascarpone cream and the whites whipped and folded in. The pastry cream for my eclairs takes 6 egg yolks, and so does my crème brûlée. For the leftover whites, the Italian meringue on my Cipriani meringue cake takes 8.
Questions
What is the easiest way to separate eggs?
The water bottle trick on this page makes it very easy. The yolk comes up whole, and you never touch it. Without a bottle, use the shell, or scoop the yolk out with clean fingers and let the white run through them.
How do you get yolk out of egg whites?
For whipping, you don't. Even a speck of yolk keeps the whites from beating properly, because of the fat in it. Use that egg for something else, like scrambled eggs, and start again. If you're not whipping them, a little yolk doesn't matter.
Can you separate eggs ahead of time?
Yes. Cover them and keep them in the fridge. Use the yolks within 2 days and the whites within 4. Egg whites also freeze, for up to a year. Yolks freeze too if you beat in 1/8 teaspoon of salt or 1 1/2 teaspoons of sugar for every 4 yolks.