Making liquid egg white is as simple as cracking eggs and separating the whites from the yolks. One large egg white yields about 2 tablespoons of liquid, and roughly 7 large egg whites fill a standard 8-ounce cup. Whether you want a ready-to-pour container for morning scrambles or a batch prepped for baking, the process takes just a few minutes with no special equipment.
Separating Egg Whites From Yolks
The most reliable approach is the three-bowl method used by professional bakers. Crack one egg into the first bowl, letting the white slip away from the yolk. Drop the yolk into the second bowl. Then pour the clean white from the first bowl into a third collection bowl. Repeat for each egg. This extra step protects your entire batch: if a yolk breaks on egg number six, it only contaminates that single white instead of the five you already separated.
Even a tiny bit of yolk can ruin egg whites for whipping, so precision matters. If a stray piece of yolk drops in, scoop it out with the edge of the eggshell. The jagged shell edge grabs the slippery yolk far better than a metal spoon, which tends to push the yolk around the bowl.
You can also use a slotted spoon, a funnel, or a dedicated egg separator that sits on the rim of a bowl. All work fine. The hand-crack method is fastest once you get comfortable with it.
Measuring and Storing Liquid Egg Whites
According to the American Egg Board, 7 large egg whites equal about 1 cup (250 ml) of liquid egg white. That’s roughly 2 tablespoons per white. If a recipe calls for a specific volume of carton egg whites, this conversion lets you substitute fresh-separated whites directly.
Pour your separated whites into a clean, airtight container and refrigerate at 40°F or below. Fresh liquid egg whites stay safe for up to seven days when stored properly. Once you open or prepare a batch, aim to use it within three days for the best quality and safety.
Freezing for Longer Storage
Egg whites freeze exceptionally well. Pour them into ice cube trays, with each compartment holding roughly one egg white (2 tablespoons). Once frozen solid, pop the cubes into a freezer bag and label it with the date and number of whites. They’ll keep for up to a year in the freezer, though quality is best within the first four months.
To thaw, move the cubes to the refrigerator overnight. Thawed whites perform just like fresh ones in cooking and baking. Avoid thawing at room temperature, which encourages bacterial growth on the surface while the center is still frozen.
Pasteurizing Egg Whites at Home
Raw egg whites carry a small risk of salmonella. Commercial carton egg whites are pasteurized at the factory, where they’re heated to about 134°F to 140°F (57°C to 60°C) for 3.5 minutes. This kills bacteria without cooking the protein.
You can pasteurize whole eggs at home before separating them using a sous vide circulator or a carefully monitored water bath. Set the temperature to 135°F (57.2°C) and hold the eggs in their shells in the water for 1 hour and 15 minutes. This is long enough to reduce bacteria to safe levels while keeping the whites raw and liquid. After the bath, cool the eggs in ice water, then separate and store as usual.
Without a sous vide device, hitting and holding a precise low temperature is difficult. A standard pot on the stove fluctuates too much, risking either underheating (ineffective) or overheating (partially cooking the whites). If you plan to use your liquid egg whites in recipes that won’t be fully cooked, like meringue or protein shakes, a sous vide setup is worth the investment.
Why Homemade Whites Whip Better Than Carton
If you’ve ever tried whipping carton egg whites into stiff peaks and gotten nowhere, it’s not your technique. Pasteurization tightens the proteins in egg whites, making them resist foaming. Without help, pasteurized whites from a carton often won’t whip at all.
The fix is cream of tartar. Baking authority Rose Levy Beranbaum recommends 1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar per pasteurized egg white, added once the whites start looking foamy (about a minute into whipping). In testing, this produced well-formed peaks in about 6.5 minutes. A smaller dose of 1/8 teaspoon per white also works but takes longer, around 8 minutes, and the peaks aren’t as firm. Fresh egg whites that haven’t been pasteurized need only half as much, about 1/8 teaspoon each, or a squeeze of lemon juice.
Commercial manufacturers sometimes add polysaccharides like guar gum or xanthan gum to liquid egg whites to help maintain foam stability. Your homemade version won’t have these, which is perfectly fine for home cooking. Fresh-separated whites that haven’t been heat-treated actually foam more easily than their store-bought counterparts.
Getting the Most From Your Yolks
Separating a dozen eggs leaves you with a bowl of yolks that deserve better than the trash. Yolks keep in the refrigerator for up to two days when covered with a thin layer of water to prevent a skin from forming. They’re ideal for custards, homemade mayo, pasta dough, or enriching scrambled eggs. You can also freeze yolks by stirring in a pinch of salt or sugar per four yolks (to prevent them from becoming gelatinous), then storing in labeled freezer bags.
Planning your meals around both parts of the egg makes the whole process more practical. Separate a batch on Sunday, use the whites for the week’s breakfasts, and turn the yolks into carbonara or hollandaise that same day.