Leaking Pavlova

gennie, Dec 4, 10:33pm
Anyone got any ideas why a Pav would leak!(a miky thin fluid from underneath).Have used the same recipe for the last 5 years and never had this before.I don't think I changed anything in the routine in making it.It is an all in one pav - just put all the ingredients in together into the bowl and then beat till really stiff. Cook and then leave to cool in oven.Started leaking about 2 hours after getting out of the oven and there would have been a good 1/4 of fluid all done by the end.

petal1955, Dec 4, 11:55pm
Sounds like the sugar wasnt beaten enough with the whites.

lavender32, Dec 5, 1:13am
I've always understood this is because the sugar wasn't disolved enough when beating as petal said.

seniorbones, Dec 5, 1:17am
x1
yes as above, sugar not dissolved. Did you use castor sugar! you can test by putting some mixture between two fingers and rub if it feels gritty then keep beating until you can no longer
feel the sugar grit.

buzzy110, Dec 5, 2:37am
What does the leaked fluid taste like! Is it just like melted sugar - which, incidentally, is usually clear, not milky or does it taste like something else.

When you put your pav onto the tray did it hold its shape or did it sort of start to spread out!

The answer to these questions will help us to stop guessing, maybe incorrectly, what has gone wrong.

asue, Dec 5, 3:09am
I used old castor sugar and mine did the same, also baked on a very warm wet day and wondered if this was a reason too

annie.nz, Dec 5, 4:01am
Possible causes vary, can be:

1.Humidity - more water molecules in the air, so they condense around any small grains of sugar left in the pavlova.Or condense anyway.

2.Overbeating - only a problem with stand mixers really.I've found that more than 8 mins on a new kenwood will do it.

3.Undercooking. (but I mean, who undercooks a pavlova!)

I find humidity, especially on warm days, is the worst problem, and tend to make sure the sugar is well dissolved on a humid day.If it's really humid, I'll cook it at the last minute and leave it in the oven.

buzzy110, Dec 5, 4:09am
Sugar will last indefinitely with no lteration in its characteristics if it is stored so that it doesn't clump together. What do you call 'old'!

annie.nz, Dec 5, 5:37am
Further to my last post - if it's humid you can try Donna Hay's recipe - it's loaded with cornflour, which helps keep it stable.

http://www.donnahay.com.au/CatalogueRetrieve.aspx!ProductID=2561394&A=SearchResult&SearchID=2089212&ObjectID=2561394&ObjectType=27

rj5, Dec 5, 7:06am
Did you make it with fresh eggs, just reading in Annabelle Langbeins cook book she quotes "egg whites should be at least 7 days old and at room temperature, if too fresh the meringue will "weep" in syrupy threads"

tinkagirl, Dec 5, 7:42am
Yes it is all to do with the cornflour, try adding an extra tablespoon.

seniorbones, Dec 5, 8:23am
I dont agree with her advise, I have chickens and used 2 days old egg whites and they beat up beautifully.

gennie, Dec 6, 8:49am
Thanks for all of that - it was on Sunday which was quite a drizzly warm day here so maybe the humidity didn't help.

Mixture was definitely very stiff.Could be piled and formed into a stiff shape on the tray - no spreading due to an un-stiff mixture.

Bake a lot so no ingredients are old.Tasted like sweet slightly milky water.

Eggs about a week old.It wasn't sugar threads leaking at all - have had this happen before and they just form clear hard sugar bubbles when they cool down - it was really watery and a white/slight yellow tinge in colour.Wasn't there when I took it out of the oven, developed after an hour or two.

seniorbones, Dec 6, 10:48am
Nigella did one tonight 8 egg yolks then beat in 500gms castor sugar then folded in cornflour vanilla and cornflour. made a huge pav, then alison gofton did one on good morning and she said she never beats in the sugar just folds in with the other ingreds!I just chuck all mine in the mixer and leave on high for 15 mins - never fails!

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