How to Keep Eggs From Curdling

Thick, creamy custards make a delicious base for desserts.

There are times when you expect eggs to curdle, like when making scrambled eggs or omelets. But when you are making custard puddings, egg-thickened dressings or lemon curd for pie fillings that must stay smooth and creamy throughout the cooking process, curdling is a disaster. Avoid the unpleasant and grainy texture of curdled custards by learning how to temper eggs before adding them to hot liquids. Does this Spark an idea?

Print this article

Eggs
Medium bowl
Whisk
Recipe liquid
Heavy sauce pan
Candy thermometer
Spoon

Instructions

- 1
  
  Break the number of eggs required by your recipe into a medium bowl and whisk them to mix the whites and yolks. Some recipes call for yolks only. In this case, separate the yolks and break them up with the whisk.
- 2
  
  Heat the liquid called for in your recipe -- often milk -- in a heavy sauce pan until it is hot but not boiling. Keep the liquid under 180 F, checking regularly with a candy thermometer.
- 3
  
  Pour about half a cup of the hot liquid into the eggs. Whisk the liquid and egg mix. This is called tempering, which dilutes and warms the eggs so that they do not curdle when they hit a full sauce pan of hot liquid.
- 4
  
  Pour the tempered egg mixture into the sauce pan. Whisk to mix the egg mixture with the hot liquid mixture.
- 5
  
  Continue to cook, stirring the egg and liquid mixture on medium heat until the mixture thickens and coats the back of the spoon. Be patient, letting the egg mixture slowly develop a smooth and creamy texture.
- 6
  
  Continue with your recipe now that the eggs are tempered and have thickened the liquid.

Tips & Warnings

If there are bits of cooked egg in the custard, strain it through a fine-meshed sieve immediately after cooking.
Consider cooking a thin custard when making egg nog to avoid the hazards of ingesting raw eggs.
Custards can also be baked. Examples of baked custards are custard pie, flan, quiche, pumpkin pie, pecan pie and any other type of dish that is thickened in the oven by eggs and a liquid.