Troubleshooting meringues

Meringues have a reputation for being troublesome. Keep in mind the following things:

• Under- or overbeaten foams leak syrup into unsightly beads and puddles.
• Undissolved sugar is undercooked syrup that has come to room temperature. If the sugar has not been completely dissolved, residual crystals attract water and create pockets of concentrated syrup (beads).  These meringues have a gritty texture.
• Too high an oven temperature squeezes wter from the coagulating proteins faster than it evaporates, producing syrup beads. It can also cause the foam to rise and crack, and turn its surface yellow.
• Weeping of syrup is caused by either undercooking a foam bottom in a hot oven and cold base, or overcooking the foam bottom in a moderate oven and hot base. To prevent weeping, cover the pie base with a layer of crumbs before adding the meringue topping and include starch or gelatin in the foam to help it retain moisture.
• Humidity is bad for meringues. Their sugary surface absorbs moisture from the air and gets sticky. Transfer dried meringues directly from the oven to an airtight container and serve immediately after removing from container.