It isn’t uncommon to find a recipe that calls for egg yolks or whites to be used, so separating eggs is an essential kitchen technique to master!

There are quite a few ways that you can separate egg yolks from whites. We’ve tried everything from using a water bottle to our hands. In our experience, the best method for separating eggs is by using the egg shell.

This simple technique doesn’t make a mess and is extremely easy to master. Simply crack an egg and transfer the yolk back and forth from one half of the shell to the other while letting the egg white drip into the bowl below.

A little egg white left behind and mixed into your yolk won’t impact your recipe. But, when using only the whites in a recipe, it’s imperative to keep them yolk-free. The fat in the egg yolk will interfere with the egg white’s protein structure and ability to whip up and form stiff peaks properly.

In fact, the whites are so delicate that egg yolk, the natural body oils from your hands and even residual detergent or oil on a bowl or whisk can interfere with the protein structure of the egg whites. For this reason, make sure you wash your hands before working with egg whites and use metal, glass or ceramic bowls for your whites because the surface is much easier to keep clean and doesn’t hold residual traces of oil and detergent like plastic can (even after washing it).

If any bits of egg shell or yolk land in your perfectly separated egg yolks or whites, simply scoop them out using one of the eggshell halves.

FUN FACT: An egg shell’s membrane is coated in a protein that attracts the protein in the yolks, so it’s an easy way to remove any accidental drip of yolk. A metal spoon can actually repel the yolk, so you end up chasing it around the bowl rather than seamlessly scooping it out.

Many people recommend separating egg white with your hands, rather than the shell. But, as we mentioned above, egg whites can be negatively impacted by the natural oils on your skin. If you’re planning on whipping your whites, we don’t recommend separating eggs with your hands. The less the egg whites come in contact with your hands, the better.

Egg whites will keep for up to 3 days when stored in an airtight container in the fridge.

For longer storage, you can freeze your egg whites in an ice cube tray. Once frozen solid, transfer the cubes to a Ziploc freezer bag. To thaw them, place the desired amount of egg white “ice cubes” in an airtight container and thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

Egg yolks will keep for up to 2 days in an airtight container in the fridge. If you want to avoid the top layer of the yolk forming a “skin,” place the yolk in a container with a few drops of water on top before storing.

If you’re making a recipe that calls for either egg whites or egg yolks, you can use the leftover raw egg to make scrambled eggs or an omelet.

There are countless recipes that use separated eggs, so it’s a great technique to teach your kids. It can be more stressful to teach them how to accomplish this when you actually NEED the white separated from the yolk, so try to practice separating the eggs with your little ones when making scrambled eggs. This way, it won’t matter if a little yolk drips into the whites as it’ll all get whisked together and cooked anyway.

If you’re not wild about the shell method and are looking for a separator tool, check out this favorite.

Cold egg yolks hold their shape better and separate more easily. If your recipe calls for room-temperature eggs, separate them while they’re cold and let the yolks and whites come to room temperature in separate bowls.

This will give you the cleanest break.

If you know you’ll be separating several eggs and then whipping the whites for recipes such as a meringue, you may want to use three bowls. The three-bowl method is the best way to be certain no yolk finds its way into your whites and compromises the entire bowl.

To do this, dedicate one bowl for separating each individual egg white, a second bowl for the yolks and a third bowl for the already separated white to be poured into.

Crack the egg and separate the white into one bowl. The naked yolk goes into the second bowl. Once finished separating each individual egg, transfer that egg white into a larger, third, holding bowl. This larger bowl will hold all your whites together once you’re certain there’s no yolk in the smaller bowl you just separated the egg in. The next egg is then cracked in the (now empty) first bowl and the process is repeated.

This way, if a little yolk goes into your egg white when separating in the first bowl, you can discard that one egg rather than having to scrap all your previous whites too because they were in that same (compromised) bowl.

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