Different legumes aquafaba as a plant-based egg white substitute in baked and non-baked French meringues

Background

French meringue, prepared by beating egg whites with sugar, is widely used in confectionery. However, there is a growing demand for egg-free products due to allergies/sensitivities or vegan diets. The most commonly used egg white substitute in foaming is aquafaba, the liquid obtained from cooking legumes. However, there is a lack of studies evaluating aquafabas from different legumes and their characteristics for foaming meringues.

Aim

This study evaluated the physicochemical and functional properties of meringue made with aquafaba from chickpeas, soybeans, lentils, peas, and pinto beans.

Method

The study was divided into the following stages: preparation of aquafaba (12 h soaking, pressure-cooking and refrigeration of the cooked grain in cooking water/24 h); quantification of aquafaba total proteins; determination of the maximum beating time and overrun; determination of the meringue stability before baking; determination of the raw and baked meringues’ moisture content.

Results

There was no significant difference in aquafaba's protein content, except for lentils, which had a higher protein content. Aquafabas from peas (25 %) and chickpeas (20 %) presented the greatest overrun, while soybeans had the lowest (5 %). There was no significant difference between the samples regarding stability (p < 0.4798). After baking, the pinto bean aquafaba meringue exhibited the most significant loss of moisture (91.94 %), followed by peas (90.73 %), lentils (90.52 %), chickpeas (88.88 %), and soybeans (84.31 %).

Conclusion

Meringues produced with pea and chickpea aquafaba are more promising. Although pea and chickpea aquafabas did not present the highest protein content, other factors, such as stability and moisture loss, were crucial for meringue characteristics.