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My mother’s lemon meringue pie never wept. No beads of syrup on the peaks, no puddle under the slice, no meringue sliding off the filling like a hat in the wind. At every potluck in our town another woman would cut into it, look at the clean slice and ask her what she did, and she always gave the same answer, which nobody ever quite believed because it sounded too simple. The filling has to be hot when the meringue goes on.
Here is why it works. A meringue weeps for two reasons. Underneath, where it touches the filling, it stays raw if the filling below is cold, and raw egg white leaks water. On top, it shrinks away from the edges as it bakes and cools, and the gap lets it slide. Spreading the meringue over hot filling cooks it from underneath while the oven cooks it from above, so there is no raw layer to leak. And pushing the meringue right out onto the crust all the way around, so it touches the pastry, gives it something to hold on to, so it cannot shrink back. That is the whole secret, and it has nothing to do with the humidity.
Why this lemon meringue pie works
- Hot filling under the meringue. The heat cooks the bottom of the meringue, so it never forms the raw, watery layer that weeps.
- Sealed to the crust. Meringue that touches the pastry all the way around cannot shrink back and slide.
- Sugar added one spoon at a time. It dissolves completely into the whites, and undissolved sugar is the other cause of beading.
- Cream of tartar. It steadies the whites so the meringue stands tall and holds its peaks.
- A slow cool. An hour on the counter before the refrigerator keeps the sudden chill from making the meringue sweat.
Ingredients
Makes one 9 inch pie, 8 slices. The measurements are in US cups with grams in brackets.
For the filling
- 1 baked 9 inch pie crust, homemade or ready-made, baked until golden
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar (300g)
- 1/3 cup cornstarch (40g)
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 1/2 cups water (360ml)
- 4 large egg yolks, beaten
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (120ml), from about 3 lemons
- 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (42g)
For the meringue
- 4 large egg whites, at room temperature
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100g)
Separate the eggs while they are cold, then let the whites come to room temperature. Not a speck of yolk in the whites, and a bowl wiped clean and dry, or they will not whip.
How to make lemon meringue pie
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Have the baked 9 inch crust ready on the counter.
- Start the meringue first so it is ready the moment the filling is: beat the 4 egg whites with the 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar until they hold soft peaks. Add the 1/2 cup sugar one tablespoon at a time, beating well after each, until the meringue is stiff and glossy and you cannot feel sugar when you rub a little between your fingers. Set it aside.
- For the filling, whisk the 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1/3 cup cornstarch and 1/4 teaspoon salt together in a saucepan, then whisk in the 1 1/2 cups water. Cook over medium heat, stirring all the time, until it boils and thickens, then boil 1 minute more.
- Stir a little of the hot mixture into the 4 beaten egg yolks to warm them, then pour the yolks back into the pan. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes more.
- Take the pan off the heat and stir in the 1/2 cup lemon juice, the 1 tablespoon lemon zest and the 3 tablespoons butter until smooth.
- Pour the hot filling into the baked crust right away.
- Immediately spread the meringue over the hot filling. Start around the edge, pushing it out so it touches the crust all the way around with no gap, then pile the rest in the middle and lift it into peaks with the back of a spoon.
- Bake at 350°F for 12 to 15 minutes, until the peaks are golden brown.
- Cool the pie on the counter for 1 hour, away from drafts, then refrigerate for 3 hours until the filling is set before slicing.
Tips that make the difference
- Have the meringue whipped before the filling comes off the stove. The filling must still be hot when the meringue goes on.
- Seal the edge first, then fill the middle. The seal is what keeps it from sliding.
- Beat in the sugar slowly. Grainy meringue weeps beads of syrup.
- Cut with a wet, hot knife, wiped clean between slices.
- Eat it the day it is made, or the next day. Meringue is at its best young.
Variations
- Lime meringue pie. Use fresh lime juice and lime zest in the same amounts.
- Graham cracker crust. Bake the filling in a baked graham cracker crust for a softer, sweeter base.
- Extra tall meringue. Use 6 egg whites, 1/3 teaspoon cream of tartar and 3/4 cup sugar (150g), and bake 15 to 18 minutes.
- Orange lemon. Replace 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice with orange juice and add a teaspoon of orange zest for a softer, rounder flavor.
Storage and make-ahead
Keep the pie in the refrigerator, loosely covered with an upturned bowl or a cake cover rather than plastic wrap, which sticks to the meringue. It is best within 2 days.
Lemon meringue pie does not freeze well. The meringue turns spongy and the filling weeps when it thaws.
You can bake the crust a day ahead and keep it at room temperature, wrapped. Make the filling and the meringue on the day.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my meringue weep?
The bottom of the meringue was raw because it went onto cold filling, or the sugar did not fully dissolve. Spread the meringue on hot filling and beat the sugar in a tablespoon at a time until it feels smooth between your fingers.
Why did my meringue shrink and slide off the pie?
It was not sealed to the crust. Push the meringue all the way out until it touches the pastry around the whole edge before you pile up the middle.
Why is my lemon filling runny?
It was not boiled long enough before the yolks, or not cooked the 2 minutes after them. Cornstarch needs a full boil to thicken, and the pie needs its 3 hours in the refrigerator.
Can I use bottled lemon juice?
Fresh is much better here, since lemon is the whole flavor of the pie, and you need the zest anyway. Three or four lemons give you both.
Hot filling, meringue on right away, sealed to the edge. Do those three things and you will be the one at the potluck getting asked what you did.
Lemon Meringue Pie (The Meringue That Never Weeps)
Old-fashioned lemon meringue pie with a tall meringue that does not weep or slide: a cooked lemon filling poured hot into a baked crust, the meringue spread on right away and sealed to the edge, baked at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes. Cups and grams and the timing that matters.
Ingredients
- 1 baked 9 inch pie crust, homemade or ready-made, baked until golden
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 4 large egg yolks, beaten
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (120ml), from about 3 lemons
- 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 large egg whites, at room temperature
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Have the baked 9 inch crust ready on the counter.
- Start the meringue first so it is ready the moment the filling is: beat the 4 egg whites with the 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar until they hold soft peaks. Add the 1/2 cup sugar one tablespoon at a time, beating well after each, until the meringue is stiff and glossy and you cannot feel sugar when you rub a little between your fingers. Set it aside.
- For the filling, whisk the 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1/3 cup cornstarch and 1/4 teaspoon salt together in a saucepan, then whisk in the 1 1/2 cups water. Cook over medium heat, stirring all the time, until it boils and thickens, then boil 1 minute more.
- Stir a little of the hot mixture into the 4 beaten egg yolks to warm them, then pour the yolks back into the pan. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes more.
- Take the pan off the heat and stir in the 1/2 cup lemon juice, the 1 tablespoon lemon zest and the 3 tablespoons butter until smooth.
- Pour the hot filling into the baked crust right away.
- Immediately spread the meringue over the hot filling. Start around the edge, pushing it out so it touches the crust all the way around with no gap, then pile the rest in the middle and lift it into peaks with the back of a spoon.
- Bake at 350°F for 12 to 15 minutes, until the peaks are golden brown.
- Cool the pie on the counter for 1 hour, away from drafts, then refrigerate for 3 hours until the filling is set before slicing.
