Where does this come from, and can I check it?

Whisking hot milk into yolks gradually warms them without curdling. The figure is taken from Exploratorium, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.

Is this really a food fact?

Yes. It sits on the Food shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.

What else can I read about it?

The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.

Mondo Knows Facts

Tempering eggs keeps custard smooth

Whisking hot milk into yolks gradually warms them without curdling Custard curdles when yolk proteins are heated too fast and bind into lumps. Tempering means whisking a little hot liquid into the yolks first, raising their temperature gradually so the proteins denature without clumping, then returning the mixture to the pan. The same logic protects sauces thickened with egg from splitting over direct heat. It sits in Mondo's food collection, one of 200 facts that each trace back to the reference below.

Where this comes from

Exploratorium

Facts that can change over time are reviewed and updated. If something here looks wrong, Mondo would rather know than be confidently incorrect.

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Food & Cooking trivia

More facts like this

Tempering chocolate aligns cocoa butter crystalsControlled cooling ensures chocolate sets with a glossy finish and crisp snap Heat untangles proteins in egg whites to form a solid gelWarming denatures translucent ovalbumin proteins until they bond into a firm white mesh Egg yolk lecithin stabilises oil and water mixturesPhospholipids in egg yolk prevent oil and vinegar from separating in sauces Eggshell colour depends on the hen, not the yolkBrown shells carry protoporphyrin pigment, and blue shells carry biliverdin A double yolk comes from two ovulations close togetherTwo yolks are released before the shell forms around them Older eggs are easier to peelThe white grips the membrane less as the egg ages and its pH rises

Tags: custard, eggs, tempering

Tempering eggs keeps custard smooth: the short answers

Where does this come from, and can I check it?: Whisking hot milk into yolks gradually warms them without curdling. The figure is taken from Exploratorium, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
Is this really a food fact?: Yes. It sits on the Food shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.
What else can I read about it?: The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.