What Does Curdle Mean in Cooking?

Refers to a food ingredient that separates because of overheating or because an acidic ingredient has been added such as lemon juice to a milk or egg preparation. In milk, for example, the solids may separate from the liquid and begin to coagulate as the milk sours.

What is curdling in cooking?

Curdling occurs when the proteins in a sauce denature and bind together, separating from the water and tightening up into curds. Dairy or egg-y sauces can curdle for several reasons: There might not be enough fat in the sauce; skim milk will curdle much more easily than other, fattier dairy products.

What does it mean for eggs to curdle?

There are three main reasons why a creamed mixture will curdle when the eggs are added: The eggs are added too quickly. ... Too many eggs are added. The amount of water (from the eggs) being added to the butter is too much for the quantity of butter being used to retain the emulsion.