Some Factors Affecting Weepage of Baked Spinach Soufflés

Experiments were conducted to determine the effect of certain factors on the liquid seepage from a baked spinach soufflé. Two commercial brands of frozen whole eggs exhibited significantly different weepage in soufflés. The brand with the least weepage also had a significantly higher protein content. In addition to the commercially prepared products eggs frozen and stored for 2 days at −12° and −24° C. both in still air, at −30° and −42° C. both in forced air, with dichlorodifluoromethane or with liquid nitrogen exhibited no significant difference in soufflé weepage. Freezing and storing eggs at −24° C. for 2 or for 60 days resulted in significantly less weepage than for fresh eggs or for eggs frozen for 30 days under the same conditions. Adding lecithin to eggs caused no significant difference in weepage. However, there was a tendency for eggs with a lecithinxholesterol ratio of 10:1 to show less weepage than the control. Addition of cholesterol to eggs at double and four times the level normally found caused no significant difference in soufflé weepage. Drying the spinach to 55.8% of its cooked and drained weight resulted in significantly less weepage. Addition of 1% of carboxymethyl cellulose, or a derivative, effectively reduced weepage of frozen spinach soufflés.