The question about aquafaba I was most interested in pursuing was whether you can manipulate it to make a more stable foam, one that could be used to produce a meringue that didn’t fall apart after a few hours.
I knew that in an egg-based meringue, proteins like albumin are denatured using a combination of mechanical stress and a lower pH (accomplished by adding cream of tartar, an acid) as the mixture is vigorously aerated to create a foam. It seemed logical that the proteins in aquafaba would behave in the same way as the proteins in egg whites in the presence of cream of tartar.
However, aquafaba doesn’t just contain protein; it also contains those saponins, which I knew created more stable foams at an alkaline pH based on previously published research. Therefore, I reasoned, increasing the pH of aquafaba by using an agent like baking soda should help create a more stable foam.
