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Why Custards Whey or Curdle

Custards usually whey or separate or curdle because they are cooked at too high a temperature. Soft custards may curdle when they are cooked for too long a time or are not stirred constantly. Milk that is a little sour may cause curdling of a custard.

The best way to prevent wheying, separating or curdling is to regulate the temperature and time of cooking all custards by cooking them over or surrounded by water slightly below the boiling-point, by removing them from the heat when they are done, and by being sure that milk used in making them is entirely sweet.

If a soft custard begins to whey, separate, or, as it is usually called in this case, curdle, it should be removed immediately from the heat. The pan containing it may be set in a pan of cold water, and the custard may be beaten vigorously to redistribute the particles of egg and milk solids.