Final answer:
For certain recipes involving sugar syrup and egg whites, such as meringues, these components must be ready at the same time or simultaneously to ensure the proper texture and structure of the final product.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question is asking about the timing needed for preparing ingredients in a recipe or cooking process. When combining sugar syrup and egg whites for certain recipes, such as making meringues, it is important that these components are prepared at a specific time relative to one another. Here are the options and what they mean:
a) At the same time: This option suggests that the syrup and the egg whites should be ready to use at the same exact moment.
b) Simultaneously: Similar to 'at the same time', this means both ingredients should be ready together, without any delay between them.
c) Separately: This option implies that there is no need for the syrup and the egg whites to be ready at the same time.
d) Within 5 minutes of each other: This suggests that the egg whites and sugar syrup can be ready close in time, but not necessarily exactly together.
The correct answer to the question 'Sugar syrup and egg whites must be ready _____________' is either a) At the same time or b) Simultaneously, as both terms are synonyms and indicate that the ingredients should be prepared to be used together without any delay, which is crucial for the proper texture and structure in some culinary preparations.