Too lazy to leave my home in the middle of food preparation (and too nice of a guy to send Tina on a mayonnaise buying errand), I grabbed a clean bowl and my whisk to make some of my homemade mayo.
All you need are two large egg yolks, 3 tablespoons of lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, a pinch of white pepper, and 1 cup oil. I ran out of lemon juice last night (I just keep running out of ingredients), so I used about 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of lime juice. I also froze the two large egg whites in ice cube trays for later use. For the oil, I used extra light olive oil because of its very faint (almost nonexistant) flavor and nutritional and health properties.
I put the yolks, lemon juice, salt, and pepper into my mixing bowl and whisked until smooth and light. I then whisked the oil, a few drops at a time, into the mixture. I made sure the mixture was smooth and well integrated before pouring the next few drops of oil. The whisking will suspend the oil into the yolk mixture and adding the oil a little at a time will keep the mixture in a state of emulsion - which is what we want.
After about 1/3 cup of oil has been whisked in, you can speed up the pouring a bit. Make sure the mixture is back in emulsion before pouring any more oil. Once all the oil has been whisked in, you have mayonnaise. This is a good time to add any extras, a spoonful of dijon mustard and extra salt and black pepper is usually what I add.
Because handmade mayonnaise is mostly egg yolk, the mayonnaise will have a healthy yellow color. Store bought or machine made mayonnaise usually also contains egg whites which will lighten the color up as well as lighten up the flavor. Anything you don't use immediately, put it in a jar and refrigerate. It should hold for half a week to a week.Related Articles
| 2 large egg yolks | whisk | whisk oil in drop by drop |
| 3 Tbs. lemon juice | ||
| 1/4 tsp. salt | ||
| pinch of white pepper | ||
| 1 cup oil |
You might note that I called both mayonnaise and vinaigrette dressing emulsions. But, a vinaigrette eventually seperates while mayonnaise maintains its state of emulsion. This is because of the egg yolks which contains a substance called lecithin (an emulsifier). You may have seen lecithin as part of the ingredient list of store bought ice cream and salad dressings. This substance when mixed with water (the lemon juice) and oil (the olive oil) helps hold the two together in suspension. Of course, if we kept mixing more and more oil into the mixture, we would eventually overwhelm the emulsifier and the whole emulsion would separate (at least that's what I'm told, maybe one day I'll do it to see what happens when you mix in too much oil).
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When you go to open your bottle of oil don't take the little foil seal off. Just poke a tiny hole in it with a toothpick. This way you can squirt a fine stream of oil into the blender while it it running.
Here is my OP (olive oil parmesan) dressing.
In a blender put
1 egg
3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons of soysauce
pinch of fresh ground black pepper
Continue to blend these
Slowly add olive oil with a fine stream
until you get your desired viscosity
Add some shredded parmesan (to taste).
I like to leave some texture with the cheese
so don't over blend.
You can, of course, add some more olive oil while blending
until it has the consistancy of a mayonnaise spread.
This doesn't make much so you may want to double the recipe.
There's a type of mustard sold here (I live in Flanders, the northern region of Belgium) where the mustard seeds appear to be grinded only slightly and the 'skin' is still visible. This makes the mayonnaise look quite nice.
Adding finely chopped fresh herbs (e.g. basil) also works great for adding a visual touch...
As for oil: we use maize oil. Experiments with olive oil were not so successful, but we probably used a variety with more flavour to it. I will surely try your suggestion of extra light olive oil...
Enjoy!
I just wanted to share a little tip for mayonnaise that separates. I doesn't always work but if you put your separated mayonnaise into a food processor and whilst it is whizzing around, add a slug of hot water it usually fixes the problem.
I don't know why this works but it does.
Any vegetable oil can be used to make mayonnaise. I prefer oils with little flavor (canola or light olive) as opposed to oils with a stronger flavors (corn oil, peanut oil).
Calamansi juice will probably work. Generally, I find most people use vinegars or lemon juice. Calamansi might not be as acidic as either, but could produce a nice flavor unique to your homemade mayonnaise.
Experiment and have fun!
Michael
Did you add the oil very, very slowly? Add a few drop and whisk. The oil should be completely suspended in the liquid before applying more oil. Too much too fast can break the emulsion and it'll be runny no matter what you do. (not quite true, but you might as well start over - it's easier)
After the emulsion starts to hold and you add a tad more oil, it'll start to become more solid. If the emulsion has broken, then it'll separate. Only when you've got an ample amount of oil suspended, can you start drizzling.
I finally tried to make it in a food processor so that I could maintain constant movement but I honestly think that my problem was that I gave up too soon and there wasn't a high enough ratio of oil to the egg/lemon mixture for it to thicken. Anyway, this batch worked---not exactly perfect but I'm sure with experimentation I'll get it down, maybe even with doing with a hand whisk. Thanks for your posting, pictures and directions. Great site!
Of course eating raw eggs is a risk. In the United States, a small percentage of eggs are contaminated with salmonella (an often quoted statistic is 1 in 30,000 eggs are contaminated; risk increases a bit if eating eggs in a restaurant due to handling, etc.). Eggs are generally laid with salmonella from sick birds - You can reduce your risk by purchasing eggs from health conscious producers such as organic eggs as generally the chicken population is watched with more concern. Regardless of the type of egg you purchase, examine the eggs you plan to use. Use the freshest eggs you can get for this recipe. Don't use eggs with cracks in the shell (you can place the egg in a salted cold water bath and look for a stream of bubbles). When you extract the yolk, pay attention to the whites. They should be gel like and not watery. Also, the yolks should not break easily.
Keeping these things in mind reduces your risk of food poisoning from the raw egg yolk drastically. (Remember, randomly grabbing an egg is a 1 in 30,000 chance; in other words, you need to eat 20,800 random eggs in order to have a 50-50 chance of having selected a salmonella infected one. Picking and choosing reduces this risk and it's unlikely the average person will be eating this many raw eggs in their lifetime [about one a day]) If you are immune deficient or generally susceptible to illness, obviously do not consume raw eggs or raw egg products. Otherwise, if your eggs are fresh, healthy and refrigerated (refrigeration has more to do with freshness than anything else - eggs age slower in refrigerators than at room temperature), it should be safe to eat.
If you would like to cook the eggs, simply whisk the yolks with the lemon juice and then heat slowly (very slowly) while stirring until it reaches 160°F (about when the mixture coats the back of a metal spoon and the yolk starts producing a few bubbles). Heating too fast will result in scrambled eggs. Place the pan into ice water to stop the cooking and stir until the egg yolk cools down (try not to get water into the pan). then proceed with the recipe as before (add salt, pepper, oil).
There is great difference between the perfectly hand whisked variety, produced with great focus and concentration, for immediate service, and the Commercially Engineered feat of a glass-canned Hellmans. Both have their place.
The perfect hand whisked is analagous to a fine freshly whipped cream, where gloss and the folding of the peak show the perfect suspension of air to fat. In mayo, the hand whisked has a gloss and tip fold that Hellmans can never touch.
Yet Hellmans has its place in the real world kitchen. Let those among us who never use jarred mayonnaise cast the first stone. The Commercially Engineered Hellmans is a marvel in its own way. Engineers have studied the process of emulsion/suspension and provided a safe and shelf stable product, consistently replicatable with each production run in the factory. Can we hand-whippers claim that same consistency?
The quest for the perfect mayo can draw to common ground both the esthete and the engineer. Thomas Keller, the featured saint/iconic chef in Mark Ruleman's "The Soul of a Chef" talks about his daily quest in his formative years for the perfect hollandaise. Well folks, a hollandaise ain't nuthin' but a hot mayo made from butter. The quest is the same. I've been trying mayos for 30 years in every conceivable vessel that has a moving blade, enjoying the nuances of differences that each machine (including wrist) can produce, and also sheepishly disposing of some lamentable failures.
What really got me to thinking was the post by "anonymous guest', earlier in this string: "Place a "Stick blender" all the way to the bottom of the jar and slowly blend back to the top about 5 seconds. Instant mayo!"
Wow! Something clicked in engineering lobe of the brain: A jar is a cylinder, and has different equations for volume determination than has a sphere ( or functionally in the kitchen, a Hemi-sphere: a bowl). The food processor "bowl" is likewise a cylinder, and the blender vase a hybrid of the two.
So then I wondered: what do the real food engineers in the "Food Industry" do? How do they make mayo? Is it a hemispheric kettle with a rotating blade and a calibrated drizzle? A cylinder churn with a later piston extrusion to remove product to jar? My quick and paltry Google attempts did not get me to their production process. Several questions/ideas arise:
1) Any Hellmans' engineers want to share the process? Or, academicians in emulsion sciences?
2) Has anyone tried the jar and stick blender? The logarithmic timing of oil input in the "traditional" methods can be intimidating and also difficult to repeat the same way each time. It seems that the timing of the "raising of the stick blender" would be equivalently problematic.
3) The jar method could be very attractive from the standpoint of fewer vessels/quicker cleanup, and storage of product in fabricating vessel.
4) I haven't tried jar method yet (still have mayo from last week), but will soon do so, and would like to challenge those of us who are so inclined to also try and report results.
5) Variables would be:
a) Height and especially Width of jar;
b) diameter of blade area of blender;
c) displacement value of stick blender;
d) total volume of non-oil materials (egg, acid, others), also expressed as vertical inches in jar;
e) total volume of oil, also expressed as inches in jar. Ratio of "perfect cylinder" could thus be developed from a thru e.
f) description of timing/up-drawing.
g) others?
This could be fun. For those of us who were not permanently scarred by bad teachers requiring stultifying lab reports a' la nuns with rulers on knuckles, let's have a go at it.
Several asides:
1) If you don't yet have a "stick blender", get one. They retail from $25 on up, and are regularly available in your local thrift store as $5 discards from them who don't want to take new chances. Stick blenders eliminate the "transfer soup/etc to blender" step, and give total control over the puree process, and clean up with a zip in a glass of water.
2) Here are the results that I marked from my google search. May be helpful for "mayonados" ( = mayonnaise afficiandos)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2005/07/13/FDGLIDLQ2S1.DTL
http://www.wisc.edu/foodsci/courses/fs532/01mayonnaise.html
http://www.hi-tm.com/Documents/Mayonnaise.html
3) Finally, not to start a war on "which brand of commercial mayo is best", just know that each year when I travel to the piedmont region of North and South Carolina, I return home with a case of "Dukes" brand mayo. See Sauer's brand website for equivalency. Piedmont Carolina is, however, also the epicenter of distribution for the dreaded/beloved "liver mush".... a whole 'nother story for another thread. :)
Source: [u:de189a5d92]Bacterial Pathogenesis: A Molecular Approach[/u:de189a5d92] 2nd Ed. by Abigail Salyers and Dixie Whitt (Best book ever until the 3rd Ed. comes out)
Adding mustard changes the desired flavor of the recipe. A basic mayonnaise doesn't contain mustard, but if you want mustard flavored mayonnaise (which is a very popular variant), then leaving out the mustard is a bad idea. :)
Since you're allergic to mustard, I'd stick with the basic mayonnaise recipe (as shown, skipping the optional mention of mustard; you can try other variantions by adding garlic powder or another herb or seasoning of your choice instead if you want something more interesting than a basic mayonnaise).
When I wrote this article, it was my practice to drop in some Dijon mustard while making the mayonnaise, but now I just make a batch of plain mayonnaise and mix add-ins (depending on what food was being prepared) at the time of usage. The plain mayonnaise is very good by itself and adding flavoring later gives a lot of flexibility.
I tried the above recipe but my mayo came out runny, as if the ingradients never combined to make the mayo as intended.
Any ideas why this might have happened? I followed the directions as posted and used the same ingredients
Thanks,
Harley
This would seem to preclude egg yolks.
Would commercial lecithin, a mild oil, water, icing (confectioners) sugar and vanilla essence achieve this?
What are the factors that affect the separation of the emulsion?
I find having all the ingredients at room temperature before I start helps greatly in getting a good firm Mayo.
Why make your own - You have total control over the flavor - if you start with a good base it can become whatever you imagination can dream up and top bragging rights if it works out well.
Nice variation -
for a light fluffy mayo - whip the egg whites and fold in -
Variations rarely seen nowadays
- Wonderful if used with the right dish -
Grated truffles folded in just before serving
Sesame oil in with the v light olive oil
Almond four stired through
ground Anchovies
freshly roaster Black Pepper stired in 3 or 4 hors before needed.
coconut cream beaten in
what I have been taught so long ago is wrong, It is tolerant of acid.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&...act
I am assured that if you are worried you can add any commercially available preservatives that will dispatch the little horrors.
Location - Toronto Canada
Situation - Critical
Four egg yolks have been seriously beaten and dosed with lemon juice and vinegar. The remains then were dribbled with corn oil, resulting in a gooey mess. The victims have been bled. What once was a timesaving and cost effective way of keeping my butt in the house and avoiding a trip to the store has turned into what can only be described as a horrifying massacre, sparring no souls.
It was Fidel Castro that once said "... every man must beat his own egg sometimes..." and I believe that is what has happened here today. What possible beneficial outcome can be derived from this, this senseless slaughter of beautiful eggs in their prime can only measured be the deranged minds that perpetrated this atrocity.
May the Lord have mercy upon us all.
I always use whole eggs in my mayo and it NEVER failed. I actually wonder why the cook books are full of hints how to "save" your mayo... ;-)
My mum used her blender. The European blenders have a dripping hole in the cover, so the oil will definitely just drop in...
I use the "blender stick" and a rather narrow and high measuring cup (about 1 quart volume). I put the egg, some lemon juice or vinegar, salt, pepper and mustard in the cup. I mix until everything combines, then add the oil (I use sunflower seed) rather slowly. I have no clue how much oil is needed as I simply add oil until the desired consistency is reached.
My mum would sometimes make her own tartar sauce. With the blender still running, add pickles, onions and whatever you like. Voila!
As for using raw eggs - I eat eggs, even raw ones, since my childhood. I used different eggs, from "cage" to organic, and never had problems. Actually, my aunt working in a hotel got salmonella (and other guests) form a pasteurised, packed whole eggs! So much for the theory of heating the eggs to kill the bacteria...
PS-great page! I tried the bacon-in-the-oven-method and will use only this one from now on! Thanks!
I make it sometimes, and tastes great. Instead of using yolks use about half cup of milk. I heat 1/4 of the milk a little bit and then add the lemon juice, after that mix the rest of the milk and start doing the oil emulsion. Basically the same process as with the egg yolks.
What do you think?
Second time I tried it, the eggwhites wouldn't stiffen. I threw out 3 batches, including one where I had already begun to add the (expensive) flax oil. It was just too watery. I think the problem was that my wire wisk was coming apart and the wisk was rotating on the stem, this slowed the beating action. I threw the mix into the cuisinart instead, still the eggwhites wouldn't stiffen, but I decided to start adding some cheap olive oil to the mix and suddenly it began to emulsify and thicken. Once again I achieved a perfect, tasty mayo.
mixed with a few herbs, this is very tasty on grilled salmon. spread a layer on before grilling, it forms a nice tangy crust. then use it as a dip after grilling.
BTW, thanks for all the great tips, especially about the pusher on the cuisinart. I'll have to try that.
i failed miserably as expected but had to admit that my whisk was LAME-O. So with so much imprtance beingbeing placed on blending and emusifying 'well'..... i went off to 'Linen and things' and promptly bought myself a proper whisk
things certainly looked different using my new whisk but i got exhausted whisking and had to take a break to open a bottle of tylenol as well due to the clanging of my new and improved whisk against the bowl, giving me a rippin' good headache and all. and it made me wonder
it made me wonder how long this ridiculous recipe has to take to dutifully prepare. the instructions and hints offered to other posters who have failed is ONE DROP At A TIME until the 1st 1/3cup of oil is used.
so how long (in actual time increments) is one supposed to whisk between DROPS of oil? even if it's 10seconds..... how many drops of oil are in 1/3cup of oil X 10 seconds?
should this article have been written with the warning DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS WITHOUT A WICKED NICE MIXER AND A WELL PAID ELECTRIC BILL ?
and finally, since much ado has been made @ ading oil too quicly and that your whole project is lost should you add too much oil too quickly - is there a way to know when that has actually 'happened' so we can get a clue as to when to toss it in the trash and begin hopefull anew instead of chasing our aching whisking muscles straight into a fruitless carpal tunnel syndrome?
Whisk until the oil is incorporated into the mixture. For me, that's about 8 strokes or so with the whisk - about two seconds. The unincorporated oil that you drop in looks like a clear glob where ever you drop it into the mixture. After whisking, the globs of clear liquid should no longer exist. If you're a fast whisker, this should not take very long. If it does, add a little less oil next time. If you can't get even a single drop of oil to incorporate, then the recipe has failed.
It has failed when you whisk and the oil sloshes around and won't magically disappear into the yellow mixture.
i made my first batch 2 nights ago for chicken salad. went with the whole egg approach. (1 egg, 1 cup oil, 2 T white vin., 1/2 t salt) since i was planning on feeding the salad to my little one, i heated it to 160 first. used veg. oil, and followed your directions, using a whisk. that got to be much too tedious, so i poured all the oil in my mixing bowl, and used my immersion (stick) blender (which by the wy was $20 US at kohl's).
came out FABULOUS!!!!! added some mustard, more salt, a lil pepper, and some garlic powder.
***add some diced chicken and onions for a great chicken salad!***
my point is this: spend the twenty bucks, and the oil process is vitually foolproof--and, cleanup's a snap!
If you prepare your own mayonaise---first make sure the eggs that you are using are salmonella free. Next Never leave homemade mayonaise out of the refrigerator long. Just about any kind of oil can be used but classic mayonaise is always made with Olive Oil. The fastest method is the blender or mixer method into which the eggs are beaten and the oiled drizzled into them. Never omit vinegar---it acts as a preservative and discourages growth of bacteria and salmonella.
If you add Garlic to it while making the mayonaise---it becomes the classic haute cuisine Aioli.
Egg safety has nothing to do with people's hygiene, and everything to do with factory farming. Whoever posted above about reducing your risk with organic eggs was right, and also the person who pointed out that Salmonella is very rare is also right. If you buy your eggs from a local organic farmer as I do, and have visited the farm and see happy clean chickens running around pecking in the grass instead of smashed into cages in a factory farm as I have, you will undoubtedly learn a lot and feel a lot better about eating your mayonnaise raw. If you cook the eggs to 160 you lose a lot of valuable enzymes and nutrients, so it's better to buy your eggs from a trusted source and then just make mayo as it has always been made. Add some whey and leave it out for 7 hours to allow the lactobaccilli (the same beneficial bacteria found in yogurt) to culture, thus preserving the mayo and its enzymes. See Sally Fallon's cookbook, "Nourishing Traditions", for more nutritional and lactofermentation info, including how to get whey from yogurt. Incidentally, her blender mayo recipe does not work as well as that of the Joy of Cooking, so I take a hybrid approach--NT ingredients following the JoC methodology.
- mix plain yogurth with mustard
yes that's all... give it a try the result is surprising and approximates mayonnaise quite accurately. Perfect for lobsters, eggs ...
Adding just garlic with yield you Aďoli, which is great with cruditées. For an interesting twist you can also add some ginger along with the garlic.
i don't want to say i like the canned stuff better referring to jellied cranberry, but i'm still open.
i ran out of mayonaisse. what am i to do? i'm glad i had lemons and eggs and oil. oh yeah, i did drop in some tabasco and sugar from looking at other recipes.
so far it's pretty good!
I make the mayonnaise in the beaker/container that came with the blender; it is rather tall and narrow, and fits the blender quite well -- as you might assume would be the case. After considerable experimentation, here's the method I use: Put into the beaker 1 whole large egg, 1 tsp dry mustard, 1 tsp lemon or lime juice, 1 tsp vinegar (white, rice, apple cider are all good, but balsamic is too sweet), and 1/2 tsp salt. These ingredients together total about 2 fluid ounces, depending on the size of the egg. (I know this because the beaker is graduated in English and metric units.) Add enough extra-virgin olive oil to bring the total to 4 fluid ounces, then enough tasteless oil (I prefer canola or safflower) to bring the total to 12 fluid ounces. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT ALL OF THIS BE AT ROOM TEMPERATURE, OR THE MAYONNAISE WILL NOT EMULSIFY.
Put the blender all the way into the mixture, i.e., so that it is resting on the bottom of the beaker. Turn it on at high speed and count slowly to 10 without moving it. Then slowly move the mixer up and down through the mixture until the mixture is fully emulsified, i.e., thick -- like mayonnaise. The whole mixing process takes perhaps 30 seconds, if that, and it makes 1-1/2 cups (12 fluid oz.) of mayonnaise that will keep for at least two weeks in a tightly-closed container in the refrigerator. If the mixture isn't going to emulsify you'll know right away, because it doesn't even start to thicken and you end up very quickly with oily soup.
By the way: an immersion blender is a great tool, and not just for mayonnaise. I like to cook pureed-vegetable soups in chilly weather, and the immersion blender makes the process extremely easy. It also makes terrific milkshakes, without ice cream.
Today I started to make flax mayo ... And you know how hard that is.
Flaxseed oil just won't mix.
So I started thinking ... peanuts mix well ... always ...
so I added half a handfull of peanuts to the mayo. viola! thickens in seconds.
I even thing I know why.
Flaxseed oil is mainly ALA ... if you google it a bit you'll find that ALA is very unstable and it's conformation is high energy ... that's why it didn't thicken :)
vanderwaals bonds were stronger then the hydrogen bonds! :) so it stayed in oily state instead of the watery state (that's what were doing here ... we're trying to make oil act like water)
it thickened so much i had to add more oil! cause my blender wouldn't blend! :)
anyway flaxseed oil mayo is great ... you just have to add more lemon juice to make up for the flavor :)
I don't think lemon juice masks the flavor as much as citric acid bonds with ligands or other compounds that give it the smell.
I did it this way (the second time - you can add peanuts any time you want to thicken it):
blender:
peanuts (1/2 handfull)
lemon juice (2 & 1/2 lemons)
2 whole eggs
salt
blend until smooth
add all the oil (250 mL)
blend until smooth
if you want stronger mayo (thicker) add a few peanuts, if you want smoother, add more lemon juice
I think peanuts can stabilize ANY mayo (protein acts as a stabilizer ... i think it magnifies lecithins action)
Goran Matejcic <svizac@gmail.com>
It ended up a runny liquid, but the oil did not appear separated. The resulting liquid was a consistent yellow color throughout, no oil sitting at the top or anything, but it never got thick or creamy, just a liquid. Is it because I kept the whites in? I kept everything else in the recipe the same.
A week or so ago was the first time I made mayo because I ran out, as well, and needed to finish up the tuna salad I'd started. I didn't know anything about how to add the oil, but I put the eggs in the blender, slowly added oil and then the mustard powder, salt, pepper and agave. It was wonderful.
thanks
a test you could perform is break an egg into a small bowl.. if the yolk breaks then you could discard the egg (save it for cooking later, don't waste it). also, if the egg smells then it's no good. usually eggs are really good for being clean. i haven't come across an infected egg yet!
michael, i think your site is really fun. i'm gonna try the mayonnaise recipe now with first-cold pressed sunflower oil, as it's not refined (like light olive oil is). i've tried a different recipe with olive oil but i used extra virgin so it was really olivey tasting. thanks for taking pictures too, it's a very effective way to get people to do a recipe. i also like how you explain the emulsion thing and lecithin, as that kind of stuff really interests me.
see ya!
- t (my name is tina, too lol)
It ended up a runny liquid, but the oil did not appear separated. The resulting liquid was a consistent yellow color throughout, no oil sitting at the top or anything, but it never got thick or creamy, just a liquid. Is it because I kept the whites in? I kept everything else in the recipe the same.
Yes, I think leaving the whites in adds too much liquid. It thickens up when you only use the yolks.
Sometimes lemon juice is too acidic. You can dampen this by adding a little water. To do this, double the recipe using water instead of lemon juice (double the egg yolk and the oil and use the same amount of water as lemon juice you used earlier). To incorporate it into an existing batch, whisk the egg in first, followed by drops of the water until that is incorporated. Then drizzle in oil while beating to keep the whole thing in emulsion.
Anyway, back to Mayo: SciAm posited that it was possible to make a portion of Egg Mayonnaise with just one egg, and here's how:
Heat the egg to 67C/152F which is hot enough to destroy salmonella, and to coagulate egg white (144-149F) but not to fully coagulate egg yolk (149-158F). Use a hypodermic syringe to extract 1ml of egg yolk, raise the temperature and continue to cook the egg until hardboiled. Use the 1ml egg yolk to make a tablespoon of mayonnaise and serve.
The article was partly written by the late Professor of Physics Nicholas Kurti of the University of Oxford. He had an abiding interest in food and cooking and was a collaborator with Herve This, the first person to be awarded a PhD in Molecular Gastronomy. He also co-presented a cookery programme with Raymond Blanc on BBC.
I'm not sure what went wrong. Maybe a few details about the ingredients will help shed some light - what type and size eggs did your husband use? Since we're using just the yolks, if your yolks are smaller or larger than average then that might be a clue... Also, you may want to try this without a blender - it is possible that the blender is over-blending the ingredients.
gracias,
Maria
I wasn't quite satisfied with the consistency of my mayonnaise ie: not thick enough ( I used the whisk, slow drip method) and tried this suggestion to heat in the m-wave - the mayo became a disaster and now flows like the original oil. I wouldn't recommend it. I think the heat breaks the emulsion.
Is there such a thing as adding too slowly and whisking too much?
As far as separating, whenever this issue has presented itself I simply put the whole batch in a jar and put it in the refrigerator. Once it has chilled the (olive) oil will more easily emulsify, so even just shaking the jar will produce the desired effect for me. I doubt this would work with seed oil, including corn (a seed) oil, but works with olive oil.
I love this sight! The discussions are great. Everyone please remember that each person is intitled to a preference, and nobody can be "wrong" about something thy like! :)
Thank you, that will be all.
I think that I read somewhere before this site that ingredient temperature is crucial, and I did not take time to bring the oil to room temp. I also dumped in all the lemon juice at once and in a cookbook reference, it said to add only half the acid in the beginning. So I split that volume and added another yolk to start over, reserving the acid portion until later. Another dilemma was that my large food processor bowl does not allow enough blending contact to get the oil into emulsion reliably, so I transferred it to the smaller food processor cylinder I have, but the problem there is that I don't have a drip hole. So I had to stop and start, removing the blender top each time, in order to drizzle in oil (I ran it down the side of the container to slow down introduction) never knowing if I had gone too quickly in the first place. Ultimately after messing around like this for 45 minutes, I tried putting in a shot of hot water as someone suggested on this site, to save an emulsion. During this whole process I had only a slightly thickened mixture, not completely liquid but not thick either. Finally my husband said that I shouldn't worry because we would use it no matter what... so just be patient and accept whatever we got! Armed with that encouragement, I decided to add the rest of the original yolk and lemon mixture in addition to the 2-3T of hot water I had added. I think I had added 1 1/2 cups of oil before I finally achieved a thickened and emulsified product. Once I actually got it to thicken, I decided to refrigerate it and see if that tightened it up any. It appears to be stable or a little thicker. The oil I used was "Smart Balance" Omega which contains 1140mg Omega 3's and 4600mg Omega 6 per Tablespoon (4:1 ratio) from Canola, Soybean and Olive oils. In the future for a premium nutritional product, I will try a combination of grapeseed, which is light and flavorless and raises HDL cholesterol, with extra virgin olive oil, and flax. I will also try my stick blender in a mason jar. FYI if you think you might be using the mayonnaise for grilling purposes (just saw a yummy recipe for dressing shrimp with a mayo/apricot glaze) I would recommend grapeseed oil for it's very high temperature smoke point. Happy New Year everyone!
First, other than making sure all your ingredients are at room temperature, the culprit for messed up mayo is almost always adding the oil too quickly (especially in the beginning). I'm not a patient person, so I kept messing this up even though I *thought* I was adding oil incredibly slowly. You really do have to add it practically one drop at a time until you have at least 1/4-1/3 cup of oil emulsified.
But you don't have to toss the messed up stuff. Simply start a new bowl with one more egg yolk and start dripping in the messed up mayo in the same manner as you would the oil (except more slowly this time!) until you've added emulsified the messed up ingredients completely back into the new yolk. Then continue adding oil if more oil is needed. This works like a charm (as long as you do it slowly!).
I sincerely doubt that heating the emulsified mayo would give you the proper result. It might thicken, but the texture would be all wrong.
I made my mayonnaise today using BobH method (via the comments above on January 27, 2007) utilising my Dualit hand blender. I used 2 egg yolks instead of one whole egg (I needed some egg whites for my Blueberry Friands!). It has produced the best (and quickest) mayo I have ever made - thanks very much!!
I 1st went to my trusty "Joy of Cooking"...but was very disappointed with the taste of the fruits of my labor. I have no trouble getting oil fully integrated, but the yellow color and taste was not appealing. I will try recipe above IAW all of the great recommendations/warnings all have submitted!
salmonella is the most common (but not only) issue with uncooked egg product.
check your local markets for pasteurized fresh eggs - using the in-the-shell pasteurized variety should dramatically reduce the risk of salmonella in your homemade mayo.
do observe the requirements for refrigerated storage, etc. - you can not just leave it sitting at room temps at a picnic for all day . . .
I'm in a new-found "thrifty" mode now, unemployed and pinching pennies, and have been creating foods I would have normally bought at the store without thought. Mayonnaise is one of those things I feel I can't afford - especially since I've always been a fan of Best Foods (Hellman's, now that I live in Texas). The cheap stuff, and even Kraft, just aren't palatable to me.
So, I came upon this most wonderful forum and read everything about making mayonnaise, wanting some badly but dreading the sheer effort and risk of failure so strongly associated with the endeavor.
The entry above by BobH (January 27, 2007) describing his Bamix blender method sounded too good to be true ... but it was related with such authority, I decided to give it a try.
I used my simple Braun stick blender and the beaker that came with it, my lemon juice simulant and fresh ground yellow mustard seed. As I wrote in my notebook "OMG!". I've now made it twice - both times turned out perfectly. If you like the stiffer body of Best Foods or Hellman's, this'll do it for ya in spades. And it could not be simpler or easier to do. A perfect emulsion, so easy you can make it on demand.
Thank you many times over BobH, I hope you read my comment here.
Now for that lemon juice simulant. Like I said I'm pinching pennies (and I mean that literally), I can't go to the store every week, let alone afford, fresh lemons to be available. So I used my chemical stock ;) Into one cup of water I put 4 teaspoons of citric acid, one teaspoon of dextrose and 1/4 teaspoon of lemon extract. Except for the lack of pulp, the acidity, sweetness and nose are quite close to authentic (recipe is based on research).
The mayo recipe BobH gave uses olive oil to the 4 fl. oz. mark, then bland vegetable oil to the 12 fl. oz. mark. That is truly nice, if you are keen on the natural flavor of olive oil - and intend to use it with compatibly flavored foods. (And, incidentally, can afford EVOO). I will, on occasion, use that oil mix when I'm feeling luxurious - but I'm going to ration my fragrant green olive squeezings tighter than my desire for mayonnaise. Besides, now I can create wholly new flavors by basing the mayo on cheap and flavorless vegetable oil and adding any number of herbs or whatnot.
So, my recipe for a cheap, but bland, mayo is now:
1 whole egg, large
1 Tbsp lemon juice simulant
1-1/2 tsp yellow mustard seed, ground fine
1/2 tsp kosher salt, ground fine
vegetable oil to the 12 fl. oz. mark
Making sure everything is at room temperature first (I set the egg and lemon juice out an hour before making mayo), add the ingredients to the blender beaker in the order listed, completely immerse the blender and turn it on. Nutate the blender in the beaker and, after 6 seconds, bring the blender up then down in 4 second cycles, for 4 or 5 cycles. Stop as needed to get emulsion off the top of the blender head and back into the beaker, ready for another "smoosh" down with the running blender. It's all over and done in less than a minute!
On a final note, I want to express my sincere thanks to all the other posters here who, like I, have given many tries at homemade mayonnaise using the traditional recipes. I felt your (wrist) pain may times over. It is because this forum had all your comments, and the gem from BobH mixed in there, that I felt I was in good, authoritative, analytical company.
It is quite yellow, since it contains 4 egg yolks now instead of 2, but yummmmm, it is good. Oh, and I used the whisk attachment on my KA to beat it this time. I think my little stick blender (NOT a Basix, sigh) was not up to the task. So for now I will use the KA or try using the Cuisinart for the next batch. My roomie heard the mixer going at midnight and wandered in and asked me what I was making. When I told him "mayo" he asked if the store-bought stuff wasn't good enough for me....But then this is the same guy who turned up his nose last week at my from-scratch chocolate cake covered in ganache. He went to the store the next day and bought a cake mix and canned frosting and asked if I would bake it for him....Once again, I am so happy to find this forum where people understand and share my passion for cooking and creating food and understand that the journey is as satisfying as the destination.
Thanks for all the hints and tips on making it even better... it was great fun to read through all the posts.
I wonder if using a stick blender will make it even easier... off to try it now.
I'm not buying mayo anymore. This is definitely the way to go.
The mayo's not a complete disaster - it didn't curdle for a start (a good start in my mind) and I see what one blogger means about the bitter taste with olive oil (and I'm a lover of olive oil) but I'm not binning it.
It will be used and enjoyed with a big thank you to all the posters on this site - I've laughed and coooed and aaarh'd at many of the comments). All this info is now safely tucked away in readiness for the next batch.
Note to self:
Use a bit less salt next time
Try using egg yolks only
Perhaps 2 cloves as the original recipe suggested and not four (I do love my garlic - but crumbs - that's strong!)
So I'm now gonna give my jar of home-made (runnyish) mayo a good shake as one post suggests, and then get the family to eat it up quick so I can try again.
:)
Question: If i follow the recipes above and heat my eggs a little first to ward off disease, can i mix it into recipes even if they are in the fridge for more than a week (like in salad dressing) or should i toss homemade mayo recipes in a week just for safety?
Thanks, sorry for the long rant.
Oh, and that jerk who said we people who read this need to go out more should go jump in a lake! Find something that interests you to read, maybe the National Enquirer!
Thanks everyone, i'm looking forward to trying this.
Without preservatives, I'd still advise not to keep the mayo/salad dressing for longer than a week in the fridge.
It should be noted that this mayo has a lemony taste (which really depends on the flavor and strength of your lemons) but you can substitute the lemon juice with distilled white vinegar for a more neutral taste.
I'm not sure why your store bought mayo has such varying quality. I tend to buy Best Foods (Hellman's) as it's flavor is the most pleasing to my particular palate. Do you travel far from the store to your home (could there be lengthy exposure to heat or sun)?
Second time, I tried the immersion stick method. It took a little time off, but getting the right consistency was difficult.
This morning I used my junior Cuisinart (no whites) and it came out perfectly.
donichayen@yahoo.co.in
I'm going to try it (not tonight) but will post later on the result.
I'm thinking of subbing .25 of the oil with room temp clarified butter...
1 yolk from an extra large egg (or 1 large yolk plus a teaspoon of a second)
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Ľ teaspoon dry mustard or ˝ teaspoon Dijon mustard
Ľ cup extra virgin olive oil
Ľ cup vegetable oil, such as canola or grape seed oil
Sea salt or kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2-3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh basil (parsley, thyme, tarragon work,
as well, but do not use dried herbs)
Separate the egg(s), reserving the white. Place the yolk, mustard and lemon
juice into a small bowl and whisk together until well blended. Add oil a
couple drops at a time and whisk until blended. Continue adding slowly until
about a tablespoon has been added.
At this time the emulsion is established, and the oil can be added in a thin
stream with constant whisking. If you see oil that is not incorporated, mix it in
before adding more oil. When all the oil is added, continue mixing for a
minute or so, add salt and pepper to taste and mix in herbs.
I used a hand blender with only 1 beater attached.
You can play with the flavor at the end. I added some more salt, a little more lemon juice, and I also used plain yellow mustard. I also added a pinch of sugar.
Enjoy!!!
When in the past I have obtained runny mayonnaise, usually by pouring the oil too fast, I can fix it by starting again using the runny mayonnaise as I would use the oil.
Put the runny stuff into a jug with a spout,
Use one egg yolk beat until creamy
Then add a bit of the runny mayo VERY SLOWLY, mix with the egg using a mixer, and then add bit more oil, mix again and so on continuously mixing
It should start being emulsified very quickly
Thank you for the recipe, I was really in a jam.
So I tried Michael Chu's mayonnaise recipe, and it came out soupy and tasting of oil and salt.
Michael, if this is what you think mayonnaise should taste like, maybe you should get your lazy ass to the store, or send Tina there because this shit's HORRID!
Grow some fuckin' tastebuds and don't post any more recipes until you do.
Cooking for someone who is allergic to egg yolks and needing some mayo. I am wondering if anyone has made a decent mayo without egg yolks. I have read the info about emulison and I would like something that would work. Not being an engineer of any kind I need some help if there is any help for this question.
Gma Jan
Cooking for someone who is allergic to egg yolks and needing some mayo. I am wondering if anyone has made a decent mayo without egg yolks. I have read the info about emulison and I would like something that would work. Not being an engineer of any kind I need some help if there is any help for this question.
Are they allergic to the egg whites? It is possible to make mayo with egg whites, but a some of the flavor comes from the yolks.
He says that if an egg is opened and placed on an flat surface that the yolk should be well rounded not flattened(indicating a old egg)
Hope this is of some help :)
Saves on wastage.
2 egg yolks
2tbsp lemon juice
1tsp honey
1tsp yellow mustard (ran out of Dijon)
1/4tsp salt
1c extra virgin olive oil
2tsp yogurt (home made, too!)
I used the stick-blender-in-a-jar method (stick blender was $10 at Wal-Mart) by slowly pouring the oil in from a measuring cup. Then I added the yogurt (instead of whey), and I'm letting it sit for 7 hours now.
So far so good, but the olive oil taste is pretty strong (this oil also costs $17 for 500mL), so next time I'm going to try canola. I also think perhaps less oil (3/4c?) and more salt (1/2tsp?).
Any feedback?
"good" olive oil (extra virgin, first press, etc) often has a stronger flavor that the cheaper stuff (e.g. plain old "virgin") - that may explain to "too olivey" taste. I reserve those for dipping / dressings, etc., where the more noticeable taste is 'desired'
but certainly you can use other oils.
I'll offer the following for those who might experience similar doubts or care to read someone else's observations. First, the beginning is slow work but the "one drop at a time" is a bit of a misnomer. I keep a steady rhythm of drops coming from the bottle in my left, whilst I whisk away with my right. I pause every few strokes just to make sure nothing's broken, but at this point its such a froth that I'm not really sure I could tell anyway. I don't whisk particularly proficiently, just an average speed of maybe 180 rpm, but it's plenty fast enough. After the first third, you can pretty much add 1 tsp at a time, and work up to 1 tablespoon at a time by the first cup. And by "at a time" it really only takes a few sweeps with the whisk to reach an even consistency. The most unsettling part of going by hand is that it takes quite awhile to get anything resembling mayo. In fact, I had to go beyond the 1 cup M. Chu suggests to a full 3 cups to get a "Hellman's-like" consistency, perhaps because of the egg size. You can somewhat alleviate this by adding the liquid (lemon juice, vinegar, whatever) in small doses along the way, but if you just go forward with confidence things will work out fine using all the liquid at the beginning, though you may end up with quite a bit more mayonnaise then you intended.
I intend to continue to make attempts at the stick blender method, primarily out of the desire to save a little time and effort, but I'm planning to also investigate using a counter mixer, as it seems the closest mechanically to hand-whisking.
If anyone in the S-E Michigan area has been successful with the stick method, I'd love a demo. You can find my email on my profile.
Corn oil has a pretty strong taste doesn't it? I remember eating a fair amount of food prepared with corn oil while growing up, but now I can't think of a dish that wouldn't work better with some other oil... olive, peanut, nearly flavorless canola...
I used my 'best' olive oil because that's all I had around and I used an organic canola oil. I think those flavors just overwhelmed my tired mustard powder. ;)
Anyway, this is the first time in my LIFE that I've managed to make a decent homemade mayonnaise. Thanks!!!
(together we can beat those evil spambots)
I discovered two changes I would make on my next batch. It emulsified perfectly, by the way, but the key is to count to 10 with the hand blender in the bottom of the jar and not moving! Also, your ingredients must be room temp. Failure to do this will result in a failed product. My hand blender was also run under warm water as it is stainless steel and needed to be room temp, as well. I had some salad oil and had run out of olive oil so I used that. Then I put my eggs ( I used 2 whole eggs) into a cup of lukewarm water and let them set for a few minutes. I then added the other ingredients as suggested. The salad oil was too old and left a bad taste. This is my own fault, but I was desperate when I got home from work at 1:45 am to have something to eat and was out of mayo. I will also not use the dry mustard next time. I added a bit of ordinary yellow mustard to overcome the taste of the old oil and added a touch of garlic powder (will use fresh garlic next time but this was added after the fact so had to be powder)and a touch of prepared horseradish sauce. Not even a teaspoon, just a squirt after everything else had finished.
Truly, this is the easiest, best tasting mayo I have ever had, once I doctored to cover the taste of the oil. It was not rancid, just too old for this purpose. Thanks, everyone for all your tips. This was amazingly easy. I will never buy another jar of Best Foods again!
I just discovered this site about 3 weeks ago and stop here every time I need a fresh idea.
I love the postings of others as much as I do the recipes! Since I am a logic-based person, I particularly love the in-depth postings that go far beyond the recipe. Thanks for a great site with wonderful recipes and alterations to accommodate different tastes!
As I am just cooking for one, I halfed the recipe. I used 1 large organic egg yolk, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1/2 tbsp of water, 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, and 10 tbsp vegetable oil. (These oils added up to about .5 cup). I put it all in my mini food processor while slowly adding the oil while it was blending. The consistency turned out very nice! The extra virgin olive oil taste was very prominent - next time I may add more lemon juice or use a different kind of olive oil.
Thanks for the great recipe with detailed instructions!
HOWEVER, I also love mayo. I just haven't been motivated to crack my shoulder open by whisking 400,000 drops-O-oil into a bowl for the potentially dubious privilege of being able to claim that I did it all by myself.
Nevertheless, the idea of using that stick blender for more than just mixing my probably not beneficial morning shakes was too much for me to bear; I HAD to make my own home-ish made mayonnaise.
For the record, I used yellow mustard, a TOUCH of Apple Cider Vinegar, the rest White Distilled Vinegar, a splash/dash of salt, and a wisp of pepper. For oil, about three tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, give or take, and the rest Canola Oil (I love all olive oil mayo, especially if I'm gonna convert it to an Aioli, but I wanted to get something that SORT OF approximated regular ol' mayo).
I used four yolks. . .I happened to have them on-hand anyway, having made some SCRUMMY-licious Meringues the evening before (Italian, naturally).
Method: (how I done it, for those of you who went to school with me):
Place your yolks in a stick-blender compatible container (I used a clean container that my Deli Seafood Salad Delight came in; washed and dried). Add the yellow mustard, vinegars, salt, pepper, and no more than one tablespoon of Olive Oil. Mix with a fork or appropriate fork substitute. Do NOT try to be fancy by using a Chopstick. Besides being culturally insensitive, it doesn't work very well, and you should be ashamed.
Place your almost irreplaceable stick blender all the way to the bottom of the container, and turn it on. Nothing fancy here, either, just get it turned on. Let it mix everything together for about 15 seconds, but not much more. Measure out a teaspoon of Olive Oil, or just fill the teaspoon if you want. Start the stick blender, and after about three seconds, add in the oil, a drop at a time, and don't be in such a hurry neither. It should take a while, so don't do this if you're waiting on a date.
Next, add the rest of the Olive Oil (or, if you're using a flavour and character-less oil, about one third of the total oil), as slowly as you can, or, if, like me, you were not possessed of patience, add each drop just as soon as you see it become totally incorporated into the mixture, but not even a fraction of a second before. This goes pretty quickly.
Now, add the remainder of the oil, in a slow, slow stream. Let me tell you something. This is the worrying part, but don't. The mayo will look like a holy, awful, foamy mess, almost right up to the moment it begins to thicken, which is, by the way, when you've added ENOUGH oil, slowly enough. If it doesn't happen, believe it or don't, ADD MORE OIL. Really and for true mayo has a LOT of oil in it per egg. Don't add no nasty whites, neither. . .really and for true mayo does not admit of egg whites; they're just added to support the body of the mayo and shortcut the important oil-adding and patience-giving mixing process.
Almost before you know it, it's mayo! Dispense into another container, or, ideally, into a squeezy bottle so you can daub, drench, and drizzle this finest of sauces onto practically everything, including your current, um, "partner."
And that, as they say, is that. Nummy, fast, portable, and, depending on who you're dating. . .just AMAZING fun. Homemade mayo. . .make some today!
Warms,
James
Technically, it wouldn't be mayonnaise then...
You can just try the egg yolk with oil - should come together.
So many recipes call for mayo, but my daughter can't have anything with lemon juice or vinegar. That eliminates so many salad options. I'll give it a try and hope it works.
I'm not sure where I saw this- but it is not original, take the same basic tofu mayo, and add miso, garlic, and seaweed (nori, hijiki, or wakame) and you have a fairly vegetarian friendly Caesar salad dressing.
To whiten normal mayo, add a spoonful of boiling water at the end, and the colour will lighten up immediately. This works with hollandaise and bearnaise sauces as well.
you could use citric acid in water. the FAILSAFE diet (fedupwithfoodadditives.info) uses citric acid in place of vinegars or citrus and has recipes and usage guides...
I made my mayo with COCONUT OIL - one of the healthiest oils you can possibly use. Soy is currently very controversial for health reasons (google Nourishing Traditions or Weston Price Foundation for more info).
One cool thing about coconut oil is that on a hot day, it's liquid at room temp but sold in the fridge. (Melts approx. 78 degrees) So my mayo firmed up when refrigerated. I did use the immersion blender, a whole egg, a very approximate amount of coconut oil, a little salt, juice from half a lemon. And a little stevia (it's from an herb) to sweeten it without adding sugar. Or you could use xylitol. Or sugar. :-) The resulting mayo was tasty enough to eat with a spoon. Thanks for all the suggestions! -Karin Edwards, http://www.portlandrolfer.com
As for adding the oil slowly, use a squeeze type bottle with a pointed tip and you can easily dribble the oil in nice and slow.
1. STABILITY
You will never achieve the kind of stability you're used to because homemade doesn't contain industrial/chemical stabilizers or emulsifiers. Homemade is thick but don't expect it to:
- hold a vegetal salad together without watering down.
- remain creamy looking in a non vegetal salad. The salad will hold but looks progressively clear and oily with time.
- be a "glob'/"blob" if additional ingredients like onions, garlic...etc are added. It will turn into a sauce. However, I noticed that adding things like commercial ketchup and chilli sauce to make a Cocktail/Thousand Island Dressing actually stabilized it since these commercial products have very strong emulsifiers in them.
After a few days in the fridge, you can already see the mayo's edges or smears at the top of the jar/container it's kept in, turn oily.
2. MOUTH FEEL
The lack of stability of homemade makes for better mouth feel since it "melts away". Hence, you can actually use more in your salads without getting that sick feeling. Your salads are rich without being cloying.
3. THE OIL
Use sunflower oil. Unless rancid, it makes for a neutral mayo without the heaviness I experienced using corn oil or the "false" feeling with soybean oil. Replace 10% with extra virgin olive oil for flavour. Any more and the mayo loses neutrality which also means a lack of versatility.
4. THE ACID
Vinegar seems to be mandatory if you want the mayo firm and "blob" like. I couldn't achieve this consistency using only lemon juice. A few drops( depending on the amount made )of lemon juice at the very end both lightened the colour and loosened the mayo. The latter further proves that lemon juice used solely isn't a good idea. Anyway, since most people eat from memory, they'll actually want that vinegarish smell associated with mayo. There's no escaping this.
5. THE EGG
Egg yolks = nature's lecitin = stability. I don't use any whites other than the bits that cling to the yolks.
I've used the stick blender method before and it came out perfectly. I used all extra virgin olive oil because that was all I had. It was a bit strong but I added some extra lemon juice and it was fine.
I've been buying organic mayonnaise for years but I've retired recently and I can't bring myself to spend $10.00 for a quart jar anymore. And the preservatives in nonorganic brands scare me. I may never buy jarred mayonnaise again.
1. The flavor is hideous.
2. It does not mix well at all.
I just wanted to share a little tip for mayonnaise that separates. I doesn't always work but if you put your separated mayonnaise into a food processor and whilst it is whizzing around, add a slug of hot water it usually fixes the problem.
I don't know why this works but it does.
pretty clever you got there. well honestly my first try wasn't that bad. but I make it though.
But one thing never changes: fermenting it with whey to make it last for a long, long time.
After you've made your mayo, simply add 2 or 3 tablespoons of whey (what you get from draining yogurt -- homemade or store bought -- in a strainer to make 'yogurt cheese') to it. Sir well. Cover and leave at room temp for about 8 hours. Then refrigerate. The whey will lighten the color of the mayo a bit, and makes it the slightest bit tangier and creamier. Once you've had fermented mayo, you'll never go back to 'plain.'
The good bacteria in the whey will populate on the counter, ensuring that the bad guys can't get in. My mayo could last for as long as six weeks with no diminishing of taste or texture -- though it's usually gone long before then. :)
Because I eat a high fat, modest to low carb diet, I always drain my whey from my homemade yogurt -- and I keep the whey in a small container in the fridge so I'll always have some fresh when I want it. I consider it a 'two-fer'.
To make your own whey from store bought -- just buy a small container of plain yogurt with live cultures. I prefer organic. If you don't have a 'yogurt cheese maker' -- and inexpensive fine sieve, usually conical shape -- just dump it into a fine strainer set over a bowl. Put in the fridge, and a few hours later you'll have lots of whey and very thick 'cheese'.
Enjoy!
Lisa
http://nextstopcafe.com/2009/10/better-than-hellmans/
My concern is that my current method of saving a broken mayo (tossing in an extra egg yolk at the very first hint of breakage) won't be possible. Suggestions? I'd rather not use lecithin granules, as was suggested.
For those occasions when I haven't the time to make my own, Trader Joe's Real Mayonnaise - the preservative-free, unsweetened, kind with the yellow label and blue lid - is the only kind we'll eat. Tastes very close to homemade, if you use canola oil and a mixture of cider vinegar and lemon juice. I expect the eggs are pasteurized, as this mayo lives as long as any preservative-laden brand, in the fridge.
1. To sterilize eggs, there is an FDA way: one egg yolk is mixed with at least equal (by volume) amount of fresh squeezed lemon juice, and heated above a steam (meaning 100 deg Celsius exactly, which will make the egg yolk - lemon juice mixture a little less then 100 deg Celsius, around 70-80 deg C). This has to be mixed constantly to keep the yolks liquid, for at least 2 minutes; I do it for 3-4 minutes. After that it starts to thicken or if the temperature of the steam is too great it will thicken even sooner which is a wasted effort. Salmonella may survive low pH, and even high temperatures, but it cannot survive both at the same time for more then two minutes. It is a rule that has to be applied in every commercial establishment to prevent salmonella infection. Since mayo has a pH below 4, it is very unlikely that Salmonella would survive for a long time, so properly prepared mayonnaise is a safe food.
2. Use a neutral, or light tasting oil for a pleasant tasting mayo. Some of the best ones are Light Olive Oil (depending on your tastes; olive oil mayo is popular in Spain for instance), sunflower oil (popular in East Europe), safflower oil. Never mix more then one type of oil as they will separate (due to having different specific gravity). Even the same type of oil from different suppliers may separate.
3. The only way to make a mayo is to keep adding the oil slowly, while having a tool which will mix the mixture as fast as possible. A hand mixer or stand mixer is best, or ideally if you have an access to an industrial type emulsifier, even better. Someone asked how it's done in a factory: they have big mixers, which spin at a very high rate (like 10,000 rpm) braking the oil drops into tiny particles and making it easier to mix. Usually efficiency of those mixers is expressed in the size of oil particles/drops that it can produce.
Therefore, while using a hand whisk seems "groovy" and wholesome, it is a waste of time and energy and gives no better result then a fast mixer. The faster the mixer, the better. Hand wisk is slower, and akin to using a candle to cook coffee.
4. For taste, add either mustard, or more lemon juice, or salt, or all of the above. However, the most important thing is - oil. It gives most of the taste.
Bon appetit!
As a mech and aero engineer who appreciates good food, this is a great site to find!
Finally, for doubters, there is new proof that anything is possible - the Saints are finally going to the Superbowl!... long term Saints fans finally got a year to brag about. :)
Thanks for what you may offer,
Crissy
As far as I know, the lemon juice does not make the raw egg safe to eat. The egg was either safe (salmonella free) prior to use or it was not.
Also, the term "cook" when applied to acids just means that the proteins are unraveled resulting in a change of texture in much the same way that introducing heat does. But it is limited to that. None of the other reactions that occur when heating food occurs. The acid can kill germs but not in the same way that heat kills.
it is true that an acid compound will cause a similar physical reaction in the proteins as "heat" - but that "cooking" effect should not be construed to kill salmonella bacteria - that takes heat - specifically 131'F to kill salmonella.
pretty much all bacteria have a preferred pH range which is conducive to growth. Frankly the little bit of acid brought to the party by lemon juice / vinegar / etc. is not likely to cause a major pH shift making it “safe”
historically salmonella was considered a "surface contaminate" - hence the advice of not using cracked eggs, etc. more recent requirements in the "washing and sanitizing and inspection" process for large scale egg producers have pretty much eliminated the "surface contaminate" issue - be aware- those regulations only apply to large scale producers - if you're buying egg from a local hen house with 50 chickens, those regulations simply do not apply.
the "bad news" is that an infected hen can lay an egg which is contaminated within the white/yolk. and the "badder news" is, the contamination is not consistent - one day the hen lays a "clean" egg, next day a "contaminated" egg.
if memory serves, current estimates put "contaminated" eggs at one in 100,000 in the "supermarket environment" - i.e. large scale production and distribution.
the good news is, "pasteurized" raw eggs are available - the pasteurization kills any interior or exterior salmonella - along with a few other non-undesirables. this is an ideal option for raw egg products - mayo and a number of others - Caesar salad and steak tartar for example - or raw egg in beer for breakfast, if you're so inclined. . .
the bad news to the good news is: pasteurized eggs are not - in my experience - widely available at every market.
if you can get pasteurized eggs - that's an ideal solution to home-made raw egg dishes. if not you need to decide if you're willing to work the odds.
So, is there?
perhaps . . . see
http://www.bioline.dk/index.html
1. The flavor is hideous.
2. It does not mix well at all.
If the Mayo you are trying for is a neutral cream without a strong flavor then Extra Virgin Olive Oil is not a wise choice. However, if you want a flavorful Mayonnaise with a distinct flavor that lends itself to poultry and garlic then Olive oil is what you are looking for.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil has the strongest taste so try different grades of Olive oil until you find the oil you prefer. As for me and my house, 'Bring on the Virgins!'...
I used my Wolfgang Puck Immersion Blender to make this mayonnaise. It was so easy. I used the tall beaker cup that came with the blender and put in the eggs, vinegar (instead of lemon juice), seasonings and then the oil. I pushed the blender wand down to the bottom, turned it on, pulled it up slowly and had soft, peaked, creamy, flavorful mayonnaise in 10 seconds! So easy! So wonderful! So tasty! I will be doing this again!
Organic eggs, which theoretically, it seems, reduce the salmonella risk, are readily available here (even at Aldi!). I used them because that is all I ever buy (both for the sake of the hens and for the farmers.)
I have an immersion mixer, but wanted to use break in my KitchenAid (I previously had one in the US, and have grieved the loss in a divorce...still best friends with my ex, though...)
Personally, I think the hype about salmonella in eggs is overdone, especially with quality eggs. We can't eliminate every risk in life. However, I do not serve uncooked eggs, or any salmonella source, to HIV+ (or other immuno-comprimised) friends.
"organic or not" really doesn't enter the picture in terms of salmonella risk.
salmonella is endemic by geographic region. in the USA, the major risk _was_ cracked eggs - where salmonella could enter the egg and breed prolifically. USDA washing/sanitizing regulations (apply only to large producers.....) have dramatically reduced the external induced infection risk.
the other vector is "internal" - an infected hen can lay an un-infected egg on day x and an infected egg on day y. as best I can gather, nobody can explain why. the egg may be 'infected' with salmonella from the point it leaves the ovaries.
the 'organic' label is fine, but it is not of any assurance that an egg is salmonella free.
oh, I'm in the organic camp, but I live in reality . . . just for info.
I adore my homemade mayo and am anxious to try the stick blender. Up to now I have been using my food processor. And now I am wanting to try the true yolk only mayo too. If it has the richness of hollandaise it will be heaven!
I follow Sally Falon's Nourishing Traditions as well. But I add fermented dill pickle juice with the vinegar (I prefer raw coconut vinegar-flavor is not as sharp as raw apple cider vinegar) for my savory mayos. I fermented the pickles following Sally's book, too. I add whey in my mayos used for waldorf salads and less savory applications.
The use of whey and fermented pickle juice is yet another way to get healthy food source probiotics into our diets & families, not to mention the longer storage option; altho I have yet to have homemade mayo last for more than a week.
Don't you think that commercial mayos have a "dead" taste after making fresh? Not that I would touch soy; who can afford the soy free mayos that actually have eggs in them?! I'll stick with the real McCoy and make it myself!
Happy Blending! :)
Homemade Best Foods/Hellmanns Mayonnaise using stick blender
1 whole egg, medium or large size
1 Tablespoon lemon juice (bottled ok)
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon dry mustard (or 1/4 tsp prepared yellow mustard)
1/4 teaspoon table salt
dash white pepper
1 cup vegetable (canola) oil, room temperature
Break egg into bottom of 1-quart
canning jar or other tall narrow jar
that allows you to immerse the mixing blades of a stick blender
all the way to the bottom. The jar should be only slightly
wider than the end of the stick blender.
Add lemon juice, vinegar, mustard,
table salt and white pepper.
Add 1 cup of vegetable oil.
Place mixing blades of stick blender (turned off) all the
way to the bottom of the jar, pressing
down over the egg.
Turn stick blender on high speed, hold in
place at bottom of jar for about
5-seconds until you see mayonnaise form
under stick blender's mixing blades.
Slowly pull stick blender upward until the mixing blades
reaches top of jar, taking about
more 5-seconds. The stick blender will turn
the oil into mayonnaise as it is pulled slowly to the
top of the jar.
After chilling in the fridge, this mayonnaise gets
slightly thicker and tastes very much like Best Foods/
Hellmann's Mayonnaise.
Makes about 1 cup of mayonnaise.
commercially it's 'sterilized' through pasteurization but one is unlikely to have that degree of process control in the home kitchen.
What kind of oil are you using? Sounds like it's solidifying at the low temps in the fridge.
I've used vegi, canola and peanut oils. Today is my fourth attempt and it failed because I decided to add a half cup more oil then the recipe calls for. I've never added more like that, but wanted more mayo for my money and so when I exceeded the limit of oil that the eggs could hold, the whole mess just turned to a saucy, oily mess. I won't do that again, but it was an interesting lesson. When I kept adding and adding the oil, the mayo got so stiff that I could hardly work it, yet because I've never had the experience, I just kept going with the oil. In my mind I thought that it was the white vinegar I used, because I had always used my home made apple cider vinegar before and this was the first time for using white store bought vinegar. Once it de-emulsified I realized what had happened. I could have probably fixed it per the directions in our fanny farmer cookbook, but instead just threw it out and started again and it turned out beautiful.
I like to add way too much cayenne pepper and dry mustard and I add lots of powdered garlic, also, I grow my own chives and so I add some of those as well. I just love home made mayo :) Today, I made a four egg batch, then a two egg batch. The four egg batch made enough to fill a mason jar for sandwhich making, and the two egg batch went towards making buttermilk ranch dressing and spinach dip. I'm real big on doing home made stuff because i'm turned off by all the preservatives in store bought stuff.
There is plenty of Salmonella in the country where I live. I do not have a kitchen thermometer and have not been able to find one at the local stores. Si I cannot measure the exact temperature needed to kill Salmonella.
But in my country I can go to the pharmacy and buy about anything.
So may question is, in order to kill Salmonella, would it be Ok to add a pinch of anti-biotic powder to egg before mixing with oil ? (something like amoxicillin ?).
What anti-biotic would work better ? Penicillin family, erithomycin, tetracyclin, terramycin, wide-spectrum anti-biotic, or a combination of them ? How about dosage ?
Do I need to take a sample of the egg-yolk and take it to a lab to grow a culture and determine the most effective anti-biotic ?
Should I consult a human doctor about this? or a veterinarian?
How about a few drops of chlorine ( bleach ).
Would it help to add some iodine solution ? -the coloring of the iodine would match the egg yolk ! -.
How about a quick burst of unscented Lysol spray; does Lysol kill Salmonella ?
I hope you can help me, I really want to try the home-made mayonnaise.
Thank you so much
Please tell me if any of these would be ok, as far as you know.
A friend of mine works at an X-Ray lab, so I have access to it.
Do you think submitting the egg-yolk to a 3 minute, full-blast, X-Ray exposure would kill all Salmonella in the egg? Should I X-Ray the entire egg or just the egg-yolk ?
Do you think the egg would become radio-active due to the 3 minute exposure ? what are the risks ?
Also, about a 1/4 mile from home, there is a high-power cell-phone transmitter antenna. Would it be a better choice to hold the egg near the microwave transmitter antenna ? Is Salmonella resistant to cell-phone frequencies ?
As another option, how about running 220 volts throw the egg-yolk for a couple of seconds, would that zap the Salmonella ?
Please help !, I really want to try this recipee !!!
I asked my friend about the X-Ray equipment, and he told me it is very old equipment, like from the 50's. And they bought it very cheap many years ago, because it is now illegal to use that equipment in the US ( outdated ). So they bought it at bargain price (he tells me it still works like a charm most of the time). About the cell phones, mine looks like a brick, huge, with a long antenna comming out of it. It looks like a large Walkie Talkie from WW-II. I carry it in my back-pack, because too large for my pockets. About medications, we usually get them at dirt cheap prices here, or free, because the expiration date is close by, or passed recently, so we get bargain prices. Many countries are very kind to donate these surplus medications to us, so we are very lucky, because we cannot afford expensive medications.
Anyways, I took the egg to my friend, and X-Rayed it for a few minutes, at full intensity. After that I brought it home and tried the recipee. I had to use the hand-stirring-method, because there was an electricity blackout at that moment, so I could not use the electrical-motor-driven-stirring-device I had made from spare parts a year ago ( I am thinking about replacing the electrical motor with a small diesel motor).
So I beat and beat and beat the yolk with the oil ( poured it really slow ) and it worked like a charm ! Tastes great ! I use fresh coconut oil mixed with cottonseed-oil, and wild chicken egg. It came out delicious. I prepared a sandwich right away. Tastes great with thinly sliced "iguana" meat cooked over direct wood fire.
Then I discovered a weird thing. After I put off the candle I was using to illuminate the kitchen, I saw the mayonaise jar glowing in the dark !!!
It was amazing, the pale blueish glow coming out of the mayonaise ! Astonishing. Probably the egg yolk got to be radio-active from so much X-Ray. Now I probably have the only Glow-In-The-Dark mayonaise recipee !.
I am glad I only used about 2 tablespoons out of it. (maybe my hair will glow for a few days now !).
I will dispose of this mayonaise, and try again with a shorter period of X-Ray exposure, or maybe go the antibiotic route (although the taste will not be as good).
Anyways, the recipee is excellent. I highly recommend it to anyone.
The X-Ray thing sounds dangerous stuff to eat.
So I am going to wait until I get the thermometer. ( I made some calls, and maybe at a medical supply house I can find something similar. They have some lab-thermometers that I think will be good for this. They sell them to measure temperature of liquids on beaker solutions ).
Thank you so much !
So, I can't help continue to be curious, but what country are you in?
how "long" something "keeps" is related to how "sterile" it is - sterile meaning lacking in any kinds/sorts of unwanted bacterial or fungal elements. "pathogens" - some more bad than others - do not "cease" growing at refrigerator temperatures - they just "slow down" - some more dramatically slow down than others.
a commercially prepared concoction is generally made of individual components that are individually or collectively "made sterile" - in the case of mayo the biggie is the eggs.
commercially they are pasteurized with a high degree of process control to ensure all the "bad bugs" are dead. hard to replicate in the home kitchen. note there is nothing "non-organic" about the pasteurization process - so that's not something that's going to "appear in print" on a label.
once opened, any commercial preparation is subject to "contamination" - airborne or otherwise.
the major distinction is in a home prep using 'off the shelf' eggs it the difficulty to ensure any and all nasties are killed prior to 'storage' additionally commercial preps may include stuff to serve as 'stabilizers' - organic / not organic / natural or not.
the 'use soon' advice for home-prepped mayo is due to this uncertainty - if you can conclusively assure yourself that every single ingredient and implement / container used in the home prep scenario is perfectly sterile, shelf life should be essentially equal.
in the home kitchen it's tough to ascertain "everything in sight" is "100%" sterile. commercial outfits go to some lengths to ensure that everything is.
and the entire situation is complicated by the fact that the human body is capable of "taking care of business" when it comes to a few nasty pathogens. for example e-coli and salmonella are endemic - the bugs exist almost everywhere on almost anything. if one ingests 10 e-coli cells, the human body can deal with that and one is likely to never notice it. however, if a foodstuff is improperly stored, hugely contaminated, improperly prepared / etc / etc - then yes indeed the bad bugs replicate and overwhelm the human body's ability to 'defend' against them. you've probably seen the warnings: the young, the elderly, the compromised individuals.... the explanation is very simple: those individual do not have an adequate natural ability to deal with an overwhelming "infestation" of bad bugs.
and this whole situation is again no defense where companies go rogue - to wit the recent egg contamination thing or the earlier peanut contamination. those companies / suppliers with intent or oversight violated all the expected norms.
Obviously somewhere that has internet access, so somewhere that has the access to buy a thermometer. Or somewhere that has the ability to measure one gallon of boiling water and one half gallon of room temperature water and mix them together and float a small bowl in it with an egg. If room temp is 50 deg, you would have 158 deg F water bath, and 80 deg you would have 168 deg F water bath. Even skipping the step altogether and washing the exterior of the egg in a 10% bleach solution prior to cracking would be advisable over eating the result of radiating the egg and having glowing mayo. I think he/she is pulling your/our leg.
I thought the same, but it was fun, wasn't it?
I believe some types of whitening agents used in toothpastes or teeth whitening pastes can also cause teeth to fluoresce.
When I make mayonnaise, I use only 45 ml oil per egg yolk. That's much lesser than most recipes, including yours here which uses 120 ml per egg yolk. Should I add more oil? I do get what looks and tastes like a mayo though.
Thanks very much!
Maybe, I am unlucky, but I have spent 4 hours on the internet and have found no answer with google-ing vegan mayo recipes, dozen of homemade mayo recipes, lecithin manufacture's websites and, of course, simply searching for how much lecithin needed when not using eggs in any kind of recipe, etc, etc, etc. I have even called a couple of liquid lecithin suppliers.
:(
I have found info on how much liquid lecithin to use when making salad dressing, but I figured I would try here in the hopes that someone out there may have so practical experience. I will gratefully take any input founded on your research even if you have no hands-on experience.
Thanks :)
1- things to do with failed mayonnaise
- make salad dressing out of it using recipes that would use good mayonnaise. Add buttermilk for instance, and Parmesan cheese to make a ranch like dressing. Or stir in some yogurt and add some herbs. Mix in sesame tahini or grind up any other kind of nut, for instance sunflower seeds and walnuts etc. and add in to your salad dressing if you prefer a nondairy variety. Blend with some tofu and add spices as well.
– add some sesame tahini and garbanzo beans and turn your failed mayonnaise into hummus. Be sure to add plenty of garlic. Or, use tahini and steamed or baked eggplant to create baba ghannouj.
– You can also try blending up vegetables such as raw cauliflower onions, garlic with your failed mayonnaise and some ground nuts of your choice – probably need the food processor for this – to make a pâté like spread.
2 – salmonella
the acidity of vinegar and lemon along with salt will likely kill any live bacteria. Mix your egg yolks first with either with vinegar and salt and let them sit for a while to ensure direct contact. That said, organic eggs, according to Mercola.com, are safer than factory farmed eggs. Search Mercola.com for 'eggs' for more information.
best thing ever with home fries.
Oh, I should add that using farm-fresh eggs probably helped this a lot. Mine had yolks so rich they were orange and they stand up almost spherically round - unless you crack them directly onto the blender blades like I did. :-) Old supermarket eggs have pallid, saggy yolks that aren't really very good for much.
--Brian
Try making a mayo with lots of garlic, fresh basil and lemon juice sometime. It is a great condiment for fish.
I used an immersion blender (stick blender) and it worked great. In the pharmacy we use them to make our emulsions since making them by hand often leads to "cracking".
A Blender at the end of a stick,
will make you mayo very quick!
With all your ingredients at the temp of the room,
how could your mayonnaise fail to bloom?
If the width of the jar is nearly the same,
as the end of the stick then you're in the game.
To a one quart jar add the egg of a chicken,
both yellow and white and your mayonnaise will thicken.
On top of the egg way down in the jar,
add vinegar, spices and you will go far.
Now carefully pour on top of the stuff,
the oil of your choice, but just use enough.
Turn off the stick, press the egg to the bottom,
now turn it on and we almost have got'um.
When you see mayo at the end of the stick,
slowly pull upward that's part of the trick.
With the blender now at the top of the jar,
it's mayo you wanted so there you are!
Though Mayo's a matter of personal taste,
when it's around me it won't go to waste.
Finding Hellmann's or even the Food that is Best,
depends on whether you're east or you're west.
But wherever you end your food buying trip,
you always will find they have Miracle Whip!
- Antilope
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Homemade Best Foods/Hellmans Mayonnaise using stick blender
1 whole egg, medium or large size
1 Tablespoon lemon juice (bottled ok)
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon dry mustard (or 1/4 tsp prepared yellow mustard)
1/4 teaspoon table salt
dash white pepper
1 cup vegetable (canola*) oil, room temperature
*Olive Oil will make a strong flavored mayo that tastes very different from
regular mayonnaise. So just be aware of this if you choose to use olive oil.
Canola is a neutal flavored oil that makes a mayo similar to most store brands.
Break egg into bottom of 1-quart canning jar or other tall narrow jar that
allows you to immerse the mixing blades of a stick blender all the way to
the bottom. The jar should be only slightly wider than the end of the stick blender.
Add lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, table salt and white pepper.
Add 1 cup of vegetable oil.
Place mixing blades of stick blender (turned off) all the way to the bottom
of the jar, pressing down over the egg.
Turn stick blender on high speed, hold in place at bottom of jar for about
5-seconds until you see mayonnaise form under stick blender's mixing blades.
Slowly pull stick blender upward until the mixing blades reaches top of jar,
taking about 5-seconds more . The stick blender will turn the oil into
mayonnaise as it is pulled slowly to the top of the jar.
After chilling in the fridge, this mayonnaise gets slightly thicker and tastes
very much like Best Foods/Hellman's Mayonnaise.
Makes about 1 1/4 cups of mayonnaise.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Miracle Whip emergency copycat
1 cup regular mayonnaise
2 or 3 teaspoons powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
dash of paprika
dash of garlic powder
For people that want to cut back on sugar, I've found you can substitute
1/4 to 1/2 a teaspoon of Stevia sweetener for the powdered sugar.
Mix well. Use in an emergency then hurry to the store to get more Miracle Whip.
I like reguar mayo and I also like Miracle Whip.
This was after trying all sorts of FAILED blender mayo recipes and Cuisinart food processor recipes. Only the little tiny crummy whisk actually worked. And I have weak wrists!
SO CLEARLY it's not the machines, the fancy whisk or the magic ingredients. It's just patience! Beat the egg yolk fairly briskly with the lemon juice, THEN SLOWLY start to incorporate SMALL (tiny) AMOUNTS of oil at a time! Don't add more until it's thick-ish. Add all your enhancements after you finish beating and it thickens as much as you like.
Good luck! (Sorry for the all caps, no italics!)[/b:fd35ae2be0]
Make an Arm-Powered Slow Oil Dripper/Pourer
1. Poke a tiny hole in the lid of a cleaned out bottle or jar (I used the screw-top of a wine bottle; poked the hole with a Leatherman tool).
2. Add the measured amount of oil you need to the bottle, and screw the top on.
3. Tip the bottle to add the oil to your egg mixture as you whisk. Depending on the angle you tip the bottle, you'll get tiny drops or a thin stream -- both extremely helpful for adding the oil slowly.
I did the drip method for the first 1/2 cup of oil or so and finished with the thin pour. The slow drip, ingredients at room temperature, and a lot of arm-aching whisking resulted in a victorious 1st attempt at homemade mayo!
A previous comment with the idea of poking a hole in the foil of a brand-new bottle of oil made me think to do this. My problem was that I needed to know how much oil I had added. After making this recipe a few times, the hole in the foil method would work too as it gets easier to improvise.
When I made my first batch of mayonnaise yesterday, using the "Nourishing Traditions" cookbook recipe, I wish I had known about this, it may have turned out better. I think I added the oil too quickly but it seems to have worked anyway. It was a bit too lemony and I also didn't like the mustard flavor. I used whey as a preservative, allowing the mayo stand at room temp 7 hrs before refrigerating it. This is supposed to inoculate it so it will keep for six months refrigerated.
Questions: Is there a way to make the mayo lighter/whiter in color and thicker?
and.......Is there a homemade version anywhere for Hellman's Mayo??
I was quite heartened to see this short video with my own eyes on making mayo in 20 seconds, and will definitely start doing it if it works as easily as this looks:
...with quantities and instructions:
http://www.lastappetite.com/how-to-make-mayonnaise-in-20-seconds
...also at YouTube but no info:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X53OCdAsvL8
Basically just dump all ingredients into a cylindrical container just wider than the wand blender's base, place blender's base inside container on the bottom, turn on blender and hold on bottom without moving about 15 seconds, then move it up and down just a bit. Done!
It also shows the method using a single egg, and since it's so quick would be easy to make up when needed (but will also keep awhile).
Think it should be okay to post his proportions:
...1 whole egg (unbeaten)
...200 ml oil (little over 7/8 cup?)
...1 T lemon juice
...pinch of salt
...2 t Dijon mustard
.
BTW. I've discovered just the container for MY stick wand:
newly redesigned Ovaltine jar.
The base is about 1" larger in diameter than the wand's and the curved top means nothing goes sloshing or spitting out when I power it up.
Have you tried your container yet? It's opaque, right?...is that a problem for knowing when to start moving it up and down a bit?
My ingredients are:
1 whole egg
1 - 2 Tsp Dijon mustard
dash pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp lemon Juice
1 tsp white grape vinegar
Canola Oil
Sometimes I add a little curry powder as well.
This combination is tasty, but I would prefer a tangier taste.
Has anyone tried to add Citric Acid powder?
You could perhaps get more tang from a different mustard too, or more of it?
.
I have tried all sorts of combinations, even with cider vinegar. The problem is, too much liquid makes the mayonnaise too runny, and more or stronger mustard or vinegar changes the flavor.
I have since tried adding a little citric acid powder which definitely gives more zest to the mayonnaise.
I think one would have to be very cautious as to the amount used, since it is obviously very concentrated and using too much could have health implications - I believe some people are sensitive to citric acid.
I am still experimenting with this idea and just wondered if anyone else had gone this route.
Re the thinness caused by too much liquid, have you tried using less oil? This video shows making mayo with only 1/2 cup vs. the traditional 3/4 cup of oil (for one egg) and it turns out thicker mayo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMAliJ9DlR0
I bookmarked video that because I'd like to reduce the amount of oil anyway, and the thicker mayo (without even refrigerating) appealed to me too, though haven't actually tried it yet.
Did you also try using powdered mustard or fairly "dry' ground, to decrease the liquid if you weren't already doing that?
And have you tried white vinegar too (which should be stronger in tartness than any of the flavored vinegars)?
(Btw, I think most recipes use a bit more acid than you are with just 2 teaspoons.)
And this one uses more acid for a very tangy mayo (though 2 egg yolks and 1 whole cup oil):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gz0fLT_k3_U
Also, I read this just yesterday in case it helps:
http://www.ricardocuisine.com/article-detaille.php?lang=en&cat=&id=324
". . .Water
The oil droplets have to be suspended in an aqueous medium—water. About half of the water in a classic yolk-based mayonnaise comes from the egg yolk, while the rest comes from the vinegar. In whole-egg mayonnaise, additional water is provided by the egg white. If you’re feeling creative, substitute freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice or any other juice or flavoured liquid for the vinegar.
To make yolk-based mayonnaise, be sure there is at least 15 ml (1 tablespoon) of liquid for every 250 ml (1 cup) of oil. Otherwise the oil droplets will be packed too tightly, leaving your mayonnaise at risk of separating and developing an oily consistency (see table, p. 15).
If you want to add extra liquid to achieve a more distinctive flavour, it’s best to add it to finished mayonnaise."
Also, if you like hellmanns or best foods mayo, you can check out top secret recipes for their version.
Here's an exchange I found here where at least someone gives more of a scientific explanation of why it might be true:
http://www.puritanboard.com/f84/i-proved-you-cant-make-mayo-if-thunderstorm-threatening-31528
[color=darkblue:42e468b80d]If the air is somewhat more highly ionized than normal, if there are reactions going on in the mayo (proto-mayo?) that involve ion exchange, you certainly can have an impact on the process...
Todd K. Pedlar
I agree. Protein emulsion is dependent on the negative charge of certain amide groups that are chemically reduced. A heavily charge atmosphere can really mess it up.
I used to run into a similar problem in experiments with protein on colloids (basically, I was analyzing what happened to manure in soil, if you really want to know). The emulsions sometimes wouldn't form if there was a big thunderstorm out.
R. Victor Bottomly [/color:42e468b80d]
Process: put the egg followed by everything else in a tall, narrow vessel, insert stick blender, turn it on, and voila! In 10 seconds or less you've got mayonnaise. Usually, that is.
After several foolproof (I thought) makings, suddenly I had a batch that didn't emulsify. Today, for about the third time, I again had a batch that didn't emulsify. I had to use another egg, get it blending, and then slowly add the unmulsified mixture to the new egg before I could make mayo and salvage the bad batch.
Surely there is some scientific answer for why some batches fail to emulsify while others do it immediately. Anyone got a clue?
-1 egg(whole, with the white, 2 eggs for more mayo),
-lemon juice(or i use citric acid, the one that looks like sugar, as a substitute - vinegar gives it weird taste),
-salt(NaCl)
-oil(sunflower one, haven't tried with olive, but it should work).
I use blender for the job, after i found that it's very hard to curdle the oil and the egg together by hand(after 40 mins of hand pain...).
So, i put the egg(yolk and white), salt and lemon juice in deep jam-jar(works best for me) and mix them. Then i start to drip the oil and use the blender, so they can curdle. After i get the desired density, it's finished.
IMPORTANT: You HAVE to pour the oil slowly and by little in the mixture, otherwise it will not curdle and you'll get a jar of oil and egg - not the mayo. If you put all the oil and then start to blend it - nothing will happen. Found that after i wasted a bottle of oil :D
I haven't specified any exact proportions for the ingredients, because everyone have different taste. Salt and lemon juice depend on how salty and sourly you like it, oil depends on the density you want - more oil makes it denser.
TIPS:
-If you get the mayo more dense, sour or saltier, you can add a bit water and blend it more.
-If the mixture doesn't curdle, you can put another egg in second empty jar and try again, but this time using the content of the first jar instead of oil - again slowly pouring it into the second jar(otherwise you'll just waste the content of the first jar. You probably will need to add more oil to get the desired density - resulting more mayo, but you'll not waste the mix).
NUMEROUS scientific studies have investigated the question of sterilization of homemade mayonnaise. If you happen to have one of those 1 in 30,000 infected eggs (and it is not pasteurized), the only way to sterilize your mayonnaise is by using a sufficient amount of acid AND leaving it out at room temperature for 24-72 hours.
See http://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/33212/room-temperature-rest-for-fr...331 for a quick review of the scientific literature on this question.
At last I have found a recipe with a good balance between taste and texture:
STICK BLENDER MAYONNAISE RECIPE
(I use a Bamix Deluxe)
INGREDIENTS: (All at room temperature)
12.5ml White Vinegar
3ml Lemon Juice
5ml Water
2ml Salt
3ml Sugar
17.5ml Hot Dog Sauce (Or half mild Mustard & half Tomato Sauce)
250ml Canola Oil
1 x Egg yolk ( Preferably unbroken)
METHOD:
1. Put the first 6 ingredients into a narrow cylindrical container (Mine is 7cm x 14cm)
2. Stir for a few seconds
3. Add the intact egg yolk carefully to the mixture
4. Top up slowly with the oil
5. Place the blender with the whisk attachment over the egg yolk
6. Using the highest speed, switch on. After a few seconds, mayonnaise will start to form under the blade housing
7. Keeping the blender on, slowly lift the machine up at a slight angle – you will see the oil being absorbed and turned into mayonnaise. Do not raise the blender out of the mixture. Move the blender up and down a few times if necessary.
This process takes 15 – 20 seconds
8. Voila! - delicious mayo.