ISO help/tips making mayonnaise

[julesthegolfer]

Just got Dori Greenspan's "Around My French Table" for my birthday! A stunningly beautiful book!!! Tried to make homemade mayonnaise but it didn't work. Never got thick. I tried to make mayo one other time, years ago with no luck. Has anyone successfully made homemade mayo? Any secrets you want to share? I used a mini food processor that allows the oil to go in drop at a time.
Thanks!

 

[CWS4322]

I've been making mayo for years and haven't had it fail. I have hand whisked it, used an emulsion blender, used an old-fashioned egg beater, a regular blender, and the food processor. Were all your ingredients at room temperature? Were your eggs fresh?

Did you toss it out? There are ways to salvage failed mayo (adding more egg yolks + lemon juice - a search on the Internet should turn up some methods). I can't attest to any of those ways working, I haven't had to try to salvage failed mayo...

 

[Aunt Bea]

I make blender mayo using this recipe and it works every time. The caution on using it within three days is my rule and is probably open for debate but, this is not like bottled mayo, it must be used quickly.

Blender Mayonnaise
1 egg
¼ t salt
1 t prepared mustard
1 cup oil
1 ½ T lemon juice or vinegar (I usually use vinegar)
1 T hot water

Put ¼ cup oil, egg, salt, mustard into blender and blend. Gradually add remaining oil in a slow stream, add the lemon juice or vinegar and the hot water. Refrigerate and do not keep more than 3 days!

 

[Siegal]

I made mayo 5 times. Twice it came out. 3 times was oily mess. Don't know why?? Feels like a crap shoot with mayo

 

[PrincessFiona60]

I've never failed, either. Of course, it will never be as thick as it is from a jar...there's none of those "fancy" thickening agents in there.

 

[Andy M.]

Home made mayonnaise will never be as thick as or taste the same as the stuff that comes in a jar.

As counter intuitive as it sounds, adding more oil will make it thicker.

 

[Kylie1969]

Thank you for this recipe Bea

We have always wanted to try making our own mayo

I make blender mayo using this recipe and it works every time. The caution on using it within three days is my rule and is probably open for debate but, this is not like bottled mayo, it must be used quickly.

Blender Mayonnaise
1 egg
¼ t salt
1 t prepared mustard
1 cup oil
1 ½ T lemon juice or vinegar (I usually use vinegar)
1 T hot water

Put ¼ cup oil, egg, salt, mustard into blender and blend. Gradually add remaining oil in a slow stream, add the lemon juice or vinegar and the hot water. Refrigerate and do not keep more than 3 days!

 

[ChefScotty]

Some info about mayo

More information than tips here. It's all about the water content at the beginning. An egg yolk is 50% water. Egg white is 90% water. At the outset add one teaspoon of water to the yolk, hand whisk it for a couple of minutes, add the salt, whisk it another 30 seconds or so. You could use a teaspoon of egg white. Good luck trying to get a teaspoon of egg white to stay on a teaspoon!

Aside from getting your emulsion off to a flying start it will help it become thicker. The water addition opens up the lecithin and that's what binds your oil droplets. If you don't have enough water the oil droplets will break through the barrier to meet up with their friends and then you've got oil soup.

Using a mixer or processor could overheat your project and if it overheats it will break. The water helps avoid that a little. It'll never overheat with a whisk and for a first time attempt I'd suggest using a whisk so you can see how it works.

Also worth mentioning is that the amount of oil a single egg yolk can absorb is ridiculous. The ideal ratio is 20:1 but you can easily get 3 quarts of oil into one yolk.

 

[Skittle68]

I make blender mayo using this recipe and it works every time. The caution on using it within three days is my rule and is probably open for debate but, this is not like bottled mayo, it must be used quickly.

Blender Mayonnaise
1 egg
¼ t salt
1 t prepared mustard
1 cup oil
1 ½ T lemon juice or vinegar (I usually use vinegar)
1 T hot water

Put ¼ cup oil, egg, salt, mustard into blender and blend. Gradually add remaining oil in a slow stream, add the lemon juice or vinegar and the hot water. Refrigerate and do not keep more than 3 days!

I used this recipe, and the consistency was ok, except it was more slimy, and less "whipped" than the store variety. Is that normal? Plus I used olive oil, and I think it has too strong of a flavor for my taste. I have bought store bought mayo made with olive oil, and I didn't notice a difference, so I thought it would be ok... :/ also, I used the whisk attachment instead of a blender. Do you think it would seem more whipped if I had used my immersion blender? I have tried to use it to whip egg whites before, and ended up with a half cooked mess lol, which is why I used the whisk attachment.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Homemade mayo is always a bit thinner that store bought, it doesn't have the stabilizers in it the store product does. I would use a light olive oil, not EVOO.

 

[Skittle68]

Homemade mayo is always a bit thinner that store bought, it doesn't have the stabilizers in it the store product does. I would use a light olive oil, not EVOO.

The consistency/thickness was ok, it just seemed like a thick slime rather than a creamy whip. Do you think using the immersion blender might help with that? It was definitely nice having mayo at the drop of a hat that hasn't been siting in the fridge for 6 months. I don't use it often.

 

[Jigs-n-fixtures]

I used this recipe, and the consistency was ok, except it was more slimy, and less "whipped" than the store variety. Is that normal? Plus I used olive oil, and I think it has too strong of a flavor for my taste. I have bought store bought mayo made with olive oil, and I didn't notice a difference, so I thought it would be ok... :/ also, I used the whisk attachment instead of a blender. Do you think it would seem more whipped if I had used my immersion blender? I have tried to use it to whip egg whites before, and ended up with a half cooked mess lol, which is why I used the whisk attachment.

Use a cheap olive oil with less solids in it, they have less flavor. A high quality extra virgin, that tastes good enough to eat on bread, will always impart taste if you cook with it.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

The consistency/thickness was ok, it just seemed like a thick slime rather than a creamy whip. Do you think using the immersion blender might help with that? It was definitely nice having mayo at the drop of a hat that hasn't been siting in the fridge for 6 months. I don't use it often.

The immersion blender will help, but it still won't hold up like the store bought. I much prefer the homemade. Maybe in trying to get the right consistency you added too much oil?

 

[Skittle68]

The immersion blender will help, but it still won't hold up like the store bought. I much prefer the homemade. Maybe in trying to get the right consistency you added too much oil?

Could be- maybe next time I'll try it before adding all the oil, and I'll try the immersion blender rather than the whisk. Thanks

 

[taxlady]

I have made mayo on a number of occasions. The first time was with a hand whisk and olive oil. It was very thick and it was green and not very useful at the time because of the strong olive oil flavour. I have made it in a blender and it worked, but it wasn't as thick as store bought. I have made it with a stand mixer and it was at least as thick as store bought.

Did you see the video that Powerplantop posted in this thread:
http://www.discusscooking.com/forum...at-recipe-to-use-it-in-82316.html#post1198333? There was also some discussion of Greg's problems trying to make mayo, like wrong shape of immersion blender.

Here's the video:

Easy Mayonnaise / mayonesa - YouTube

 

[Skittle68]

I have made mayo on a number of occasions. The first time was with a hand whisk and olive oil. It was very thick and it was green and not very useful at the time because of the strong olive oil flavour. I have made it in a blender and it worked, but it wasn't as thick as store bought. I have made it with a stand mixer and it was at least as thick as store bought.

Did you see the video that Powerplantop posted in this thread:
http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f17/home-made-mayonnaise-iso-suggestion-what-recipe-to-use-it-in-82316.html#post1198333? There was also some discussion of Greg's problems trying to make mayo, like wrong shape of immersion blender.

Here's the video:

Easy Mayonnaise / mayonesa - YouTube

Thank you!! My egg was also cold. I wonder if that didn't help...

 

[Aunt Bea]

Well, yesterday I finally made my first batch of mayonnaise using a wire whisk and it came out perfect!

As usual I was the only one to witness this culinary triumph!

I have been using less mayonnaise lately because the better brands have gotten so expensive and also because I really don't need quick access to the extra calories. My recent strategy has been to buy a small 8-10 ounce bottle of good mayonnaise from the local dollar store and use that when I just need a squirt of mayonnaise. When I need a cup of mayonnaise for a large salad I make blender mayonnaise.

Yesterday I wanted to make a small batch of chicken salad and needed a half cup of mayonnaise so I put a medium egg yolk into a one quart bowl with a squirt of mustard, a 1/4 teaspoon of wine vinegar and a shake of S&P. I gradually added a 1/3 cup of canola oil while beating the mixture with the wire whisk. When the oil had all been absorbed I added another 1/4 teaspoon of wine vinegar and beat it a few more seconds. The entire process only took a couple of minutes and the results were great. The only drawback was having a medium egg white leftover. The egg white eventually found its way into a stuffed pepper.

Now I just need to wean myself away from the little bottle of mayonnaise from the dollar store!

 

[CWS4322]

Well, yesterday I finally made my first batch of mayonnaise using a wire whisk and it came out perfect!

As usual I was the only one to witness this culinary triumph!

I have been using less mayonnaise lately because the better brands have gotten so expensive and also because I really don't need quick access to the extra calories. My recent strategy has been to buy a small 8-10 ounce bottle of good mayonnaise from the local dollar store and use that when I just need a squirt of mayonnaise. When I need a cup of mayonnaise for a large salad I make blender mayonnaise.

Yesterday I wanted to make a small batch of chicken salad and needed a half cup of mayonnaise so I put a medium egg yolk into a one quart bowl with a squirt of mustard, a 1/4 teaspoon of wine vinegar and a shake of S&P. I gradually added a 1/3 cup of canola oil while beating the mixture with the wire whisk. When the oil had all been absorbed I added another 1/4 teaspoon of wine vinegar and beat it a few more seconds. The entire process only took a couple of minutes and the results were great. The only drawback was having a medium egg white leftover. The egg white eventually found its way into a stuffed pepper.

Now I just need to wean myself away from the little bottle of mayonnaise from the dollar store!

That's what I do, Aunt Bea. I don't keep "commercial" mayo in the house, I just make it when I need it (since I have a surplus of eggs).

 

[Aunt Bea]

That's what I do, Aunt Bea. I don't keep "commercial" mayo in the house, I just make it when I need it (since I have a surplus of eggs).

This is another eggstravagant salad dressing that is easy to make!

2 hard boiled egg yolks (chop the whites and add them to the salad as a garnish)
1/2 cup olive oil
juice from 1/2 lemon (a tablespoon or two of vinegar will work but the lemon is better by far)
salt & pepper

Mash yolks in a bowl, add the other ingredients and whisk together until the dressing is thick and creamy.

Sometimes I add a squirt of mustard.

You can also add a squirt of anchovy paste for a quick knock off of Caesar salad dressing.

 

[Mad Cook]

Just got Dori Greenspan's "Around My French Table" for my birthday! A stunningly beautiful book!!! Tried to make homemade mayonnaise but it didn't work. Never got thick. I tried to make mayo one other time, years ago with no luck. Has anyone successfully made homemade mayo? Any secrets you want to share? I used a mini food processor that allows the oil to go in drop at a time.
Thanks!

I have used a hand-held electric mixer (not a stick blander) since seeing it recommended many years ago. You start out dripping the oil in until it starts to come together and then you can start pouring in the oil in a thin stream while the hand mixer keeps running. I've never had a failure that way whereas making it by hand is a very precarious business!

Did you use a whole egg? This will make the resulting mayo thinner than if you use just the yolk. I always used just the yolk and found that the more oil you used the thicker the mayo became - thick enough to stand a spoon up in it!. It's also very yellow unlike Hellman's, etc!

Taxlady said her mayo was green and had a strong flavour. Did you by any chance use a Greek olive oil?You need a mild olive oil for mayo. I don't like my mayo made with all olive oil so I use either sunflower oil or sunflower oil mixed with a small proportion of olive oil.

The other thing that most recipes recommend is that the egg should be at room temperature.

I don't care for myself as I am, to quote my old Doctor, "disgustingly healthy" but as most of my guests are elderly or immuno-suppressed I follow the advice not to use raw eggs so don't often make mayo so Aunt Bea's recipe using HB egg yolks sounds useful.