Homemade Mayonnaise: Science, Techniques, Troubleshooting, Storage

[David A. Goldfarb]

QimiQ! (just kidding)

[Dave the Cook]

I'm not sure whether or not pasteurization will extend shelf life, though perhaps it's noteworthy that commercial producers use pasteurized eggs. What it will do is protect you from the slight chance of salmonella (roughly 1 in 20,000 eggs is the latest information I've seen). I doubt that it would have a deleterious effect on your mayonnaise.

Manufacturers often add calcium disodium EDTA, which is a preservative of sorts.

P.S. If you're interesting in other mayo experiments, try the frozen-yolk version.

[BadRabbit]

I'm not sure whether or not pasteurization will extend shelf life, though perhaps it's noteworthy that commercial producers use pasteurized eggs. What it will do is protect you from the slight chance of salmonella (roughly 1 in 20,000 eggs is the latest information I've seen). I doubt that it would have a deleterious effect on your mayonnaise.

Manufacturers often add calcium disodium EDTA, which is a preservative of sorts.

P.S. If you're interesting in other mayo experiments, try the frozen-yolk version.

If it's not likely to have an effect on the product, I will probably just do it anyway. The eggs I'm using are what we refer to as "Yard Eggs" so their incidence of salmonella is likely higher that commercially produced eggs (or at least the incidence levels are more unknown).

What temperature and time should I use to pasteurize?

[Dave the Cook]

Most resources I've seen say 140­ to 145 F for 3-1/2 to 4 minutes. You could go higher for less time, but the yolk will start to coagulate.

[ray goud]

Most resources I've seen say 140­ to 145 F for 3-1/2 to 4 minutes. You could go higher for less time, but the yolk will start to coagulate.

The times and temps for pastuerizing refer to the INTERNAL temp of the egg. That is a difficult thing to determine. I solved that problem a couple of years ago by inserting a thermocouple into the center of a raw egg, crazy-glued the piercing, and proceeded to monitor the temp/time profile. It is not something you want to do every month, never mind once a week or so. If the heat goes too high and/or too long the yolk begins to coagulate and the mayo becomes quite a bit more difficult to make. I found that the Julia Child method of using cooked egg yolks, as described in "Julia and Jacques Cooking At Home" is much easier and totally safe. Or, you could be fortunate enough to live close by an outlet which offers eggs pasteurized in-the-shell. Unfortunately I don't have that opportunity in CT. As far as "yard eggs" being more likely to have salmonella, not so. Generally those producers care a little (or much more) about their product and watch for any problems. On a final note, anyone who believes the industry/FDA claim about one in 20,000 eggs figure, I have a bridge I could sell you.

Ray

[bmdaniel]

I pasteurize at 135 for an hour and a half per doug Baldwin. I make my mayo that way now that my wife is pregnant - I wouldn't bother otherwise.

[BadRabbit]

As far as "yard eggs" being more likely to have salmonella, not so. Generally those producers care a little (or much more) about their product and watch for any problems.

You misunderstand me. I live in the country and these eggs come from a lady who literally has the chickens walking around in her yard and a henhouse out back. She is a sweet old lady but she probably thinks Salmonella is a fish.

[budrichard]

The salmonella problem as I understand it, is that the poultry industry suffers from contamination that has spread throughout the industry. Your 'yard eggs' ,may actually be safer than commercial if the producer is careful not to contaminate the eggs after gathering.

We rountinely use quail eggs raw in Japanese cuisine because that industry does not suffer from the poultry problem with chickens. Never have had a problem.

My heat treatment resulted from my experimentation to find a suitable time of immersion in simmering water versas the quality of the result. Sometimes I do have failures though and never have been able to isolate the reason but no one has become sick.

Mea culpa, yes hollandaise and mayo are different preps. It took me a while and a few tries but I eventually learned to make hollandaise over direct heat. It certainly speeds up the process.-Dick

[PaulDWeiss]

By the way, you can make a great mayonaise starting from a sabayon, which is cooked, and which therefore lets you ignore the whole pasteurizing hassle. Check out James Peterson's Sauces, or Madeline Kamman's The Making of a Cook if you haven't made an emulsion sauce from a sabayon before; it's easy. I personally believe that the sabayon-based sauce has a lower probability of breaking, but your mileage may differ. On the other hand, you can make egg-less mayonaise, based on traditional aïoli recipes which use only garlic smashed to a paste in a mortar to bind the emulsion. More work, but not so worrisome if the sauce has to spend a long time out of the frigo.

I find that the best tip for extending the life of emulsion sauces is to be careful about exposure to air, and also to only take them out of the refrigerator just to spoon the amount needed into a service dish, and then hustle the rest back into the refrigerator. Storing them in a just-large-enough glass container instead of plastic helps, as does a tightly-fitting hermetic seal at the lid. A bit of plastic foil lightly pressed down on to the surface of the remaining sauce before screwing the cover down helps reduce discoloration at the surface.

Really, though, the best plan would be to rewire your conception, so that you think of putting together a mayonaise for the meal at which you're going to eat it, instead of thinking of it as something to keep in the refrigerator. Especially if you'll get comfortable with making a sabayon over direct heat, making the mayonaise (or Béarnaise, or Hollandaise) is pretty quick work, and it's always best when just made. I'd argue that, especially for the warm emulsion sauces, the difference between freshly made and stored is the difference between worth eating and not. With your enviable source of eggs, I'd encourage you to start thinking of fresh-made sauce from just-laid eggs as a luxury that most of the world can't even experience.

Paul

Edited May 15, 2010 by PaulDWeiss (log)

[G-rat]

So the other day I poached some artichokes in olive oil. I saved the oil, which was awesomely redolent of artichokes and have been using it to make vinaigrettes that taste wonderful. Today I thought I might make some mayo with it. Started with one egg yolk, lemon, white pepper and salt. Whisked them together and beat the egg yolk, not too hard but got all of the lemon white pepper and salt mixed well into the yolk. Then I started adding the olive oil. It had been in the fridge and was cold but I added small drops at time and beat forever, then another drop, then another drop, doing it really slow because the oil was cold. It never emulsified. It looked like vinaigrette. I kept adding oil and kept beating...nothing. I added another yolk because at this point the proportions were off. (probably my biggest mistake).

I then put it in the food processor. Same thing.

Then I put it in the blender on high for 5 minutes...nothing...still looked like vinaigrette.

After I turned the blender off it looked like it had curdled so I put one more yolk in a bowl and starting adding the curdled misture in a small stream...vinagrette. What is wrong? Thoughts?

[mtigges]

I never make mayo without some dijon (or at least mustard powder) ... shouldn't be necessary, but the extra lecithin is not going to hurt. And it tastes good.

[Dave the Cook]

G-rat, was it extra-virgin olive oil? It's notoriously unstable in emulsions; heating it for a long might not have helped. To check, heat some new oil without poaching anything, then try to make a mayo with it. If it works, then the artichokes become the prime suspects.

ETA: no, mustard shouldn't be necessary (though I agree a little is tasty). McGee famously demonstrated that a single egg yolk can emulsify gallons of oil.

Edited May 31, 2010 by Dave the Cook (log)

[paulraphael]

you probably just didn't have enough water in the mix. The quantity of lemon you added didn't provide enough. You had a bunch of oil, and a thousand times the emulsifying power you needed. Just not enough water. That oil needs to be emulsified into something. A couple of tablespoons of water based liquid, including the lemon juice, would likely be enough.

Edited May 31, 2010 by paulraphael (log)

[Dave the Cook]

If that was correct, G-rat would have gotten an emulsion at some point before breaking. (S)he said that never happened. But it would help if we could take a look at the recipe.

[ChickenStu]

Let the oil come to room temperature next time, cold emulsions aren't as stable as warm/ room temp.

Temperatures for poaching in oil arent likely high enough to damage the fat to the point that it wouldnt emulsify.

[Lisa Shock]

It always works better if everything is at the same temperature. Also, you may not have beaten the yolk & lemon together long enough. You really need to get the water dispersed very well before adding any oil.

[jsmeeker]

I've never tried to make a mayo with a cold oil that has been previously heated. Always just with room temp canola or veg. oil fresh out of the bottle. As was pointed out, remember that you are forcing oil and water to mix. Not oil and egg yolk. the egg is just there to help things along. (and to bring some flavor and richness and color to the party)

[Indirect Heat]

If it didn't emulsify, and you kept adding drops of oil, that's where you failed. Each drop needs to emulsify before you add more. Even with a food processor, you won't get it to emulsify if there's too much oil in there. The moment it looks like a vinaigrette, and you continue adding oil, that's where you fail.

As to the reason for failure? Probably that the oil was cold. Bring everything to room temperature, should work fine.

[ray goud]

you probably just didn't have enough water in the mix. The quantity of lemon you added didn't provide enough. You had a bunch of oil, and a thousand times the emulsifying power you needed. Just not enough water. That oil needs to be emulsified into something. A couple of tablespoons of water based liquid, including the lemon juice, would likely be enough.

This is THE perfect reason for the failure! Nothing else makes as much sense as this. McGee, previously cited, also explains this, as does Alton Brown.

Ray

[G-rat]

Guys -

Thanks for all the helpful comments...if you were here right now you would see me blushing....what an idiot I was in a rush and trying to make some mayo in a flash and having made it from a recipe numerous times thought I remembered everything. Well not enough lemon and forgetting a touch of vinegar equals...not enough water to actually emulsify the oil into. Thanks all...

[judiu]

Guys -

Thanks for all the helpful comments...if you were here right now you would see me blushing....what an idiot I was in a rush and trying to make some mayo in a flash and having made it from a recipe numerous times thought I remembered everything. Well not enough lemon and forgetting a touch of vinegar equals...not enough water to actually emulsify the oil into. Thanks all...

G-Rat, if that's the worst of your cooking problems, consider yourself Blessed!

[Pam Brunning]

It is easy to forget basics - everything at room temperature. Mustard is a good idea as well not only for flavour but the starch will help to stop it breaking as with a little starch in a creme anglaise.

Edited June 3, 2010 by Pam Brunning (log)

[mrsadm]

"Mayonnaise cannot be made if a thunderstorm threatens"

I never heard that one before!

Blender Mayo

[Edward J]

Maybe.....

Before and during thunderstorms there is a lot of ozone in the air, and this does wreak havoc with quite a few things.

[lesliec]

World's Easiest Aioli

In the tall plastic cylinder that (probably) came with your stick blender, place one peeled clove of garlic, one egg, a pinch or two of salt and a good slosh (I didn't measure it - maybe 50-100ml?) of olive (or other, according to taste) oil. Insert the blender with the blade (not the whisk) fitted. Turn on to high speed. Wait maybe five seconds. Serve!

It really is about that fast and makes a wonderfully smooth, stable emulsion. I use my eggs straight from the fridge. The first time I tried this I got a little carried away with my garlic quantity, but adding another egg and blending again a few days later calmed the flavour down. I see no reason why the technique wouldn't work for mayonnaise, with the omission of the garlic and the addition of one or two other ingredients like mustard. Reports are welcomed.

I can't comment on the influence of thunderstorms ... we don't get enough of them, dammit.