Homemade Mayonnaise: Science, Techniques, Troubleshooting, Storage

[redfox]

The other thing to keep in mind, counterintuitively, is that adding more oil (obviously, only up to the point of what the yolk can keep in emulsion) is actually what makes the mayonnaise thicker.

[Abra]

Perhaps it makes a difference when you add the liquid? It looks like the drop-by-drop folks are adding liquid upfront, instead of at the end, whereas Francois and I are adding the oil in a slow stream to the egg yolk and mustard before adding the liquid. I've only ever done it this way, but I've never had it break. Who's the Guru of Mayo around here? This is a good mystery.

[jackal10]

Mayo is a balance. You need to add liquid from time to time as you go along or it gets too thick to stir. However too thin, and its harder to get the oil to disperse rather then clump.

[Kevin Weeks]

A large egg yolk will absorb 7 oz of oil, so don't use more than that per yolk.

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According to Harold McGee's experiments in The Curious Cook (page 118) a single egg yolk can emulsify 100 cups of oil.

[Really Nice!]

...a single egg yolk can emulsify 100 cups of oil.

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1 cup equals 8 ounces

100 cups equals 800 ounces

A single egg yolk can emulsify 800 ounces of oil? That has to be one heck of a large egg yolk. That's 6 gallons and 1 quart of oil per egg yolk.

Please test using a 25 quart stock pot and report back.

[jsolomon]

No, that's the power of phosphates. It doesn't take much to whip a large amount of water into shape.

[kurl]

I make mine in a food processor (sacriledge?) and it generally comes out at a thickness I'm comfortable with (and no wrist strain necessary).

[Kevin Weeks]

Please test using a 25 quart stock pot and report back. 

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No need. As I said, McGee performed the experiment:

"The figure I came up with for that same ordinary yolk was on the order of 100 cups. Something more than 6 gallons of oil! Of course I didn't just add the oil straight, gallon by gallon; that would have been a waste of oil and work. After adding a certain amount of inexpensive soy bean oil, I took a small portion -- around a teaspoon -- of the mixture and then added more oil to just that portion. I repeated this subdivision several more times, periodically adding water to prevent the emulsion from breaking solely on account of crowding. When all the additions and multiplications were done (if a portion containing one-tenth of the yolk absorbs 1 tablespoon of oil, then the whole yolk would have absorbed 10) that astonishing figure emerged: 1 yolk, 100 cups of oil. It seemed impossible, so I did the whole experiment again from scratch. There were some differences, but the result was of the same order of magnitude. There can be no doubt that the egg yolk is a prodigious emulsifier." -- The Curious Cook, Harold McGee, pg 118.

[evilhomer]

don't test mcgee

[turkeybone]

I know this is going to stir some folks up, but I don't think its worth making your own mayonnaise. In a serving kitchen environment, you can only use pasteurized eggs, and with the labor and possibilities of failure, I think it's much easier to add your own flavorings to prepared mayo (you all know the brand).

Now if you want to make aoili with olive oil or something, thats different. Using special or flavored oils straight up in a mayonnaise is not really a fun and delicious idea... its best to mix them, and then you have to worry about mixing them, and then you have to buy two oils, and this and that.. but if you want to make some chipotle remoulade, get your can, toss in that adobo, and spend your time and effort making some really crispy delicious fried foods to eat with it.

[Kevin Weeks]

I know this is going to stir some folks up, but I don't think its worth making your own mayonnaise.

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As a rule I agree with you, even when simply cooking at home. Also, homemade mayo is only at it's best for a week at most. So unless you have something particular in mind that will use it up in that time it's not worth it.

Nevertheless, I think flavored mayos -- even though they can be made with commercial stuff -- are better when made from scratch. So I make mayo perhaps three times a year.

Kevin

[turkeybone]

I know this is going to stir some folks up, but I don't think its worth making your own mayonnaise.

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Nevertheless, I think flavored mayos -- even though they can be made with commercial stuff -- are better when made from scratch. So I make mayo perhaps three times a year.

Kevin

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I agree with that as far as home-made, and I do enjoy making mayo (just to make sure I still know how, heh) -- I was in the mindset of a professional kitchen, where there is more emphasis on shelf life and consistency, and of course time and labor costs to consider.

[kutsu]

Both myself and my partner cannot stand Hellmans or any other commerical mayo. When we make it ourselves, we cant stop eating it. Hellmans mayo for instance, tastes very vinigery almost and very fake. Aoili is also pretty fantastic.

[Clerkenwellian]

I know this is going to stir some folks up, but I don't think its worth making your own mayonnaise. In a serving kitchen environment, you can only use pasteurized eggs, and with the labor and possibilities of failure, I think it's much easier to add your own flavorings to prepared mayo (you all know the brand).

Now if you want to make aoili with olive oil or something, thats different. Using special or flavored oils straight up in a mayonnaise is not really a fun and delicious idea... its best to mix them, and then you have to worry about mixing them, and then you have to buy two oils, and this and that.. but if you want to make some chipotle remoulade, get your can, toss in that adobo, and spend your time and effort making some really crispy delicious fried foods to eat with it.

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I don't agree - if you use a decent handheld blender with an emulsifying disc then success is guaranteed and it takes a couple of minutes max. You won't get as good a result as whisking by hand, but it's miles better than anything you can get out of a jar. (Although I agree that if you're serving to the very old, very young or someone with a weak immune system then using raw egg presents a problem)

[jsolomon]

I know this is going to stir some folks up, but I don't think its worth making your own mayonnaise.

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I can see your point, but here's how I look at it. Homemade mayo is very similar to homemade cookies. I don't always have them around, but it's nice every now and again. Take my family, for instance. We grow a reasonable garden: tomatoes and lettuce are definitely in it. We bake our own bread. We cure and smoke our own bacon. Why shouldn't we, then, complete the circle and make our own mayo for our BLT's? Special treats call for special work.

But, do I have Hellman's and Miracle Whip (bite your fingers, Jinmyo) in my fridge. There are just times when only one or the other (or the homemade) will do.

Additionally, I'm not very frightened of salmonella. I pay attention to basic kitchen sanitation. I am not crazy about disinfection, nor am I lackadaisical about cross-contamination. Also, I trust my lemons to kill salmonella. Hell, no one blinks an eye about letting their brioche ferment on the open counter, and that's got plenty of egg in it (but yeasts are acid producers).

Besides, in 30 years, I've had salmonella once. It broke me off, to be sure, but I believe the risk is quite low in the modern, clean kitchen (and yes, soap and water is sufficient in any arid place).

[Shalmanese]

Whats all this about mayo being all fragile and prone to breaking? I make my mayo by hand every time and I've become increasinly more cavalier with how much oil I've added and it's never ever broken.

[jayt90]

When home made, there is such a great variety of changes and additions you can make, it may not be same every time; or at least, never the same as Hellmann's.

While I've made a few that I would not repeat, in general I like the variety of the flavouring options available to me.

I always start with yolks and oil, and when finished (thick enough to support a fork), I add the flavourings.

[Corinna Dunne]

There is absolutely no comparison on taste... homemade wins hands down, even with my children. And even though it doesn't take that long to make, there are definitely times when Hellman's wins on convenience (eg for quick sandwiches); but never for anything special like homemade hamburgers, fishcakes, dips etc. And definitely never for aioli.

Regarding shelf life, it is not a problem we encounter because it gets gorged up pretty quickly. I don't agree that lemon juice can kill anything harmful like salmonella, and would never serve homemade mayonnaise to someone pregnant, young babies/toddlers or the elderly.

[DanaT]

Well I'd like to thank everybody who offered their tips and hints here. Thanks to egullet, I just made my first successful batch of homemade mayonnaise. Now I just gotta get something better than this thawed out frozen crab leg to go with it.

The secret turned out I think of having everything at room temperature, beating the egg yolk first, and keeping the balance of oil and liquid added.

I took some pics but will have to post them later. Thanks all!

[sabg]

i tried twice yesterday...i used the alfred portale recipe...2 yolks 2 cups of oil...v v thin....did it again with less ab d still not right...i used an immersion blender...any ideas...i want homemade saffron mayo

[Dave the Cook]

Have you looked at the eGCI courses and discussions here and here?

[Megan Blocker]

i tried twice yesterday...i used the alfred portale recipe...2 yolks 2 cups of oil...v v thin....did it again with less ab d still not right...i used an immersion blender...any ideas...i want homemade saffron mayo

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Offhand, sounds like too much oil to me...

Amanda Hesser had a great recipe in "Cooking For Mr. Latte," though not specifically for mayo...I'll try to find it in my records and link it up here!

Here's a link to my adaptation of the recipe. It should give you a better idea of proportion...this one has always worked for me!

Edited July 1, 2005 by Megan Blocker (log)

[bradyjr]

An egg yolk can emusify 100-150ml of oil (3.5-5 oz.). The mayo should get thicker as you add the oil, so if you are adding that much oil and having it be thin, then you are having a problem starting the emulsion. It helps to start the emulsion by adding about a tsp of Dijon mustard to the egg yolks before adding the oil. Other than that, start with a little drizzle of oil and make sure that the emulsion is going before drizzling in the rest of the oil.

I personally whisk my mayos by hand, then prefer a mixer like a Kitchen Aid with a whisk attachment as a second choice for large batches.

Regards,

Chef James

[kellytree]

the word in Belgium is if you have your period you cant make mayo- maybe thats the problem?

there is also some issues with the moon being in the wrong state.

[sabg]

the word in Belgium is if you have your period you cant make mayo- maybe thats the problem?

there is also some issues with the moon being in the wrong state.

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well, my husband would probably say i can never make mayo.....i found the problem, i was using the immersion wand and it was not getting to the bottom of the yolk and oil...did it by hand following the egullet recipe with a little less oil and it is great (iadded some saffron) i dont think i will eat store bot again