Homemade Mayonnaise: Science, Techniques, Troubleshooting, Storage

[andiesenji]

I am glad you are getting some use out of yours, Brooks.

I have seen many of the "generic" ones - no instructions on the glass - listed as "malted-milk mixer"

Here is another one, with the full panoply of recipe cards.

Wesson oil mayo mixer!

Edited April 10, 2007 by andiesenji (log)

[The Hersch]

Regarding the bit about blender mayonnaise. 

First of all, the volume of a single egg yolk is not great enough to actually blend easily before adding the oil, and egg yolks can be tricky - too much heat - produced by the rapid speed of the blender blades, can actually "cook" the yolks before they begin to emulsify.

That makes sense! I don't remember ever seeing an explanation for the blender-mayonnaise-requires-whole-eggs rule before. On the other hand, most mayonnaise recipes are for more than one egg yolk, but the cooking thing I think must be the real reason.

I don't think in most cases there is enough sugar to actually affect the taste all that much.

There certainly is in Hellman's, Kraft, etc. That stuff is sweet. And awful.

[divalasvegas]

Well I finally did it and the results were: AMAZING AND DELICIOUS! All props to the creator of this recipe (posted above), Marjorie Scofield. I did use the whole egg called for but I increased the salt from 1/2 tsp. to 3/4 tsp., the dry mustard from 1/4 tsp. to 1/2 tsp, and the paprika from 1/8 to 1/4 tsp., leaving everything else the same. As you can see this recipe doesn't call for the addition of sugar and with the results I achieved, I can't imagine why any recipe would need it. Also, all ingredients were room temperature.

I thought it wasn't going to work at first since I'd never made blender mayonnaise and while adding the first half of the oil it seemed to stay pretty thin forever. But after adding the lemon juice and while pouring the remaining half of the oil it I could hear the sound of the ingredients changing and it went from thin to thick rather quickly.

I can honestly say to anyone still having trouble making their own mayo this recipe is totally idiot-proof, YOU CANNOT FAIL WITH THIS ONE.

I know this is no big deal to those of you who've been making your own mayo for years, and there are plenty of things I make from scratch all the time. However, I would see so many complaints about it separating/breaking or being thin and runny so I figured just buy Hellmann's and be done with it. But lately I'd been feeling a little betrayed by my old tried and true since they decreased the amount of mayo per jar from 32 oz. to 30 oz. and kept the same price!

Thanks to you all for your help and tips. I wanted to make something like Hellmann's and I did: like Hellmann's on monster anabolic steroids!

[Simon Patrice]

Does anyone know how long homemade mayo can keep? I've been getting tired of buying commercial mayo but since I don't use that much of it I don't want to make some and waste half of it. So are we talking a couple of days, weeks...

Thanks!

[Qwerty]

I wouldn't keep it around for longer than a few days. Odds are though, you'll know if it's OK to use or not.

Only reason is becuase of the eggs in it. I mean, how long would you keep a couple of cracked eggs sitting in a bowl in your fridge for?

[divalasvegas]

From what I've read here--check the eGCI course information--is that homemade mayo lasts about 7-10 days. Not a very long time, but most of the recipes I've seen yield about one cup of mayo which I have no problem using up in a week's time.

Also, I just wanted to add that in my excitement to post about my success, I made remarks about not using sugar. I want to be clear that I'm not besmirching anyone who has a recipe that calls for a bit of sugar; actually I didn't really read those remarks until after I posted.

Now that I'm no longer a homemade mayo virgin, I have got to get ahold of some of those really cool looking mayo mixers like andiesenji has shared here. And andie your advice is so dead on about the whole egg; no way would an egg yolk alone have worked so well in the blender mayo recipe.

[tim]

Jon,

Note that the eGullet course suggest well chilled ingredients.  If there is a secret it is that emulsion are easier to develop at LOW temperatures.  (I always put vniaigrettes into the freezer before adding an oil emlulsion.)  All of the commercial mayo's use extremely cold ingredients for a reason.

The other well known secret is the importance of beginning the emulsion successfully with the very first few drops of oil.  Once the emulsion develop, you can move a little faster.

Tim

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Keep the ingredients cold  and wisk the oil very, very slowly at first.

Thats the secret.

Regarding emulsions take the simple hot dog type sausage the secret of which is keeping all the ingredients very cold in fact just above freezing. prior to mixing.

I also think its easier whisking by hand, medical reasons exempt Marlene.

Norman Walsh

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from Harold McGee's "On Food and Cooking", page 634:

All of the ingredients for making mayonnaise should be at room temperature; warmth speeds the transfer of emulsifiers from the yolk particles to the oil droplet surfaces

emphasis mine.

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Alana,

Different experts offer different opinions, of course.

From Cook's Illustrated, July, 1998:

"Several food scientists with whom we checked offered theories regarding the effect of chilling on emulsions. Dr. Bruce Watkins, Associate professor of Food Science and Nutrition at Purdue University, mentioned that chilling changes the behavior or some of the components in the egg yolk. For instance, lipoproteins gel at lower temperatures, and triglycerides, which are crystalline in structure, grow larger and more stable. Both of these factors might well contribute stability and body to the emulsion. Dr. Watkins also mentioned that these substances become less hydrophobic as temperatures decrease, which means they are less resistant to water. Their increased willingness to accept water would also add to the stability of an emulsion."

"Dr. Kenneth Hall, Professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Connecticut, added that chilling slows down molecular activity, which, in effect, makes ingredients thicker. The thicker the ingredients are to begin with, the thicker and more stable the resulting emulsion will be."

And I thought McGee put me to sleep with too much information.

Tim

[Corinna Dunne]

To be honest, I can never remember whether ingredients should be chilled or ambient for making mayonnaise. I keep my eggs in the fridge, so they are always cold. In reality, I think the key is to add the oil slowly, particularly if you are using just the yolks and a whisk. I've made mayonnaise with a fork in the past, it just takes a bit longer. I think that purists make it in a pestle and mortar!

[andiesenji]

When I took a class in French cooking, from a Chef Gregoire, he was adamant about using it up within 2-3 days. However, I noticed that the larger batches that were prepared for the restaurant were placed in a tall narrow glass jar and then topped with oil, which was poured off just prior to use.

He explained that it is important to keep the air away from the surface and that at home we should use a glass jar with (preferably) a glass lid with a good seal, as little "head room" as possible, and store the jar upside down. If no glass lid, then cover the top with plastic wrap and screw the lid on tightly over the plastic. He was admant that it should not be stored where it could come in contact with metal.

Incidentally, I began storing all my condiments, jams, jellies, and etc., this way and the method has proven to be very effective in delaying the onset of rancidity, mold and crystallization in sugary things. Oxygen is a big factor in converting and aging certain ingredients, keep it at bay and this type of food stuff lasts much longer.

[Shalmanese]

So I was thinking today about making mayo and you need to be really careful at the start to drip the oil in slowly to form a stable emulsion. I was thinking, instead of liquid oil at the start, why not use oil spray? It has lecithin in it so it adds to the emulsifying power and it comes out in little droplets already so you don't need to worry about breaking it up. It seems like a few spritzes of spray at the start would make a mayo come together so much faster.

Has anyone tried this?

[Bonnie Ruth]

My rule of thumb is to use a whole egg with a blender, and egg yolks when using a hand held whisk.  In both cases the oil needs to be added gradually, but there is more room for error with the blender approach.  And yes, mustard is great for adding to the stability of the emulsion.

The yolk only mayonnaise is more traditional and gives a richer, thicker result, lovely and wobbly! Although I love EVOO, I find it too overpowering for a mayonnaise.

If you add garlic at the beginning, you will have aioli (the French name for garlic mayonnaise), which is great for crutidees/dipping sticks of raw vegetables.

Let us know how you get on!

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Thanks for your advice and tips Corinna. This is the recipe I've settled on though I intend to increase the amount of dry mustard, paprika, and cayenne called for. The source is Astray Recipes.

1 large Egg

1 tablespoon Vinegar

½ teaspoon Salt

¼ teaspoon Dry Mustard

⅛ teaspoon Paprika

1 dash Cayenne Pepper

1 cup Salad Oil

1 tablespoon Lemon Juice

Put the egg, vinegar, salt, dry mustard, paprika, and cayenne in a blender container, blending until well mixed. With the blender RUNNING SLOWLY, gradually pour half of the salad oil into the blender container. (When necessary, stop the blender and use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides.) Add the lemon juice to the mixture in the blender and slowly pour the remainder of the salad oil into the blender container, with the blender running slowly. Makes about 1 1/4 cups. Recipe By : From: Marjorie Scofield

I'll definitely report back with my results, good, bad or ugly.

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Okay, I got all inspired by this thread and made mayonnaise for the first time yesterday, using the variation of the Marjorie Scofield recipe. I made it to use on potato salad, which I made from an old Joy of Cooking recipe that calls for marinating the potatoes in homemade french dressing before adding homemade mayonnaise. I had previously ignored the homemade mayonnaise part and used commercial mayonnaise. It was much, much better with the homemade! I am hooked. It was a lovely, bright flavor that I never got before.

I do, however, have some questions about the recipe. What kind of blender do you have, that you can talk about running it very slowly? My Waring has just low and high, and even low is powerful enough that I rarely use high for anything. I had the ingredients all blended to the point I was supposed to start adding the oil, and I just couldn't see doing it in there. So I dumped everything into a bowl and whisked the oil in by hand. The emulsion was fine, but really thin. So then I put it back in the blender, and it thickened immediately.

My mixer will run slowly. Wouldn't it be better to do this in there? Or with an immersion blender?

Edited April 16, 2007 by Bonnie Ruth (log)

[andiesenji]

I used the bowl that came with my immerson blender (Braun) for the eGCi condiment course for the aioli (garlic mayonnaise), and it worked extremely well.

Most immerson blenders do come with a mixer cup or jar which is a good size.

If your stand mixer has a small bowl, that would work quite well because I assume you are not going to make a large batch.

The hand mixers with the wire-whisk as an optional beater, work very well. Do not use one of the soft plastic bowls - use an acrilic, stainless steel, glass or porcelain bowl - you want something that is non-porous.

I think you will all enjoy this story that I came across yesterday.

It involves homemade mayonnaise too!

I mentioned in another thread about the curious little hole at the bottom of the pusher in Cuisinart food processors. As mentioned in this story, it is ideal for adding oil while the processor is running.

Some of the early copy-cat food processors lacked this little helpful modification, but I think more of them do have it now.

If you scroll down to page 12 in these instructions for the Cuisinart 14 cup, you will see their instructions for mayonnaise.

Cuisinart instructions

Edited April 16, 2007 by andiesenji (log)

[alanamoana]

Alana,

Different experts offer different opinions, of course.

From Cook's Illustrated, July, 1998:

"Several food scientists with whom we checked offered theories regarding the effect of chilling on emulsions.  Dr. Bruce Watkins, Associate professor of Food Science and Nutrition at Purdue University, mentioned that chilling changes the behavior or some of the components in the egg yolk.  For instance, lipoproteins gel at lower temperatures, and triglycerides, which are crystalline in structure, grow larger and more stable.  Both of these factors might well contribute stability and body to the emulsion.  Dr. Watkins also mentioned that these substances become less hydrophobic as temperatures decrease, which means they are less resistant to water.    Their increased willingness to accept water would also add to the stability of an emulsion."

"Dr. Kenneth Hall, Professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Connecticut, added that chilling slows down molecular activity, which, in effect, makes ingredients thicker.  The thicker the ingredients are to begin with, the thicker and more stable the resulting emulsion will be."

And I thought McGee put me to sleep with too much information.

Tim

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Thanks Tiim for playing devil's (egg) advocate. Sometimes, I wear my blinders when it comes to McGee and forget there are other scientists out there as well...they just haven't written a book with all that information in one place .

Ciao,

Alana

[andiesenji]

I like McGee too. I have had his first book since it was initially published, as well as his second books and the new version of the first one.

I like the way he explains the reasons why things work the way they do. However, there are a few statements with which I disagree because my experience has been different.

(However that is only for the way I work in MY kitchen.)

I know what works for me and habits developed over nearly 60 years are difficult to change.

Everyone has to seek the way that is comfortable for them.

[infernooo]

I guess it could work provided it has no additives or too much propellant is mixed in with the oil... a lot of those sprays tend to be very foamy.

I just use the mini-blender-bowl attachment to a hand blender to get it going, never had a problem !

[glennbech]

I just use the mini-blender-bowl attachment to a hand blender to get it going, never had a problem !

I echo that... It's only a matter of beeing *real* carefull in the beginning. Once the emulsion gets going, it gets a lot more tolerant. Practice Practice! The good thing about a mayo, is that it's relatively easy to start from scratch... If you break a emulsion sauce however, like the Bernaise .... You need to start over with charlots, wine, blah blah blah... Not funny! :-)

Also... Beeing a little bit of a "purist", im not sure I'd like that spray veggie oil in my mayo, even if it's just a little bit. The once available here in Norway even smells a bit funny...

This leads me to a question... Is there any way to "rescue" a broken mayo?

[Corinna Dunne]

Yes, if you start all over again, with a new yolk, you can gradually add the split mixture to it. Click here for more details on a recent thread on making mayonnaise. You will find the links to the EGCI course at the beginning.

[ermintrude]

A Chef friend of mine can make mayonnaise 3 weeks a month the other 1 week when her period kicks in it always splits.

Me, it's always been random, sometimes it works sometimes not. However not one failure using a thermomix!

[Bonnie Ruth]

A Chef friend of mine can make mayonnaise 3 weeks a month the other 1 week when her period kicks in it always splits.

You're kidding, right?

[ermintrude]

A Chef friend of mine can make mayonnaise 3 weeks a month the other 1 week when her period kicks in it always splits.

You're kidding, right?

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Nope, it's a standing joke amongst us

[BadRabbit]

When making homemade Mayo and other sauces, will using pasteurized eggs extend the shelf life? Will certain oils make the sauce last longer? Are there commonly available additives (besides salt obviously) that might extend the life?

What about bernaise/hollandaise type sauces? Is there any way to make them more durable?

[budrichard]

I cook my eggs for 3-4 minutes before making a Mayo.

The life of a homemade Mayo is what it is, the reason so few retaurants serve a true Mayo based sauce such as Hollandaise.-Dick

[Dave the Cook]

When making homemade Mayo and other sauces, will using pasteurized eggs extend the shelf life? Will certain oils make the sauce last longer? Are there commonly available additives (besides salt obviously) that might extend the life?

What about bernaise/hollandaise type sauces? Is there any way to make them more durable?

For mayonnaise, refined oils work better than unrefined oils like extra-virgin olive oil. Although EVOO lends a great taste to mayo, the oil droplets created during emulsification coalesce in a relatively short period (see McGee, page 635, for a more complete explanation). Use unrefined oils as flavorings, rather than bases, for mayonnaise.

It's also often possible to re-emulsify a mayonnaise that appears to have broken by stirring in a little water.

Hollandaise and its relatives can be revived very slowly in a double boiler (though you should not let the water actually boil) or a carefully-watched microwave using repeated applications of low power. It's unlikely that you'll be able to get them back to their original serving temperature, but you can get them well above room temperature (as in, you can make them pourable) if you're attentive.

I cook my eggs for 3-4 minutes before making a Mayo.

The life of a homemade Mayo is what it is, the reason so few retaurants serve a true Mayo based sauce such as Hollandaise.-Dick

Hollandaise is not a mayonnaise-based sauce. They have eggs and fat in common, but the application of heat and specific use of butter rather than vegetable oil in making the former are significant differences.

[cmling]

I cook my eggs for 3-4 minutes before making a Mayo.

The life of a homemade Mayo is what it is, the reason so few retaurants serve a true Mayo based sauce such as Hollandaise.-Dick

I fail to understand this. I make mayonnaise with egg yolks, uncooked, of course? There is another (better?) way?

[BadRabbit]

I am not sure the question about pasteurization was answered. I have a sous vide rig and can easily pasteurize my own eggs but don't want to lose the quality of the mayonnaise if it won't improve shelf life. Will it improve shelf life or just the safety of the sauce?