Homemade Mayonnaise: Science, Techniques, Troubleshooting, Storage

[David Ross]

I'm so glad we're back discussing mayonnaise! This is the perfect time to have your best homemade mayonnaise recipe at the ready. It's perfect for slathering, (literally), on hot dog and hamburger buns, turning into lobster salad and into a lobster club sandwich. It's delicious in all manner of Summer salads-tuna, chicken, egg, potato and mixed into your favorite deviled egg recipe.

I'm quite fond of my mayonnaise recipe, but I'm also particular about the oil. Some may not agree with me, but for my tastes I only use extra-virgin Greek olive oil when I make mayonnaise. I prefer what I find is the spicy, herbal and peppery taste of Greek olive oil. Some say it's a bit overpowering, almost metallic tasting for mayonnaise, but I like the bold taste of Greek olive oil--and it gives the mayonnaise a rich, deep yellow color.

I use a Cusinart food processor and it makes perfect mayonnaise every time. Here is my basic recipe:

2 eggs

1 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

Fresh ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups Greek olive oil

Pulse the eggs, salt, lemon juice, mustard, cayenne and black pepper until combined. Then slowly start to add the olive oil in a steady stream until the mayonnaise starts to emulsify and thicken. You may not need to use the full 1 1/2 cups of olive oil. Refrigerate the mayonnaise until ready to use.

As you can see, homemade mayonnaise is not your "Best Foods" white, creamy, smooth out of the Supermarket deluxe. It is thick. It is yellow. It is delicious.

[nickrey]

If money is no object, you could do what Heston Blumenthal reported in his Big Fat Duck cookbook.

On visiting Peter Barham and discussing mayonnaise, Peter pulled out ultrasound gun and applied it to oil and egg in a beaker. The vibrations broke up the oil perfectly into little droplets creating mayonnaise in a flash.

[nakji]

On visiting Peter Barham and discussing mayonnaise, Peter pulled out ultrasound gun and applied it to oil and egg in a beaker. The vibrations broke up the oil perfectly into little droplets creating mayonnaise in a flash.

Cool.

I'm so glad we're back discussing mayonnaise! This is the perfect time to have your best homemade mayonnaise recipe at the ready. It's perfect for slathering, (literally), on hot dog and hamburger buns, turning into lobster salad and into a lobster club sandwich. It's delicious in all manner of Summer salads-tuna, chicken, egg, potato and mixed into your favorite deviled egg recipe.

David, what do you use yours for?

[Pam Brunning]

Just put the eggs out to warm up to make a batch of our favourite mayonnaise for salads etc. Six eggs 2 litres sunflower oil wine vinegar salt and fresh ground pepper. I make it in a Robot Coupe it lasts us abour two weeks this time of year. We find olive oil much too strong for general use it overpowers a lot of flavours.

[adey73]

Has anyone ever successfully recreated Kewpie?

(it gets more expense by the day in the UK)

[David Ross]

I originally created my recipe for mayonnaise to work it into my potato salad recipe. You can see my rendition of potato salad here, but I also use it as a spread for sandwiches, in deviled eggs and a spread on hamburger buns.

[bmwrtmike]

I am interested to know if someone has made mayo using just lecithin and no eggs to make the emulsion. I know some people that don't do eggs, and want to try this. Any ideas on where to start? and would I need something else, maybe mustard? Also would I use the lecithin granules or the liquid? this would also make it safer no?

Thanks,

Mike

Edited June 29, 2010 by bmwrtmike (log)

[nakji]

Has anyone ever successfully recreated Kewpie?

(it gets more expense by the day in the UK)

Rice vinegar and msg? Aren't those the secret ingredients?

[adey73]

Is Soya oil used instead of EVOO?

[ChickenStu]

Anyone else find mayo made with only olive oil to be really bitter?

[Kerry Beal]

Anyone else find mayo made with only olive oil to be really bitter?

Don't really find it bitter - but there is something very unappealing about it.

When I make my mayo like caesar salad dressing - I use a couple of cups of sunflower oil and add about 1/2 a cup of olive oil to get a nice flavour.

[ChickenStu]

How long does everyone keep their mayo before tossing it?

Ive always just done a week...

[andiesenji]

Anyone else find mayo made with only olive oil to be really bitter?

I never use EVOO - I use the more refined regular olive oil that I buy at my local middle eastern market in a big tin. It has a blander flavor than EVOO.

I also sometimes use grapeseed oil and I also buy that at the middle eastern market because it is available in larger containers and is much cheaper than at the regular markets.

This oil also has a neutral flavor and makes an excellent mayonnaise.

I am sticking to my original advice to have everything chilled - it doesn't have to be super cold but I have much better results (especially in the summer) with this method, which I have been using all my life.

If you want to have the ingredients at room temp (as long as it isn't too warm) by all means use that method if it works well for you.

[Porthos]

Mrs P and I both prefer corn oil. We have never chilled the ingredients first. I can make it by hand but much prefer using the whip attachment on my Kitchenaid mixer. Egg yoke, white vinegar, regular yellow mustard, salt and corn oil. It's worked for us for over 30 years.

[HowardLi]

Personally, I despise the taste of corn oil in something that isn't especially strongly flavoured.

I love making it with a stick blender - it literally takes less than a minute to clean afterwards, if some soapy water is available.

Edited July 4, 2010 by HowardLi (log)

[Pam Brunning]

This is why I like sunflower oil and whole eggs. It makes a very mild mayonnaise that does not mask the flavour of whatever you are using it with and is great as a base for all sorts of sauces. I use it to thin out pesto, add herbs and spice flavourings, there are no end of things you can do with it. I make a large batch and it lasts for 2 or 3 weeks. I don't like corn oil flavour either and, much as I love eggs, I don't like egg yolk mayonnaise because you can taste the yolks.

[gfweb]

So what mayo recipes do we all use?

[Pierogi]

So what mayo recipes do we all use?

The one in Bittman's "How to Cook Everything". I think (and I'm winging it from memory), it's 1 egg, 2T lemon juice, some dry mustard and cayenne, S&P, and a cup of oil. I use 50/50 canola/light EVOO, and I toss in 1-2 cloves of garlic, depending upon how big they are. I find straight EVOO too heavy, and straight canola too meh. I put the egg, juice, spices and garlic in the bowl of a KA mini-processor, then drizzle in the oil while the processor's running. I usually end up adding the rest of the juice from the lemon (probably about another tablespoon-ful) after the emulsion's formed. I found that if I add the whole amount of juice up front, at least for me, the emulsion won't form. I also can't get it to work in my full-size Cuisinart processor. The mini works much better.

It is absolutely sublime on fresh artichokes.......and on my fingers when I dip them in the bowl.....

[Pierogi]

And lookie, an article on the NY Times website today by Melissa Clark about....wait for it....homemade mayo ! I especially like some of the variations she offers (bacon mayo anyone?).

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/23/dining/easy-homemade-mayonnaise.html?hpw

[Shalmanese]

Has anyone tried making milk mayonaise? It seems like an interesting variation.

[LindaK]

Has anyone tried making milk mayonaise? It seems like an interesting variation.

I've made it and didn't like it at all. Without flavor additions, it just tasted like whipped oil. Adding other ingredients--I tried both a curry and fresh herbs--made it more palatable but not like something I actually wanted to eat.

I had high hopes because in general I like David Leite's recipes. But if I'm going to splurge on calories, this is not how I'd do it.

[Lisa Shock]

So what mayo recipes do we all use?

I posted some on my attempted blog: lusciousrepast.com

[annabelle]

I use Julia Child's mayonnaise recipe. I can make it in the food processor since my blender died.

[janeer]

Here is how I make it.

[gfweb]

2 yolks, 1.5 cup peanut oil, 1 tsp dijon, 1tbsp vinegar, salt... in a blender