With this step-by-step guide, youll be a mayo master in no time!
If you own a food processor or blender, you should make mayonnaise at least once.
It takes longer to wash the food processor than to do the actual mayo-making.
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What Is Mayonnaise Exactly?
Mayonnaise is a cold emulsion.
An emulsion is a suspension of two things that dont normally go together, i.e.
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oil and a water-based liquid.
(Two examples of emulsions in your everyday life?
Mayonnaise is not only easier to emulsify, but much more interesting.
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Egg yolks are the magical ingredient that bind everything together.
Tips and FAQs for Making Homemade Mayonnaise
What oil should I use to make homemade mayonnaise?
Oil is by far the number one ingredient, percentage-wise, in mayonnaise.
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Classically,neutral-tasting oils are the top choice for mayonnaise,because they wont overwhelm the flavor profile.
Vegetable, grapeseed, and canola oil are a few examples.
A little egg goes a long way!
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Egg yolks are high in lecithin.
Some mayonnaise recipes call for using a whole egg.
Its up to you.
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What yolk-to-oil ratio should I use for homemade mayonnaise?
A handy ratio: one egg yolk will emulsify up to one cup of oil.
(This isnt written in stone, but it makes a great mayonnaise!)
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The more oil you add, the stiffer your mayonnaise will be.
Seems counterintuitive, but its true.
Should all my ingredients be the same temperature?
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Butwith blender or food processor mayo, its not a problem if your eggs are straight from the fridge.
Chalk one up for us poor planners.
What about raw eggs and salmonella?
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Raw eggs can carry salmonella, though they are much less likely to carry it than chicken meat.
Salmonella thrives more on theoutsideof eggshells than inside the egg itself.
To stay safe, minimize contact between the egg and the shell.
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I like to use very fresh farm eggs for mayonnaise.
Mustard is important, too!
Mustard seeds contain the compound mucilage, which absorbs water and aids in the emulsification process.
In mayonnaise, I prefer prepared mustard, usually Dijon, over ground dry mustard.
I like the flavor a little better.
Use whatever you have handy.
Note that you donthaveto add mustard for your mayonnaise to emulsify.
But come on, mustard rules!
A lil dab of it gives mayonnaise an appealing edge.
Early blender cookbooks are chock-full of mayonnaise recipes, and the same goes for early food processor cookbooks.
(Really, it does the thinking for you.)
Add the oil all at once, and turn on the immersion blender.
Keep in mind,this oil-all-at-once method works only with immersion blenders.
How to Save Broken Mayonnaise
The two crucial ingredients of mayonnaise are egg yolks and oil.
However,if you add the oil too fast or dont whisk enough, your mayonnaise can break.
A broken mayonnaise is when the creamy emulsion becomes runny and greasy, because its no longer emulsified.
What does this mean to you?
If your emulsion is off, your mayonnaise might separate in the refrigerator.
Or maybe your emulsion didnt work from the get-go, and you have a greasy mess.
you’re free to fix it!
First, try blending (or whisking) a few dabs of very hot water into the broken mayo.
Keep it tightly covered in a container, and dont double-dip.
Pulse a few times so its mixed but not aerated.
Have the oil ready in a glass measuring cup.
At first it will look like a yellow disaster, but press on.
Soon youll have a pearly, creamy mixture that gets thicker the more oil you add.
Once all the oil is added, turn off the machine and scrape out the mayonnaise.
Season to taste with salt and optional Tabasco.
Store, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to one week.
