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Finally – SUCCESS making homemade mayo!!!! (If you don’t find this topic as exciting as I do, be sure to check below for more links to posts from a while ago that you may not have seen…) So I’ve been working with this homemade mayonnaise recipe for a while – I’ve had many flops and they just didn’t have the flavor I wanted, but I kept experimenting and have finally DONE IT!
This wasn’t an easy process. In one batch the eggs had a weird consistency. In a couple more batches it came out too thin. In others the olive oil tasted too strong. My poor neighbors – I kept asking them to taste-test. Jeanne turned out to be an especially great help in this quest for the perfect homemade mayo!
“Why not just open a jar?!”
This is what my family would ask me when they’d call and ask what I was doing. Besides the fact that I wanted to avoid the nasty GMO-laden canola or soybean oils (and other rotten ingredients), this recipe is actually good for you with the real egg yolks and also the addition of whey – this makes it a lacto-fermented / probiotic food! (Read more about that and about the healthier ingredients in homemade mayo at Ann Marie’s mayo post.)
I’m picky about how my mayo tastes…
I started with the recipe in Nourishing Traditions, but it was too thin and not quite the taste I was looking for… OK, fine, what I really mean is that it didn’t taste like Hellmann’s. Yes, Hellmann’s is full of crap ingredients, but I like the flavor.
Even though what I’ve finally mastered isn’t exactly the taste of Hellmann’s, it’s really pretty darn close – I honestly like mine a little better!
I even got the consistency right!
I couldn’t get myself to stand over that blender for a day and a half while I slowly poured the stinkin’ oil in drop by drop, so I just did a slow-ish stream, and used my Bosch blender with the hole in the top which slowed it down a little more. I was so excited that it finally came out with a nice whipped consistency!
Not only is it yummy just on a sandwich, but I also use it in things like deviled eggs, homemade ranch dressing, this yummy broccoli salad, chicken casserole, cole slaw, egg salad, chicken salad, etc.
“Why is it yellow?”
I don’t have a clue how to make this come out white in color, especially when I’m using my super nutritious orange farm fresh egg yolks, but I don’t really care now that the taste is so wonderful!
Kelly’s Easy Homemade Mayo (Tastes Pretty Close to Hellmann’s!)
- UPDATE: I just learned this from the movie, Julie & Julia! For good results, always warm the bowl you’re making mayo in first, before adding the eggs, so in this case, I will set the blender container into a bowl of hot water for a few minutes before beginning!
- ANOTHER UPDATE: Readers have shared in the comments that they’ve had great success using their stick blenders in a small jar and they say it goes much faster! I’ve tried it and LOVE this method instead of the original one below, so I don’t have to pour the oil in so slowly…
- Mix 3 egg yolks (preferably pastured eggs) in a blender for about a minute.
- Add 1/2 to 1 T. lemon juice or raw apple cider vinegar (I prefer the lemon juice, but it definitely has a lemon twang to it, which I actually love the taste of. The vinegar has a twang, too, but not quite as noticeable, in my opinion. Use 1 T. for more flavor, or 1/2 T. if you want it very mild.)
- Blend another 30 seconds.
- Add 2 t. palm sugar & 1/2 t. sea salt
- Blend just enough to mix.
- Add 1c. expeller pressed sesame oil (refined) – pour in as slow as you can, use hole in the top of the blender if you have it. (You can use olive oil if you prefer, but for this I liked the taste better with the sesame oil. When I tried the no-flavor coconut oil, it separated after a night in the frig!) By the way, sesame oil is higher in omega 6, so NT says that some is OK, but not too much – you wouldn’t want this to be the only oil in your house.
- When you’ve mixed all the oil in, add 1 T. whey – make sure your whey is good – smell it and make sure it’s not “off” or it will ruin your whole batch. (Sometimes if my cheese hangs to drain for a long time my whey isn’t as tasty.) UPDATE: As I noted in the comments below (see #64), after a couple weeks in the frig the leftover mayo had a TOO fermented taste, so next I’m trying 1/2 T. whey instead.
- Leave out on the counter for 7 hours (it will keep longer this way), and then store in the refrigerator.
Makes about 1 c.
I also finally perfected my homemade ranch dressing – I’m on a roll…now if I could only get my sourdough bread to work! I’m not giving up!
Please try this mayo recipe and let me know what you think!? I wish you all lived nearby so you could help me with taste-testing, too – my neighbors are getting sick of me.
- Christmas in June? What does a Christmas tour of our home have to do with Health & Nutrition? What does any of it have to do with size 7x underwear? Hint: it’s related to tweaking recipes…
- Have you seen these posts all about DIETING?
- Healthy Meals for Kids
- Our amazing anniversary dinner
- Read my original mayo post
This is part of Kristen’s Fight Back Friday – go see how others are getting the truth out about Real Food! Also check out Finer Things Friday, Tempt my Tummy Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, Try it Tuesday, What I learned this week, Make it from scratch carnival, and Frugal Friday.
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{ 102 comments… read them below or add one }
I see what you did! You added sugar and used a different oil. INTERESTING! I still like doing half olive/half coconut oils. Next time I’ll do thirds w/sesame oil thrown into the mix. I was worried it would make it taste too nutty. But, why not experiment?
Cheers,
KristenM
(AKA FoodRenegade)
FoodRenegade’s last blog post..Fight Back Fridays June 19th
Kristen,
Yes! A little bit of sugar was my “secret” ingredient! I looked on the Hellmann’s label and sure enough, it’s got high fructose corn syrup in it (one of the many junky ingredients), so I thought I’d try it.
I tried using all 3 and still didn’t care for the olive oil taste. Also, did yours with coc. oil separate when it got cold? Mine had a layer that hardened right on top – weird.
Kelly
Alright!!! I NEVER eat the junky mayo and have never found a good one that tasted good. And really miss that great mayo addition. So I am really looking forward to trying out this recipe. Thanks for all the ‘lab’ work, Kelly!
Blessings!
I am so excited to try this! I heard you were a Hellmann’s fan before, as was I, so I think we have similar expectations when it comes to mayo. Thanks so much for this!
Girl Gone Domestic’s last blog post..Easy No Knead Sourdough Bread
Congratulations on finally coming up with your perfect mayo! I never thought of adding a little sweetening, but I’ll try it. I was one of those who used to like Hellman’s mayo too
)) Thanks for sharing.
Sesame oil??? Hmmm, I made the oil blend in EFLF once and hated it, and I thought it was because of the sesame oil. But now that I think of it, I may have used toasted sesame oil. I’m guessing they taste totally different.
I was going to try Cheeseslave’s recipe and even bought some olive oil from Chaffin Orchards.
Decisions, decisions. Oh, I’ll try both, but which first??
Wow, I never would have thought to make my own mayo. And I bet you’re right, farm fresh egg yolks are so much darker, that probably is the reason for the yellow tint
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Whenever I have seen sesame oil, it’s pretty dark – that may contribute to the coloring as well. I was going to try making mayo today on my day off, but realize that I don’t have whey – but will be making yogurt & then yogurt cheese -so should have some soon!
I made Cheeseslave’s last week and it turned out fine, except once I put it in the fridge it lost all twang and just tasted like cold butter.
Motherhen68’s last blog post..Food Roots: The Search for Local Beef
Good morning reader friends!
Betsy, yes, I LOVE Chaffin’s olive oil (nice and mild), but just not in my mayo…
Jessie, my sesame oil is very light – maybe you also had the toasted kind like Betsy?
Kelly
Okay, since I was an official taste tester I have to “whey” in with my thoughts on Kelly’s mayo.
The first batch she had my husband and I taste was too heavy on the olive oil. Which is exactly what my attempts have tasted like.
At this point in the process Kelly, asked what brand mayo I was buying and I had to admit that after a few failed attempts at homemade mayo, I was back to buying Hellman’s.
The next batch that Kelly brought over had a very distinct lemon after taste. It was good, and would make great dressings, but it was too lemony for me for sandwiches. Kelly ran right back across the street and made a fresh batch with apple cider vinegar. That batch is the one I prefer. And now I am thinking I have no excuse not to try again– especially since the Hellman’s jar is almost empty!!
Good morning, Kelly!
Hey darlin’, where were you able to find palm sugar? I want to obtain palm/coconut sugar and wondered if we have any sources here in Michigan.
As always, keep up the *fantastic* work and I hope it isn’t too darned long until I see you again! And thanks for keeping me laughing when I read your posts (i.e. like when you called your son a “turd”–I laughed OUT LOUD!!)
Jeanne, thanks for all the taste-testing comments. Very helpful.
I too would like tips on buying palm sugar. We have plenty of Oriental markets around here which are likely sources. I looked at Amazon, too, and they carry it, but I didn’t see any mention of organic. It was a very quick look, mind you.
Is organic critical for palm sugar? Anything else we should look for or avoid? Brands?
Thanks!
Kelly, I have wasted way so many eggs and olive oil trying different mayo recipes but I will certainly give this one a try too. I think it’s because I am impatient with the drop by drop thing… ugh!
Ok I have Spectrum Naturals Expeller Pressed Sesame Oil (says refined for high heat) from Meijers. Will that work? It is a real light color.
Thanks,
Tammy
Yes! I haven’t had luck making a good batch on my own, so I may splurge and order the one you linked.
Soli’s last blog post..null
Hey Julie L.! Fun to hear from you girly! OK, palm sugar: I get it from our buying club. (“United” I think it’s called.) Also, you could call around to specialty markets, but I’ll bet it’s cheaper through the buying club.
Betsy, I bought the organic because they had it, but I don’t know how crucial it is with palm sugar…?
Tammy, yes, that’s what I buy from Meijer. Don’t worry about the drop by drop, just go as slow as you can.
Soli, try it one more time!
Kelly
this is great! i’ve tried the NT recipe before and it was plain awful. hellman’s is one of my last bad foods to get rid of. i am allergic to sesame though and i don’t want the CO to separate like yours did and the OO seems like it would be too strong. any other alternative suggestions? maybe 1/2 grapeseed and 1/2 OO?
Karen, bummer about your allergy! Ann Marie really likes hers with the OO, she uses Chaffin’s because it’s milder. You could try it and see what you think.
Kelly
Hi Kelly!
I tried making mayo this week and I failed. All I had was a regular wired whisk. I’m guessing you really need an electrical appliance so you have both of your hands free. I used a mix of sesame and olive oils, white wine vinegar, lemon juice, dijon, a bit of sugar and onion salt if I remember correctly.
It didn’t emulsify so I poured the mixture in a small saucepan with some butter and added some guar gum. I roasted some asparagus and poured this melange on top, kind of like a hollandaise…
I was just wondering what you normally do when your mayo conconctions fail.
OK, I have to ask…what does letting it sit on the counter for 7 hours actually DO to make it last longer? I make mine homemade, too, so I really want to know.
Kristen’s last blog post..French Toast Casserole
Motherhen68 – what is wrong with cold butter?
Kelly – Looks good! I’m not really a fan of sugar added to mayo. I never liked Hellman’s much. I like a plain mayo I guess.
I think it would be OK to make this mayonnaise occasionally if your family does not eat a lot of mayo, but due to the high omega 6 factor, I would cut it with olive oil and/or coconut oil.
Mary Enig’s formula is 1/3 sesame oil, 1/3 coconut oil, and 1/3 olive oil. I am going to try that next time. Love to get more coconut oil!
CHEESESLAVE’s last blog post..Real Food Wednesday: June 17, 2009
Kelly -
You said “In one batch the eggs emulsified” — I think you meant to say that the sauce did not emulsify.
CHEESESLAVE’s last blog post..Real Food Wednesday: June 17, 2009
Erika -
There are 3 things that will prevent your mayonnaise from emulsifying: (1) Adding too much oil and not enough egg yolk (2) Adding the oil too fast (3) Cold ingredients, specifically the egg yolks.
It is a little easier to make mayo with a blender or food processor but you can use a whisk — you just need consistent (not necessarily fast, just constant motion) whisking and you need to add the oil very slowly. You also need to make sure your ingredients are not cold.
Here is what to do when your mayonnaise does not emulsify — you can save the batch. This works every time:
1. In a mixing bowl, add one egg yolk and whisk for a couple minutes. It is important that the egg yolk be ROOM TEMPERATURE. If it is cold, you will need to beat it longer. Easier just to use a room temp egg yolk.
2. Whisking continuously, add your broken batch of mayo one tablespoon at a time.
CHEESESLAVE’s last blog post..Real Food Wednesday: June 17, 2009
Love the comment about “Why not just open a jar?” I hear that ALL THE TIME from my mom. “You know, honey, they sell that in stores now…” Yeah, sure, Mom, if you don’t mind eating industrial waste!
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Local Nourishment – too funn!
Kelly, what exactly did your sesame oil say on the label? Was it refined, etc? I bought a little jar of that to try Mary Enig’s recipe but it’s just so sesame. I love sesame but not looking for that necessarily in an aoili or, say tarragon mayonnaise.
I can’t stand the mayo I’ve made using all olive oil either but haven’t bucked up to order Cheeseslave’s fav oil yet. Finances are getting a little tight around here with no real household paycheck.
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I will definitely try this recipe, Kelly. Thanks for all your hard work!
I made Cheeseslave’s recipe last weekend and it is beautiful! I love the rich consistency. Mine is also the dark yellow color – I assumed it was the egg yolks? Tastewise, it is a little heavy on the olive oil (but I didn’t have the Chaffin brand) and I did use a tiny little bit of the sesame oil. But, as I have tasted it several times over this past week it is growing on me every time! (training my palate?)
I would think that one thing that contributed to the consistency being so good was that my eggs were most definitely room temperature — I actually had forgotten I set them out and hours later found them on the back of the counter and had to hastily make mayo at 11:30 pm!
I am thinking of mixing it with my yogurt “sour cream” to make my chicken salad, but otherwise I think it will be delicious on everything I use mayonaise for. Can’t wait to try the new recipe!!
You are so very far ahead of me, but I’m chugging along. Just today {drumroll, please} I secured a source for raw milk! And it’s only 15 miles away! And it’s only $3.75 per gallon! I pick up my first two gallons on Tuesday.
So, any tips on transitioning from low fat store bought to raw dairy?!
Amy @ Finer Things’s last blog post..Finer Things Friday: Wheat Harvest
Another thing about Hellman’s…if I remember the ingredient list correctly, there is lemon juice AND vinegar in it. I use a bit of both, and it comes out great…no sugar, though. I have been using a mixture of olive oil and sunflower oil as Sally suggests in Nourishing Traditions. I am curious about that, because I know it’s not a great oil. I wonder if she’s making concessions for weaklings, (lol) but since it’s right there in print, I’ve been doing it. We really love it. I also use a dab of plain old yellow mustard in it, although I don’t think the Hellmans’ list includes mustard. I use one whole egg per 1 1/4 cups oil. And the best thing I have done is to use my stick blender. I made it in the food processor until a friend told me how well the stick blender works, and now I make it and store it in the same wide mouth quart jar. So good!
Hi Kelly,
You are so awesome for spending time to figure this out! Thanks! However, I am scared about eating raw eggs, and also about leaving them out in the “temperature danger zone” for 7 hours! Aren’t you worried you’re going to get a foodborne illness?
Okay, Kelly. I was thinking about making mayo again today so now is the time to give it a go. Thanks for the nudge and for making the “bad” batches so we can learn from your mistakes. I’m not worried about using raw eggs because we get ours one day old from our farmer who raises happy, outdoor, pastured hens. I know they are good and the whey will help keep things nice and fresh. I’ll be sure to let you know how my batch turns out!
Cathy Payne’s last blog post..Nutrient Dense Foods for Healing by Cathy Payne, EdD
Erika, I used my bombed versions for more deviled eggs, which my family loves.
Kristen, it’s something with the whey, it ferments a bit as it sits out for 7 hours and this helps it to keep longer. Ann Marie, you can probably explain this much better and I’m too tired to look it up.
Ann Marie, yes, I said the eggs emulsified, but that’s not the right word…they partially cooked or something. I blended them so long in one of my bad batches as I was trying to get it to thicken, that it had a TERRIBLE consistency. Nasty I tell ya.
I agree with what you said about not using all sesame oil if your family eats a lot of this, which we don’t (due to the high omega 6’s).
SE – yes it says it’s refined, it has a very mild taste.
Amy, woohoooooo on your raw milk! And my advice: ditch your low-fat as fast as you can and I’ll bet your family will switch over easier than you think. I’m amazed that whole raw milk tastes so much lighter than whole pasteurized milk.
Dienna,
Nope. I’m not worried a bit. We get our eggs from a safe source, and actually, eggs don’t even have to be refrigerated. Many people just leave them on the counter. Wild, huh?
Kelly
Say what on the eggs again? They don’t need to be refrigerated? Kelly you just blew my mind some more. I never knew that! Is it like breastmilk though where once you refrigerate it you have to keep it refrigerated after that?
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Sustainable Eats (almost called you Sustainable Eggs, lol),
I think I read that somewhere about “once refrigerated, always refrigerated”. I remembered it because I’m seriously stockpiling eggs and have more counter space than refrigerator. But my egg guy keeps his in a cooler. He’s sitting out in the Texas sun for hours, selling out of his pick-up truck, so I think that’s a good thing in the long run.
Kelly — My mayo w/olive oil & coconut oil doesn’t separate. I have NO idea what happened for you. Like Ann Marie said, as long as you’re using enough yolk at room temperature and adding the oil slowly, you shouldn’t have any problems. (Confessions: I’ve never made a bad batch of mayo. I may not have liked the flavor of some of my experiments, but I never had a bad texture.)
So, I made mayo today adding a bit of sucanat and a tiny bit of sesame oil added to my EVOO/CO blend because I realized the oil I buy is made from toasted sesame seeds. WOW was it good. I really enjoyed it. I can’t wait to get my hands on some non-toasted, decent sesame oil to try splitting it into even thirds.
Thanks again,
KristenM
(AKA FoodRenegade)
FoodRenegade’s last blog post..Fight Back Fridays June 19th
Okay, so I made Ann Marie’s recipe last week, and I don’t mind the olive oil taste (I always use Napa Valley’s organics line). The thing that was frustrating was that it came out runny (probably put the oil in too fast), and I realized I put in the whole egg (DOH!). But actually, as it has sat over the last week in the fridge, it is getting thicker. So maybe it’s okay after all. I am going to Kelly’s recipe next.
I just posted an incredible discovery I made about Omega 6s on one of Kelly’s other posts about grapeseed oil, so I’ll say this…you do need Omega 6s, but not just any old Omega 6s. If you cut them out completely, you’ll end up being deficient, just as I have now found myself. I’ve been a fanatic about cutting out Omega 6s, and as a result, have almost nothing in my house with Omega 6s except for raw almonds and raw almond butter. It’s not like we’ll be eating mayo every single day and in large quantities. So I’m going to add it back in with some organic sesame oil or sunflower oil – mayo is a great place to insert it! Thanks Kelly!
Raine Saunders’s last blog post..Being a Food Activist in a World Driven by Tradition, Control, & Profit
I am very excited to find your website. I have a Bosch, cook out of NT ALL THE TIME, and have a hobby farm in which we are raising chickens for some farm fresh yummy eggs. I look forward to keeping up with all the exciting things you are discovering.
About the mayo, I thought the recipe from NT was way too thin as well. Have you tried grapeseed oil? I like taste of the grapeseed oil better than olive but I have not mastered the texture thing yet. It is fun getting it just right though!
Nice to meet you!
Rachael M.
Kelly, You are my hero. I had company tonight and wanted to make some yummy potato salad. I decided to try your method because I’ve never gotten mayo to work before even with the stick blender and food processor and a hand whisk (that was alot of olive oil I wasted). Your blender method worked perfectly. You saved the day and my company (who also eats NT) loved the potato salad. Thank you, thank you.
TeamBettendorf’s last blog post..Nixa Dance – Part III
Thank you for the recipe. I will definitely try making mayo with sesame oil. So far, I was not able to find the recipe that uses good for you oils (instead of canola etc.) and tastes great. I find the taste of EVOO too overwhelming and I want my mayo to taste exactly like Hellmans. Now how do I do that?
However, after a lot of research on the Internet I found that the easiest and quickest way to make mayo is with a stick blender. I use Bamix but it will work with a regular stick blender as well. You just put all the ingredients together in a beaker or a rather tall and narrow jar and put the stick blender to the bottom. Turn it on at high speed and count to 10 without moving it. Then slowly start to move the blender up and down until the mixture is fully emulsified. It only takes about 30 seconds!!! Amazing!!! No long and painful whisking or need to add oil slowly. Another advantage is that you can make and store mayo in the same jar (no need to wash dishes) !!!
For those of you who haven’t tried this yet or are skeptical just watch this video on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gz0fLT_k3_U
It really is this easy.
Another question: How long does the mayo with whey keep?
Is it possible to just add some yogurt instead of whey?
Your recipe looks great!
)
I’ve had fairly good luck with the Nourishing Traditions recipe — though I have to agree that the olive oil flavor is often much too strong. I’ll be interested to try it with the sesame oil! (and it does get thicker after overnight refridge… so even if mine is a bit thin sometimes, it always gets better
Haven’t tried it yet with a stick blender — but I’ll have to see if mine can work that magic!
lo’s last blog post..Yay for Spring Veg: Tortellini with Asparagus & Olives
Kelly, I appreciate all you work for us!
My last batch of mayo was so stiff I could cut it with a knife and I used 3 egg yolks. I also used balsamic vinegar which made it a touch sweet like I think Hellmans tastes. The color is a bit darker because of this, but the flavor is mild and sweet. I used EVOO and sunflower. BTW, on the Discussing NT yahoo group, I learned to put a funnel in the hole in the lid of my blender and found it much easier to drizzle oil while things were splashing up from the bottom. I was not tempted to pour too fast, thus the very stiff mayo. I think the reason recipes say to whirl the yolks for a minute is to warm them up using the friction of the blender.
I’m not sure I’d have the patience to make my own mayo, but I’ll be back next week for the homemade ranch. There is nothing like a good ranch
I wish I could dedicate myself completely to this kind of cooking, but my life does not allow for it. I do make my own mayo now and then, I really prefer the taste and I know its better for you. I have even added an over ripe avacado to the mayo and made like an avacado dip or sandwich spead.
Brenda’s last blog post..Paul’s Tofu/TMTT
I love mayonaise, so I went right out and bought sesame oil and tried the recipe. It was horrible, so I asked my brother who is a chef, and he said it was the oil I used. The sesame oil I purchased was organic and was very strong in flavour.
Usually I use organic extra virgin olive oil, and it has never made great mayonaise, but ok.
My brother said to ditch the extra virgin olive oil as they are always the first press, which means very very strong olive flavoured.
He gave me a bottle of olive oil that was extra mild (it wasn’t organic, but still good quality) – it was a very, very pale colour compared to the extra virgin olive oils I’ve used before.
So we made mayonaise (without any sugar, but with the lemon juice AND vinegar, dijon mustard etc) and it was the best tasting mayonaise I’ve ever had. Creamy, light holandaise almost, tasting. Very mild.
He says the key is not in added sugar or sesame oil, rather the KEY is in the oil and finding a very mild flavour oil.
So I’m definitely sticking with olive oil, just choosing the extra mild.
Hope this helps a bit.
I had great luck using the stick blender and it only took a couple minutes. Great body. But the oil does have a strong flavor. Has anyone tried avocado oil?
Cathy Payne’s last blog post..Nutrient Dense Foods for Healing by Cathy Payne, EdD
Oh, crap! I’ve been driving around this week hearing a rattle under the driver’s seat. I finally remembered to check today when I got to work – and it was the sesame oil bottle that I bought last SATURDAY! It’s been in the car in the south Texas heat for 5 days.
I guess I should throw it out and buy a new one, yes?
Can’t believe I didn’t notice it when I put the groceries away. I bought it just for making mayonnaise.
I got a great mayo recipe off of the discussingNT list. Someone recommended rice bran oil, which works really well.
Oh wow, guys, who would’ve thought that we’d get such a good conversation going all about mayo?!!! I love you my geeky foodie friends!
OK, gotta go back up to see about your questions……..
S.E., yep you read it right about eggs not needing to be refrigerated – however, I still keep mine in there! Google it and see what comes up.
Kristen, yeah, you never know what will happen in my kitchen. If a fluke is possible, it will happen here!
Rachael M. – I’m glad you found your way here, too! You may want to take a look at this about grapeseed oil: http://kellythekitchenkop.com/2009/05/is-grapeseed-oil-a-good-choice-random-reader-question.html
Katie (Team Bettendorf), what a fun comment!! Glad you liked it!
Maria, great scoop on the stick blender – I’ve got one so I can’t wait to try it next time! Can’t remember how long whey keeps – it’s in Ann Marie’s post and I’m so sick of sitting at this computer, forgive me for not going to look it up right now………..
Callie, very interesting!
Betsy, I’m not sure if I’d toss it. Call the company and see what they say.
Thanks everyone!!
Kelly
Hey Kelly!
…And thanks for the recipe, it sounds delicious. I’ve never made mayo myself before, but I’ll try in a couple of days, as soon as I get around to buying the rest of the ingredients. I have some ancient bottle of canola, but I think I’ll take your word and get me some fresh sesame oil. (And I just bought a nice Italian-looking bottle of balm vinegar but I’m too cheap to get another one, I’ll just see how this works out.)
As a side note, I’m from Finland, and we don’t have ANY decent mayo in the stores here. A friend of mine introduced me to Hellmann’s, and that was it.
Now I want to make my own, although my friend’s pretty sure I’m going to screw it up. We’ll see…
I have a question, however. I always thought whey was fluid, right? I have never used it for anything, and now that I looked into it, they only seem to sell it in special athletes’ stores and it seems to come in powder (“whey protein” it says on the bag). What is this stuff? I’ve no idea where to get the real deal. Do I have to go to a dairy? Or, can it be left out of the concoction altogether?
Thanks again! I’ll check back later to report whether this all ended in a disaster or if my friend finally has to admit that I’m am the iron chef!
Finland out.
I’m so confused! I made two “perfect” batches but the oils in both were too strong. Then I tested some milder oils. used the same recipe, and it immediately curdled and turned into a liquid mess. Not sure what happened, but I’ve gone through 1/2 dozen precious, pastured eggs!
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I am SO appreciating this “Homemade Mayo” conversation, learning so much from it! Thank you, everyone
Chef Aid, you are right to doubt the powdered whey as the ‘real deal’. The powdered stuff is NOT what you want. And we DO want it in the concoction.
I get my whey by dumping quality yogurt into a tea towel-lined collander set over a bowl, for several hours, at least. The liquid that drains through is whey. Then I tie up the tea towel (no sqeezing!) and hang it from a cupboard knob and let it continue to drip into the bowl, for about a day. Then I keep it in the fridge in a jar, stays good for months. (Got this method from Sally Fallon’s Nourishing Traditions.)
Some of my kids pour whey off their kefir. I’m curious to hear how others get their whey!
Blessings!
Chef Aid, yes whey is a liquid – the powdered stuff is fake junk. I have no idea where to buy it, though, because it’s so easy to make! (See the link in the post above.) No, you don’t have to use it, but it helps your mayo keep longer.
Cathy, what oils did you use each time? I totally agree that certain oils are just too overpowering. I also had a batch (or two) curdle – but I could still tell whether or not the taste was right. If you liked the taste of that batch, try again, but maybe just don’t blend as long. That’s what happened when mine curdled.
Ann, yes, that’s how I get my whey, too.
I made this last night!! And it’s delicious! I used just one tsp of sugar and 2 yolks, lemon juice and no mustard. I’m going to try Ann Marie’s version, too, and the thought of possibly wasting SIX eggs was too much. I used my stick blender and it took all of 30 seconds.
Carolyn, I’ve seen that version with rice bran oil and went looking for it, and couldn’t find any locally. I didn’t try on-line, though.
Now I can make chicken salad with my leftover chicken, and Food Renegade’s egg salad recipe that she posted yesterday. I’m so excited.
Just wanted to let you know that I tried your mayo and I love it, I’ve made it several times now—but I’m just getting around to letting you know how great it is! I subbed coconut oil–in it’s liquid state and used my immersion blender (which btw, is the best way to make mayo as far as I’m concerned–just throw everything together and blend!)–It was great! Thanks for sharing! -Sarah
I am seriously pumped to try this. What do you do with the leftover egg whites though? Thanks for entering the Make it from Scratch Carnival!
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Betsy & Sarah, thanks for the great feedback!
Katie, sometimes I just toss them (I know, that’s wasteful), otherwise you can add them to your scrambled eggs – although I’m more likely to add extra yolks instead of extra whites! Others may have better ideas. Oh, I also remember Mom making a meringue for pies out of egg whites…
Kelly
Coconut Macaroons!
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Ok, I just bought me a bargain stick blender for 10 euros and had a go. (And like someone earlier in this thread, I also accidentally bought sesame oil that was made from toasted seeds, and it’s definitely no good for this purpose. But I gave it a try anyway.)
But it didn’t work out.
I think I used a jar that was too big, so the layer of eggs on the bottom was so thin that the blender’s blade couldn’t reach it that well. Then when I added the oil, the blade just grabbed the oil which probably made the oil blend in with the eggs too fast.
But I have some friends coming over tomorrow and I’ll give it another shot. And I’m gonna get a smaller jar and more appropriate oil. Don’t make the same mistakes I did!
Keep on trying…
Chef Aid, I think you’re right about your problem. I make mine either in a decorative 2-cup mason jar (wide mouth, but narrower at the bottom), or a 24-oz mason jar. In other words, not much wider at the bottom than the blender.
What I did was put the eggs in, add everything else except the oil, then the oil last. Put the blender in right down to the bottom, turn it on and count slowly to 12. At this point you should be seeing mayonnaise forming. Then slowly move the blender up and around to mix everything completely. I got the technique from the book that came with my blender – but I’d never use their ingredients, lol.
Hope you have better luck tomorrow!
Betsy, so with the immersion blender you don’t have to slowly pour the oil in at all? You can just mix it all at once???????? Can’t WAIT to try this next time!!
Kelly
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Kelly –
Oh, yeah, baby!! That’s the beauty of it. Takes all of 30 seconds to mix it up. It takes more time to assemble all the ingredients, I think.
Alright! I’m making mayo
Almost got desperate there for a while. I tried a second batch using the immersion blender method, but it didn’t work out for me. The stuff kept separated and no emulsion showed up. I would like to put partial blame on the bargain blender, it doesn’t seem to be doing too good a job. Besides it needs almost 10 min cool down after about 1 min work…
Anyway, I didn’t feel like throwing away yet another batch, so I took another cup, threw in a couple of yolks and started mixing in the first batch from the old cup. I’m still in the process, waiting for the blender to cool down, but whatever I get from this batch, is going to be quite eggy! There’s a total of 6 (small) eggs in there and a cup of oil. I think I’m gonna add a touch of my home grown chili as well.
OK, back to work!
Chef Aid – I had some failed batches of Caesar dressing until I read that the egg yolks should be at room temperature. That and adding the oil last, drizzling but not drop by drop, with the immersion blender, yielded success! I’m hoping the same for the mayo in a few minutes…
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Thickened up GREAT with a stick blender and only 2 egg yolks! Thanks Kelly! My sesame oil is unrefined, so I did 1/2 olive oil so it’s not such a strong sesame flavor.
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Betsy, it didn’t work for me. I used the stick blender and tried not pouring the oil in slow. It didn’t set up at all – I’m pretty sure it wasn’t the blender, I think I just need to pour the oil in slowly after all.
Another bummer: the leftover mayo from the batch I made a couple weeks ago has been in the frig and is still technically fine (I know it isn’t bad or anything), but youza, it has a TOO fermented smell to it…nothing I’d put on a sandwich at this point. I’m not sure if that means I won’t be able to keep any on hand or what…the thought of mixing some up (easy as it is) every time I want mayo for a sandwich isn’t appealing.
I know what I’ll try! 1/2 T. whey instead of 1 t. – maybe that will help. I’ll keep you posted.
Last thing for now: I’m constantly experimenting, and this time used 1/2 T. apple cider vinegar to see if it would have a more mild tang. I like the flavor! I’ll make note of this in the recipe above.
Kel -
My mayo has been in the fridge for over a month now and it’s still good. My guess is maybe you’re not using enough whey? I used 2-3 TBS of whey for 2 to 2 1/2 cups of mayo. I also let my mayo sit out at least 7 hours — but often longer, up to 12 hours.
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Kelly, I’m sorry it didn’t work. I know I have an unusual blender, but I didn’t think it was THAT different, lol!
Were all the ingredients in the jar when you started to blend? Was the blender at the bottom of the jar when to started it up? Did you count to 12 before you moved the blender?
Those are the only things I can think of – especially the first when you mentioned pouring the oil.
Oh, well, if you get good mayo in the end, the method isn’t important.
Betsy, no biggy, I’ll just try pouring the oil in a little slower next time, and maybe I don’t have a good stick blender……actually, I probably didn’t use the right bowl…
Ann Marie, you think I didn’t use ENOUGH whey? I thought I needed to use LESS because the whey is what helps it to ferment…? So yours doesn’t have a strong fermented smell to it after a month in the frig? I hope mine was a fluke. There I go again with the flukes…
Kelly
Kelly,
My mayo/Caesar dressing firms up fine with the stick blender or even my mini-food processor. I just blend up the yolk(s), pour in a little oil, whiz it, pour in a little more, whiz again. Maybe the 1/2 cup of oil for my salad dressing going in 4 batches or so. Good luck trying again! Trust me, you’re not the only flukester!
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Kelly,
Mine hasn’t been around for a month yet, and I’m not sure that it will make it that long. I ate egg salad every day for a week (had been missing it) and made potato salad for dinner on Sunday. DH loved it!
Bowl?? What bowl?? You should be using a narrow container, like a jar, or possibly a measuring up. I always use mason jars, but I do have a great selection as my SIL cans and sends goodies for Xmas.
I dunno about pouring the oil in while mixing. My recipe says no and I don’t, but I see Katie does and it works for her, so obviously I don’t know everything, lol. And I’ve had batches not work in the past, too.
My stick blender won’t fit into the top of my (mason) jars on hand!!! I’m sticking with my story: I’m pretty sure I just plain ol’ need to pour the oil in more slowly…which isn’t that big a deal I suppose, as long as it doesn’t need to be drop by painful drop.
Well, that was certainly inconsiderate of the manufacturer, wasn’t it??
I’ll say! I think I’ll write them a letter.
Since I can no longer buy expeller pressed sesame oil locally I am going to have to order online. How important is that it be refined? Is that just for a more mild taste? I can only buy hot pepper and toasted sesame oil that is expeller pressed. I found two brands of regular in conventional grocery stores, but neither give the extraction method other than one saying it was done the traditional way, whatever that means.
Martha, maybe if you just look for a lighter color you might be OK. The other sesame oils may have too strong a taste.
Thank you Kelly!
I was wondering if it makes a difference if the whey is from raw milk or pasteurized milk? if maybe one lasts longer than the other? thanks.
Angela, sorry I don’t know, maybe someone else does??
Kelly
I don’t think you can make whey from pasteurized milk. All the good bacteria is killed in the pasteurization. Raw milk doesn’t get pasteurized, so it contains “active cultures”.
You can make whey from pasteurized yogurt — that’s because they added good bacteria after they pasteurize it.
Kelly,
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe. I tried it with grape seed oil and enjoyed the nice, light flavor.
Thanks for all your hard work!
Ashley, I hate to be a pooper, but have you seen this post?
http://kellythekitchenkop.com/2009/05/is-grapeseed-oil-a-good-choice-random-reader-question.html
(Sorry!)
For those of you who want a real “Helmann’s” taste of mayonnaise, I have recipe on my blog that is quite similar. You can use any oil you want. I’ve been using a safflower oil (Spectrum Organics) so it’s high oleic.
http://mutritiousnuffins.blogspot.com/2009/05/homemade-mayonnaise.html
Okay, is it possible to get a “high” off making mayo I actually like? LOL
So I first tried a different recipe that was simpler, and used half Spectrum Sesame Oil/Nutiva Coconut Oil, and very simple ingredients. (I am blanking on where I found it… someone’s blog…) It just didn’t have enough “flavor” for me, though it wasn’t terrible.
I decided to try this recipe with the Mary’s Oil blend (1/3 sesame oil, 1/3 EVOO, 1/3 expeller-pressed Coconut Oil from Wilderness Family Naturals), and just back off a bit on the sugar, adding only 1/2 tsp unrefined sugar, because my last mayo was too sweet (b/c of the coconut oil perhaps?). I let my eggs sit a really long time, warmed the bowl, and then let my 3 yo control the food processor button. (risky I know, but that’s how I cook around here.
) Then I added the oil in as slowly as I could while pouring between the heads of my 3 yo AND 6 yo who showed up and wanted her turn with the button. It looked a little runny at first and then all of the sudden it “thickened”. I immediately turned it off (thankfully had gotten the oil in at that point) and tasted it. It was GOOD! And my 3 yo took a couple of licks too and liked it! (No comment from the 6 yo, she doesn’t do mayo.)
I then transferred it to a glass container, and stirred, and discovered that not all my salt had been incorporated (I used a rather gritty Sea Salt, I’m guessing that is why…) and it got a bit saltier and I didn’t like it as much. Also added 2 Tbs of whey, which I’m glad I did because it was pretty thick. To balance out the salt a bit, I decided to add a dollop of Grade B Maple syrup, and I got the balance that I like again. Oh, I also added a smidge of mustard for kick, that might have made it a bit salty too… got idea from Cheeseslave I think?
Anyway, I’m thrilled! Made cleaning up the mess more tolerable since I actually like the end result.
Oh bummer, but thanks for letting me know!
I was at a restaurant the other day and they had something they called Salsa Mayo on their fries. I want to know how to make it because it was delicious. The mayo itself was quite mild in taste, without being thick and it was fairly yellow, but not as yellow as Kelly’s. Then for the salsa part it was just chunks of celery, red onion and capsicum mixed in the mayo. I have made mayo at home but I used a completely different recipe and its far too thick and sweet to compliment the chunks. Does anyone have any thoughts? I’ve tried to make mayo before using the traditional recipes, egg yolk oil etc, but it ended up tasting just like egg and oil. I have looked up salsa mayo online and all i get told to do is mix store bought mayo with store bought salsa. Yuk!
I assume the eggs are hard boiled and then you just use the yellow?
Hi Susan,
Actually no, see this post: http://kellythekitchenkop.com/2010/01/are-raw-eggs-safe-to-eat-real-food-wednesday.html
Kelly
Hey Kelly,
I have been doing some more experimenting on mayo and was wondering why you used refined expeller pressed sesame oil over cold pressed? Is there a difference in the final results? Just curious because I know cold pressed, unrefined would be more nutritious for you.
Lindsay
Hi Lindsay! I loved your 1st video by the way, I have to try that one of these days.
(The video blog AND the deodorant!)
I used the refined only because I was afraid the unrefined would have too strong of a flavor to keep the mayo palatable for me and my picky family… We don’t eat it all that much anyway, thankfully, but if you try it with unrefined let me know how strong it is, OK?
Kelly
Can I use kefir whey instead of yogurt whey?
Dana,
Yes!
Kelly
Kelly – I have a cheap-o immersion blender (Toastmaster, I think I paid $11??). I tried Betsy’s method last night and it worked BEAUTIFULLY. It was seriously my easiest attempt at mayo – and the best batch consistency-wise! I tried Linsday’s recipe since I had her ingredients on hand, but it should work for yours! Don’t pour in the oil while you blend, it goes in as the last ingredient, put it all in beforehand.
I really think you should give it another go. The trick is the JAR. I also started with room temp eggs.
So, my immersion blender doesn’t fit in my regular mouthed mason jars, only the wide ones. But I found a jar that works perfectly – an old nut butter jar! I think it’s a wide-mouth opening size, but it’s straight all the way to the bottom of the jar. The mouth is just wide enough to let the blender in, and the 16 oz size is perfect for one batch of mayo. I used an almond butter jar from TJs, but I’m sure any of the glass ones that size would work. If you have any jars about that size, you really should give it another go, it was just TOO EASY.
Rebecca, I’m so glad it worked well for you!
I made some a week ago, and after watching Julie & Julia, I warmed the jar up a bit by setting it in a sink of hot water for a bit. Didn’t want to get the insides wet.
Guess what guys? I tried the stick blender method today (with a JAR that was just big enough to get the blender in) and it worked AWESOME!! So easy and fast! It got thick so fast I thought I did something wrong, then I tasted it and …Mmmm, it was MAYO!
Yay, Kelly!!!!
I finally finished my jar of Hellman’s (I get it from Costco, so it’s a huge tub). I have some fabulous local sour cream from my co-op, and now I need the mayo for the homemade ranch.
I think for this first batch I will do OO and CO blend, since that’s what I have on hand. I have a stick blender from Target, and a quart mason jar. Wish me luck!
I won’t say I nailed it, but I do have mayo!!! *happy dance*
I couldn’t get it to set up with the egg yolks. I thought I’d ruined the batch. I grabbed the egg whites, dumped them in, and WHAM! it set up just-like-that. Is that odd? Should I just plan to use whole eggs from now on?
I used about 3/4 CO, and 1/4 OO, and it’s a little coconutty for me. I might try to find some very, very mild OO or maybe the (un-toasted) sesame oil to mix. I think I will also use lemon juice instead of the ACV. I do like a little lemon twang.
Also, it seemed a little thin this morning, after sitting out all night with the whey. I’ll see if it thickens up a bit after being in the fridge all day.
Okay. Someone help me…? I’ve made a mess of everything, and I REALLY want to get this right.
I used my stick blender and tried to make a double-batch of this stuff (I’ve made the NT stuff before in my food processor, but thought I’d try the stick-blender method). I didn’t read through the comments to see how “briefly” it really needed done, so I was still drizzling the oil in slowly… My stick blender heated up enough that I thought I should stop using it (before the first cup of oil was in), so I transferred it into my vita-mix blender. My eggs were room temp, as was my (sunflower) oil, and I did set the first glass into warm water. I had decent emulsification going on, but was afraid to over-pour the oil. In the vitamix I continued the slow pouring, and it slowly began to get a little more ‘liquid’ – some splashed out at me and it was WARM. At this point it was TOO liquid so I stopped it abruptly and there was STEAM rising from the stuff, which now looked kinda curdled, yet watery. The vita-mix does seem to warm up without too much use, but steaming? I tossed that batch, read through everything, and started over.
My jar is just right for my stick blender to fit into. I watched the linked video and all that, and gave it another shot (single recipe). I poured everything in, used my blender and… It looks like orange juice. I used about 1/4 c of coconut oil with the rest sunflower.
Any ideas, or should I ruin a full dozen eggs today? :\
Judy THANK YOU. I am going to go try this again. Crossing my fingers, since the chickens quit laying with the 40 degrees and 35 mph wind!
Hi!
I realize this is quite a while since the actual post, but I thought you’d like to hear how mine turned out.
I followed your recipe, but used 2 whole eggs (pastured, room temperature). I also added paprika and some pepper.
I used a stick blender. It worked beautifully, totally unlike my first attempt almost a year ago using a blender. That first try scared me off of mayo, too-because the olive oil I used, while great for everything else, simply was too fruity to use as mayo. Blech. So this time, I used 1/2 “extra light tasting” olive oil, and 1/2 grapeseed oil. I know there is contention about that but oh well, that’s all I had. Next time I will use sesame and/or coconut and olive oil.
So it still has a couple hours to go on the counter. Hopefully it turns out-it seemed a little runny before I put the whey in it, but the taste was PERFECT! I can’t wait to see what it tastes like tomorrow when it’s cold! MmmMM toasted tomato sandwiches for breakfast! I’ll check in with the results!
Argh! I wish I had read that before I made it! Oh well-thought it would be ok as I found another recipe (Food Renegade) showing whole eggs.
Next time I’ll use 3 egg yolks only! Thanks for the heads-up!
http://www.afn.org/~poultry/recipes/mayo.htm describes how to make mayonnaise in a mason jar. It’s really convenient!
Next round of mayonnaise, I’m going to combine the recipe here with the techniques from there. The technique from there definitely works with drizzled olive oil, that’s how I did it.
I was wondering about the whey you mentioned. Is it powdered protein whey or something else. And where can you buy it? Thanks
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