Almost every single time I make it, my homemade mayonnaise comes out great and I love the taste. Even more, I love that there are none of the scary ingredients that you find in store-bought mayo. I attribute my successes to the tricks in this homemade mayo post. But even when I faithfully follow that recipe, I’ve had the mayonnaise not set up a couple times and it really makes me crazy. When using quality ingredients, wasting them gets me even more riled up, know what I mean? But now I’ve figured out how to fix it…
- Set aside the mayo that won’t set up. Try not to cry or swear at it like I do.
- In another jar just like the first one (with an opening that just fits your immersion blender), put in two more egg yolks, and set the jar in warm water for a few minutes to warm.
- Once warm, blend well.
- Add another squirt of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. (I don’t measure, but about a tablespoon.)
Add another 1/2 t. or so of palm or coconut sugar and sea salt.- Slowly drip in the first batch of mayo and keep blending.
- When you get about half-way, you’ll see and feel that it’s getting thicker, and then you can pour the rest in a little quicker, but until you feel that pull like it’s working, keep dripping slowly.
What you’re doing is basically making a new, but smaller, batch of mayo, and then instead of adding more oil, you’ll use the failed batch to pour in.
That works for me, but I’ve learned that once in a great while, mayo is just weird and unpredictable.
In all the batches I’ve made over the years, and this is since I was done experimenting and had my recipe figured out, I’ve only had it totally and completely bomb once. That one time I don’t know how many eggs I went through and wasted, but there was no bringing it back.
Usually, though, if you follow the tips in the homemade mayo recipe post, it will work every time, and if not, this method for fixing it works.
But don’t beat yourself up if you chance upon that rare occasion where the mayo wins!
In that case, just throw up your hands and go buy this mayo, the only not-homemade kind with an awesome ingredient label!
Has this ever happened to you, or is it something I should share in my Friday Food Flops? 
{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Kelly!
Yeah, mayo can be really weird. You can make it dozens of times perfectly and then one day it just flops! In the past I’ve grudgingly thrown a failed batch out – but next time I’ll try your tip!
It’s the luck of the draw I guess?
Actually, maybe not. Having one’s mother in law over for dinner has been known to turn mayo to liquid too! He he!
OMG, you’re not alone! I use the same recipe all the time and will go on streaks where it’s perfect every time – followed by multiple failures. I will definitely try this trick the next time it fails.
Oh my, yes. It’s crazy-making stuff. My mayo is picture perfect for months, then there’s one day…fail, second batch fail, THIRD batch fail…I blame it on El Niño. Can’t wait to try this trick! Thanks!
YES! Why does this phenomenon happen?? So maddening! I end up using the failed batch for something else. If it’s just runny but mixed I chop up herbs & add to it & drizzle it over rare roast beef like a sauce. If it’s separated & won’t set I do as you do, swear & throw it away! ;0) so much money wasted makes me crazy.
Great tips Kelly. It’s good to know that all those expensive ingredients don’t have to go to waste!
Peggy- Oh my goodness, I haven’t heard “I blame it on El Nino” in YEARS! *lol* Love it!
Kelly- I’ve only made mayo once so far (good oil is soooo expensive, and even fermented it goes bad before I can use all of it), and that time it separated. I just stuck my stick blender in and whipped it for a few seconds, and it set right up. It didn’t go runny, but I’d used a mix of oils including coconut and bacon grease which of course makes it a bit stiffer.
Great tips, Kelly. But, nothing is ever wasted if you have dogs! Between the dogs, goats and chickens and compost piles, no food goes to waste around here, ever.
I made your homemade mayonnaise yesterday, and it failed the second time in a row. This time I looked up your site–you have so much good food info–and immediately found a cure for my mayo. I used your method and saved the mayo. Today the saved mayo was used for Avocado Egg Salad which I just posted on RealFoodHouston.com.
Hi Carolyn,
It was good to meet you the other day! Sorry about the first two times, but I’m so glad you could bring it back. Sometimes you just never know with mayo!
Kelly
Please help someone! I have many more failures than success. I have gotten to where I make sure everything is put in a bowl of warm water hoping and wishing it will work this time. I put the yolks, ACV and salt in first and mix with my stick blender. Then I slowly add my mixture of 3/4C sunflower oil and 1/4C olive oil. It seems like it starts to emulsify but then just flops and becomes a curdled looking yellow liquid. I am on my 4th batch today and am almost in tears because I am wasting expensive organic oil. I have tried Kelly’s suggestions above to save it and it never works for me. I’ve tried saving it with an immersion blender and a food processor. My house is normally very cool which is why I started warming everything inclulding the bowl I was mixing it in. What am I doing wrong?????
I have one suggestion you could try, but I don’t know if it REALLY makes a difference or if there’s something weird about me, but…
I had flops more often when I was making the mayo in a BOWL vs. a container with a mouth just big enough for the stick blender to fit into. For some crazy reason, I have more successes that way. Weird I know, but just telling you what works for me!
If all else fails, buy this kind that I like to have on hand: http://kellythekitchenkop.com/resources#condiments
Kelly
Thanks for your response. I actually make it in the tall plastic measuring cup that came with my stick blender. I rescued a batch that I had stuck in the refrig by warming it in a bowl of warm water, shaking it vigoroursly and adding it slowly to two room temp egg yolks as you suggested after posting my first comment and it actually worked this time! A friend had suggested that since I couldn’t remember how long ago I had bought my ACV maybe it was old. So I used plain organic distilled white vinegar that I normally use for laundry. Other than that I am out of ideas other than maybe I need to blend my yolks a little longer before adding the oil, however, when I try putting everything in the jar including the oil and allow the egg yolks to settle to the bottom before blending that still doesn’t work. If you have any other suggestions I’d love to hear them because homemade mayo allows me to eat a condiment I love guilt free.
THANK YOU for this post! You saved my double batch of mayo!
I give up!!! I cannot make mayo! It’s never going to happen!!! Een with this tip
Oh no! I’m so sorry it’s not working for you! Were your eggs warmed a bit? I’ve got eggs on the counter now to make some in a while.
I don’t blame you for being DONE. It can get frustrating! Just go buy the mayo I linked to in the post above!!!
Kel
Thanks so much for the advice. This totally saved my mayo tonight.
Cheers
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