A long time ago, in an apartment far, far away … it is a period of ingredient wars. Rebel olive oil, striking from an overactive food processor, has won its first victory over the evil egg yolks.
In non-nerd terms: Two years ago, I tried to make homemade mayonnaise. Several times. Not once did it work. The olive oil and the egg yolks, in my wild food processor, would not emulsify. All was lost.
So I gave up.
Until a couple of months ago, when I found the strength to try again. And failed. Two more times. At which point, I begged for the help of the lovelies on the Crunchy Betty Facebook page, and someone sent me this instructional video.
Victory was mine! And life will, forevermore, include the delicious freshness of homemade mayonnaise and tuna salad sandwiches.
Here is what I promise you:
- You will never want to buy store-bought mayo again, after trying this.
- Preparing homemade mayonnaise will take you no more than 5 minutes and you’ll probably always have everything you need to prepare it in your kitchen.
- This method is foolproof. And, if for some reason, it is not, I will give you the secret to make it foolproof by fixing shoddy emulsification.
- You’ll have fun eating this silky treasure of a condiment, but you can also get some beauty treatments out of it, too!
I have a LOT to share, so let’s get started making foolproof homemade mayo!
Foolproof Homemade Mayo Recipe
Yes, yes. I know some of you have had great success using a food processor to make your mayonnaise. Sigh. You, I am envious of.
And some of you have had great success making homemade mayo by hand, using only a bowl and a whisk. You, I am in awe of. You must have an arm of pure steel.
But, for everyone else (myself included), the super secret weapon to creating luscious mayonnaise is one thing:
A STICK BLENDER (also called an immersion blender)
Immersion blenders, by the way, are fab little tools to have around, especially if you like blended soups. Don’t have one? Get one! (This is the one I have, and it’s pretty rad for as inexpensive as it is.)
Here’s how you make-a your mayo.
Super secret: Prepare your mayonnaise in a container with a skinnier bottom, preferably something in which the immersion blender just perfectly fits. My Pyrex measuring cup is perfect. Don’t use a wide-bottomed bowl; otherwise, it’s more difficult to thoroughly emulsify.
Foolproof Homemade Mayo Ingredients
- 3/4 c. extra virgin olive oil (or 1/2 c. EVOO + 1/4 c. organic canola oil or grapeseed oil or other light oil)
- 1 egg yolk
- Pinch of sugar (a little less than 1/8 of a tsp)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar (or any type of vinegar you prefer)
- 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp dijon mustard (you can also use just regular mustard, if you prefer)
Combining the ingredients is difficult. Many intricate steps. Ready to hear them?
- Put everything into your mixing container. All together. The end.
Just a side note: This recipe is mostly a halved recipe from the video I referenced above. It makes just under 1 c. of mayonnaise. If you need/want more, double the recipe or visit this page for the whole thing. I don’t like to make more than this at once, or else it ends up going to waste.
Now, for assembly and some super secrets.
OLIVE OIL!
You will be able to taste, quite clearly, the extra virgin olive oil in your homemade mayonnaise. So if it’s rancid (and it does become so quite easily over time), it will definitely affect the taste of your silken creation.
Smell it first and see if it smells like crayons (crazy, right?) or give it a taste and make sure it doesn’t remind you of gross old nuts.
And don’t forget! Make sure your extra virgin olive oil is really and truly extra virgin olive oil.
Double Duty Eyelash Beauty With EVOO
When you add your EVOO to your bowl, pour a small amount on your fingertips and then coat your eyelashes with it. Instant eyelash thickening, and superb eyelash conditioning. Rumor has it, if you coat your eyelashes in EVOO every day, they’ll be thicker and darker in time.
LEMON JUICE!
One great thing about homemade mayonnaise is that you don’t have to be absolutely 100% accurate on measurements. As long as you’re in the ballpark, it’s all good.
So this super secret is really helpful: One-half of a medium, or “regular-sized,” lemon yields just about 1 Tbsp of lemon juice. Therefore, for this recipe, if you cut a lemon in half, and then squeeze just about half the juice out of that half, you’ll end up with the perfect amount of lemon juice.
(Also, don’t forget, before you juice a lemon or any citrus fruit, roll it under the palm of your hand on a counter, pressing and rolling a few times, in order to begin the release of the juices. Then cut and squeeze.)
Double Duty Fingernail Beauty With Lemon Juice
After you’ve squeezed the lemon juice into your mixing container, rub the remaining lemon over and under your fingernails (but watch out for hangnails – ouch!) and leave it on for 10 minutes, then rinse.
Instant brightening, whitening, and cleaning of your fingernails! (My friend Ashley, who helped me out with the pictures in this post, stained her hands with hair coloring a few days prior. The lemon juice really helped get rid of that!)
EGGS!
Whenever you need to separate egg yolks from whites, try it this way:
- First, crack the egg on a flat surface. Not on the corner of your counter or the lip of a bowl. This helps keep the egg shell fragments out of your mix.
- Next, separate the egg shell and pour the egg through your free hand, keeping your fingers loosely together.
- Do EVERYTHING GENTLY.
- Let the egg white drip past the egg yolk and through your fingers into a separate bowl.
And never, ever just throw away the part of the egg you’re not using. Why?
Double Duty Facial Beauty With Egg Whites
After you’ve separated your yolk from your white, set aside the bowl with the white in it. Make your mayo, and then return to your bowl of egg white(s).
Now, get ready for a simple firming face mask!
Spread the egg whites (and you can even add a little lemon juice to them if you want) on your clean face in a thin layer. Leave this on for 15 minutes, or until the whites have dried completely. You might want to lay down for this, as it will dry and tighten your face in the direction gravity pulls it.
Rinse well, scrubbing lightly with a washcloth. Enjoy your firmed face and tighter pores!
Creating Your Homemade Mayo – In 30 Seconds or Less
So, now you’ve put all of your ingredients into your (thin-bottomed) mixing container, right? And before you’ve done that, you’ve checked to make sure your stick blender will fit at the bottom, right? RIGHT?
Now, you create your mayo.
It’s magical. I’m not even kidding you. From the second you turn on that immersion blender, mayo happens. First at the very bottom. Once you have a thick layer of it at the bottom, you slowly lift your immersion blender up, so it begins to emulsify everything toward the top. The whole process takes 30 seconds – or less.
Check out the awe-inspiring progression of mayonnaise cloud:
Do NOT over-emulsify, or else it could break down. Once you create a giant cloud of mayonnaise, just stir in the tiny remainder of oil that might be floating on top and call it good. It will look something like this:
REMEMBER: Homemade mayonnaise doesn’t last long in the fridge. Keep it for no more than 5 days, and always store it in your refrigerator or on ice (like, say, if you take it on a picnic).
QUICK FIX! If Your Mayonnaise Doesn’t Emulsify
You CAN save mayo that doesn’t emulsify on the first try (you’ll be able to tell, because everything is goopy and separated) by simply doing this:
To your un-emulsified mayo concoction, add one more egg yolk and about 1/8 tsp mustard. Start the immersion blender process over again from the bottom, and watch the magic happen – this time.
(Aside: I have no idea why my blog has started automatically linking up the post “happen” every time I type the word happen in a separate paragraph. It’s weird and I don’t know how to make it stop. Sorry.)
The Last of the Homemade Mayo Super Secrets
If you ever, for any reason, can’t use all your mayo before it’s about to go bad:
Use homemade mayonnaise as a luscious hair conditioner/mask.
Just spread it through slightly damp hair, cover your head, and leave on for 5-10 minutes. Then wash out well with shampoo – in tepid water. Not too hot! And, actually, cooler water rinses out oil far better than hot water does.
(P.S. This is NOT recommended for those of you who are no ‘poo. It’s darned nearly impossible to get olive oil out of your hair without shampoo. Sigh.)
Whew!
That was a lot to take in, I know.
Ready to go make your homemade mayo with your super secret double duty beauty tips? Any questions?
Heat Got You Down? Make Some Keep Your Cool Spray
I’ve been making mayo for about 5 years now. The first couple times I made it in the blender with the drip drip oil method. What a pain. Then I discovered the immersion blender. Ridiculously easy. Mayo in 30 seconds. I just use a whole egg, tablespoon ACV, teaspoon mustard, sprinkle salt and pepper, then add cup of oil, usually a mix of olive and avocado. I make it in a 16 oz Mason jar and just fasten lid and refrigerate after. I use refrigerated eggs and mustard without a problem ever. I don’t understand why people would still use the blender or food processor to make this anymore.
Only once out of 6 times have I been successful making homemade mayo. This recipe and others have all been failures for me! So sad. A lot of wasted (and expensive) olive oil. What am I doing wrong?? I’ve even tried having the egg yolk at room temp as some recipes advise and still no luck.
So I tried to make this with the immersible stick blender and all i got was a very well mixed mess. Tried adding another egg yolk. nope still didn’t work. I was really excited to make my own healthy mayonnaise but not sure what I did wrong.
This method used to work for me like a charm, then it stopped working and I had failure after failure until I finally gave up trying. I could never figure out what changed but it was so frustrating. I tried making sure all my ingredients were room temp, I tried faster speeds and slower speeds on my immersion blender, I tried fixing the mayo with more eggs… If I could wave a magic wand and go back to the time when the recipe worked I would because it was easy and delicious.
I followed the instructions and used a jug exactly like the picture. My stick blender only has one speed. I tried the fix with an extra yolk and mustard but it still failed 🙁
didn’t work for me either. I followed the instructions and used a jug exactly like the picture. My stick blender only has one speed. I tried the fix with an extra yolk and mustard but it still failed 🙁
wasted the ingredients, tried it twice grrrr… shouldn’t be labelled as fail safe!!!
didn’t work for me either, I think I started with too fast a speed and then tried to fix with mustard, didn’t work. I couldn’t get it to thicken at all and it tastes terrible not emulsified. Hate wasting the eggs and oil…
I had the same experience which Julene had…failure. So disappointing. I followed the recipe to the ‘T’…even for the ‘redo’. This person was sooooo sure it was fail-safe and I bought it hook line and sinker. Darn. Hate wasting the valuable ingredients.
Totally failed me. Never emulsified even on the bottom. I used a one-speed stick blender in a wide mouth pint jar. Perhaps the speed was too fast.
I’ve been making mayo with an immersion blender for years. Here’s some of my tips.
1. Always use the lowest setting on the immersion blender. Diff brands have diff speeds and I found that the IB that are too strong don’t work.
2. My recipe is a bit different. 1 cup oil and 1 whole egg. Easier to remember for me. Every other ingredient is for the taste so adjust it however you want. I add salt and white pepper and adjust for tart (lemon or vinegar) even after its set. I also always add garlic as I like the taste. Sometimes I make curry mayo and add curry powder.
3. I find the EVOO too strong a flavor and it overpowers the true mayo flavor. I used avocado oil instead.
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Thanks for the tip on the measuring cup. I made it last night and it was runny. I used the measuring cup today and did it in small batches. It worked. I hated wasting the olive oil and eggs.
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The proportions are wrong for this.
Use far less olive oil (like 1/4 cup), and add it last, after blending all the other ingredients, drip by drip.
I’ll try this next time. I can never get this recipe to work and I keep wasting ingredient!
Here’s a tip. Save an old pickle jar, and use it to blend the ingredients in. That way you only have to clean up the blender and the measuring cup! It’s very easy to make this. I found the extra virgin olive oil to be a bit bitter.
I’m going to try just olive oil next time. Also I added seasoned salt for a bit of msg but it’s up to you. My blender made it a bit too thick so I added extra vinegar and instead of dry mustard I used french’s yellow mustard, and a whole lemon, with 3 egg yolks instead of 2. With 500 mls of extra virgin olive oil. Turned out ok. Just need other types of oils to use… I would have used canola but I heard it’s not healthy…
But it’s full of omega 3s… I thought the next best thing would be extra virgin…
Noooooo!! This is noooot the foolproof version of homemade mayo making… NEVER start blending with the oil! Just carefully and VERY SLOWLY pour it once you start blending. I.E., put everything except the oil in your blender or container of choice. Blend everything. Then, without stopping, very slowly pour the oil –starting almost drop by drop. Continue until your mayo has the texture you want or you’ve used all the oil. I personnaly never mesure how much I use, always eyeballing it. It’s very forgiving if you just have the right technique.
I’ve never bought mayo, even once, in my entire life. I make it with a regular blender. My mother has been the one to show me, she prefer using an immersion blender (but the same rule apply! Never pour all the oil at once!). She taught me to use an entire egg (instead of just the yolk) to make the mayo a bit softer. My grandmother has made aioli (garlic mayo) her entire life with just a mortar and a pestle –not even a whisk. Yes, she is a real French warrior 😉 All this genealogy to say this method IS foolproof. And delicious.
Mayonnaise has always been hit or miss for me in the past. However, my first try (using a cold egg) flopped. I looked at my oil supply and decided to sacrifice some more to get this right. I warmed the egg, and started again. It was like magic ! Delicious and so easy you can make it whenever you want! Next time, I’m trying it with avocado oil for a milder flavor. But for a beautifully green ish fruity flavor, the extra virgin olive oil is perfect! Thank you for the tip on the container! It makes all the difference.
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For those without a stick blender: use a food processor. I have made a mayo recipe with a Cuisinart medium size processor with 100% success. The trick is to pour the oil in VERY slowly. Ta da!
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For this to be fool proof the ingredients thrown into the bottom of your chosen vessel must be blended just before the lighter olive oil at the top gets folded in. The failing of this recipe may be no more than a physical/mechanical issue. Be sure the blender bottom has a tight clearance at the bottom of your chosen vessel, this way the egg yolk, vinegar and lemon just get “hit” first when you start the blender. It only takes about 5 seconds to get these ingredients to blend first, then the olive oil will begin folding in immediately. Then you raise the blender inside the vessel moving thru the unblended oil oil.
Note how someone else wrote about adding all but the olive oil first, blend and then add the oil. He called THAT fool proof. Which from a science point of view, goes to show you that all other mayonnaise recipes tell you to ad olive oil last to emulsify. This recipe just tries to make it a one-step process. Bravo!
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I love making homemade mayo and have experimented with different recipes and oil blends. On my initial attempts I had several batches not emulsify (and consequently burned through a large portion of a bottle of evoo-drat!). I did some research before my grocery bill continued to climb from all the wasted oil and discovered that if you start your mayo recipe with all of the ingredients EXCEPT for the oil, give it a whirl or two with the immersion blender and then start to add your oil slowly with the blender running, you get perfect mayo every time. I agree with your statement about an immersion blender being essential though, I love this kitchen tool for so many purposes including mayo making. I’ve also read several blogs condoning the use of the raw egg if they are store bought because of the risk of bacteria but I’ve never had any problem with this either.
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THIS WAS ANYTHING BUT FOOLPROOF!
I tried the recipe and the quick fix and all I have is a liquid. It is irresponsible to call this foolproof.
agree
Well , I,tried to emulsify this in my smallest Ninja blender but it never emulsified so I added the extra egg yolk as directed still a wet mess…? Do Imhave to really buy a emulsifier to make this happen? I even tried to whisk it by hand but no luck…what am I doing wrong?
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Oh I so wanted this to work! Not sure why, but I just ended up with eggy oil soup. Added another egg yolk (from very fresh eggs in my backyard) and that did not help either. I’ve only ever made mayo once successfully, but I can make aioli…go figure! Guess I’ll save this for conditioner.
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I just followed your ingredients and used a stick blender. Boom. Mayo! Thx
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After all the failed attempts…good Lord this worked like a breeze! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Do you really have to use mustard? I abhor the taste of it…
Failed
I made this following the recipe exactly and it emulsified beautifully. I blended it in a wide mouth pint jar so I don’t have any bowls to clean up, just put the top on and pop it in the fridge! My mayo is a tad bitter, however, and I don’t really want to use anything but extra virgin olive oil…I’ll have to do some reseach on that. It WAS the very end of a large bottle of oil, so maybe going rancid?
For those who have olive oil soup, you may have over blended. I did that the first time following a different recipe. It really only takes seconds and you stir in the remaining oil. I also used a VERY fresh egg that I collected from the coop a few hours ago.
I am so glad I found your site! I have successfully made mayo w/food processor & streaming oil method (not bragging) I am trying to incorporate coconut oil in all possible.
Lost my job of MANY years, lost my home insurance and, of course, suffered a home fire. Replacing everything has been a slow process on a disability income. My new processor does not allow for streaming in the oil.
I do, however, have a stickblender! I am going to try it with non-virgin c.o. Virgin has sltly. more nutritiona benefits, but more coconut taste.
I will let you know. I am a registered nurse and very interested in healthy living alternatives.
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I have successfully made mayonnaise many times, but I did not have a recipe on hand, so I tried you “foolproof” recipe. I am so frustrated because I wasted 3/4 cups of olive oil and the last of my eggs! This is a liquid mess – and I promise I did e.v.e.r.y.l.a.s.t. step exactly as you stated…don’t waste your time with this!
Tried it– didn’t work. Tried fixing it– didn’t work again. Followed instructions to a t. Used Oster stick blender (cheapo model)– could this be the problem?
I use a Oster Stick Blender & it does a fantastic job.
Found this while trying to find a fix for my liquid mayo I made. Quick fix didn’t save it, but it tasted a touch better. Ended up adding another egg yolk, a tsp of dijon, and 1/2 tsp honey. It might not be mayo, but its a tasty salad dressing. So for all the mayo fails, you might be able to at least make dressing so you’re not wasting ingredients!
Thank you so much! I tried it today and it worked perfect. My son is on a modified Atkins diet for seizures, so this is a good way to get the fats that he needs. The thing I changed was the oil. I used avocado oil which has a very mild flavor. It is delicious!
Turned out perfect, thanks. The Williams-Sonoma “working glasses with lids” are perfect for this- or at least they are with my older Braun immersion blender. I try not to consume vegetable, canola, or soy bean oils which made buying mayonnaise near impossible- again, thanks for the recipe and instructions! This is even better than he Delouise brand from France that I had been purchasing.
Didn’t work. The quick fixing didn’t help. Just have a liquid very sour something. Toooo much of sour ingredients!
Thank you for this! I added it to the home screen on my phone because I use it so often- sometimes just for moral support! I’ve had such variable results making mayo that I do an internal mayo/rain dance before I start. I have found that a narrow container, barely bigger than my immersion blender is key. While I’ve had the occasional batch that wouldn’t blend I’d have to say this method is almost foolproof. If it’s really not happening, sometimes I leave it overnight in the fridge and try again when the gods are in my favour. Fantastic! Thank you!
I was actually amazed that this worked! The first time and all subsequent times it has been fantastic 🙂
However, I do agree that there were a few details missing from the instructions. Being admittedly suspicious, I read through a good amount of comments BEFORE trying it out and here is what I found.
All quantities of the ingredients as the recipe states and put them all in together
– The eggs MUST be at room temperature
– don’t use olive oil as it goes bitter when you blend it. I like sunflower and walnut. BUT you can mix it about 1 Tbsp of olive oil in for taste once it’s blended
– use a narrow container that the blender just fits into. I actually use the plastic beaker that came with my stick blender.
-begin by blending everything in small bursts (a few seconds) . Once you have a layer of mayo in the bottom, start moving the blender up slowly, following the layer so that the blender is always immersed in just the top of the layer of mayo. This pulls the oil in gradually.
– finish off with seasoning – I like adding garlic to mine for aioli 🙂
I am the fool that proves the rule. I failed at this and it stayed a liquid. I did use another person’s recipe who has a YouTube video showing how to do it. I ended up using the mistake as a marinade so it didn’t go to waste. I’m afraid to try it again, not wanting to use the ingredients as a marinade but I will try again as soon as I buy a lemon. Those things are expensive!
the best results I get happens when I cut back on the EVOO by 25%. I use two WHOLE eggs, 1 1/2 cup EVOO and a Tbsp of Whey to help preserve it. I make it in my food processor: eggs first and drizzle s l o w l y in the oil..1 minute per cup of oil. once its fully combined and nice and thick I add a bit of sea salt. I’m getting used to the taste (didn’t like the mustard addition) but would be nice if the mayo wasn’t so strongly evoo tasting. Any suggestions on how to fix THAT?
‘Foolproof’ my a$$. It didn’t make mayo, but instead I got an oily egg and vinegar soup. I should have known better and stuck to my regular recipe. Don’t you just LOVE wasting ingredients?
Let me add that nothing needs to be room temp-I use my walnut oil, too, straight from the fridge.
This recipe, using an immersion blender, works great for me. However, the first time I made it, it was a complete liquid mess and tasted bitter. This was because I used EVOO and actually BLENDED it. A much tastier oil is walnut oil. It does not matter if the egg yolk is room temp. DO NOT blend. Just do quick little pulses (around 1 second maximum each)-I usually only have to do 8-10 pulses. After the first few pulses, raise the immersion blener a little to incorporate the oil at the top. Just like the instructions above say, stop when there is still a tiny bit of oil, and just stir that in.
Just learned a new tip today about making mayo. Everything including egg yolk needs to be room temperature for it to emulsify 🙂
wish I had read the comments first, before wasting time trying to make this, lucky I have pigs, will add it to the feed tonight.
Foolproof? Uh, yeah,not sure why everyone is having problems, but the first time and every time thereafter, perfect mayo, no problems. Who knows why some work and others don’t. Equipment, temperature…store-bought vs pastured eggs, the possibilities are so variable. But I thought I’d step in and say, BRAVO!! I only use 2 kitchen gadgets, my immersion blender cup and immersion blender and viola! Easy peasy and no slow 5 minute drizzle strain on my arm…or just impatience, actually. And I even add 1T whey for the lacto-fermended goodness….yummers!! And it lasts longer and improves taste over time…if it lasts more than a week. Good luck everyone!
I always use a high powered immersion blender and hold off adding the oil till mixing the other ingredients first. Whatever oil I use (and yes I have tried all of them) I drizzle it into the container while pulsing the immersion blender.
No problem.
I too had runny mayo! I used grapeseed oil and thought that might be it, but THE FIX to turn the runny into thick is ADD BACK IN SOME EGG WHITE!! I just added about the equivalent to 2 whites back in and VOILA THICK MAYO!! yeah!!!
I’m so surprised that you’re using olive oil!
I’m from France and it’s a well known fact here that olive oil won’t make mayo… We traditionally use rapeseed oil (canola will work but as someone pointed out here, it’s a nasty industrial by-product)
Everything should of course be at room temperature too. My grandma also says that mustard helps thickening the emulsion, and she uses a lot of quality Dijon mustard 😉 miam, I’m getting hungry!
Good luck!
Total & complete failure… had the texture of skim milk, tried everyone’s “fixes” – used all organic ingredients so not only a failure, an expensive failure…. oy! vey! as I poured it (key word ‘poured’) down the drain.
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Honestly people, I’ve been doing this for about three years now and have no problem making mayo with my stick blender and everything in the jar. I put my egg, lemon juice, vinegar and mustard in the jar, pour my oil on top. Always make sure you start your stick blender in the BOTTOM of the jar. Once it begins to make mayo, gently tilt and lift your blender slowly toward the top of the jar. Remove blender and stir in any oil sitting on the top.
If it should be a bit runny (I had this happen in the beginning), add a bit more oil while running your blender in the the container until you see it thicken. Often, the problem is not enough oil ratio to egg for the immersion process. It is after all, quite a scientific process and there is a definite balance between oil and egg.
When I first started making mayo, I had this happen also and I was quite frustrated until after researching, found out that the solution was to add more oil. Imagine my surprise to learn that by adding about a 1/4 to 1/2 cup more oil to my gloppy mess turned it into mayo. Don’t get discouraged or upset at the poster, the recipe obviously works. Also, if you try to mix the egg with the oil, you will not get an immersion for the mayo to form. Leave your immersion blender at the bottom till the mayo begins to form. The blender pulls the oil into the egg a little at a time till the process begins. Don’t begin to mix the oil toward the top until the mayo has formed at the bottom. Do try again, it might just take a little practice. 🙂
Whole egg trick worked like a charm!
I made this yesterday. It blended perfectly! It’s been in the fridge for over a day, and it has not separated at all. The only thing I didnt care for, was the taste. I think my olive oil has too strong a flavor. I want to try it with a lighter EVOO.
What to do with failed/thin mayo: turn it into ranch dressing by mixing with sour cream. Some recipes use 50/50; others more mayo than sour cream. Add garlic, pepper, and parsley. No need to thin with buttermilk; it was just perfect. Now, to try making mayo again…
I made this recipe a week ago, halving the ingredients, and it turned out perfect and delicious.
Tried again today, doubling the recipe this time and using cold-pressed sesame oil instead of olive oil and no mustard, and nothing. It remained a thin milk-y liquid, cloudy and combined but not getting thick at all.
Got stressed and frustrated, read all these comments, added an extra egg yolk, pulsed my immersion blender, nothing.
Then I added in the egg whites from all three of my eggs used. Voila! Instant success. Delicious white mayonnaise. It’s a little thinner than the olive oil one, but I think it’ll thicken in the fridge.
Not sure what happened, but if you’re freaking out and about to throw your thin cloudy mess away, try adding the egg whites.
Additional info: I use the standard attachment on the blender, a quart-sized wide mouth mason jar, and no sugar or mustard. I varied the speed a lot, so I’m not sure which one I used that worked but you should be fine with medium. Move the blender around as it starts to thicken.
This is the FIRST time I’ve succeeded at homemade mayo, and it was so easy! I had none of the problems I’ve had in the past, and I’m so ridiculously excited. Thanks, Crunchy Betty!
I have only made this once. It took seconds, and turned out perfectly. I used no groovy ingredients and my egg was straight out of the frige. Maybe folks are over thinking this?
I’ve been following this procedure for years. Every once in a while a failure, however I have been able to salvage by adding an entire large egg. The narrow bowl seems to be key. I put the ingredients in a wide mouth, Ball jar.
Insert the blender down to the bottom, and slightly tilt the stick so the base is not square to the jar. Pulse a few times until you see a white cloud developing at the bottom. Then you can begin to move the blender up and down until you can see all of the oil had been incorporated.
I have also doubled the recipe and used a quart jar. However, since my stick blender is a weak-kneed 200W Cuisinart blender, I just put in half the oil up front. When that has become a white cloud, I’ll add the balance of the oil.
I was reading some of the comments. One person wanted to make mayonnaise but her child had an egg allergy. I have been making this Milk Mayonnaise I found. Apparently it is a version made in Portugal. When I make it, I double the batch and add a garlic clove, a tin of anchovies, and some capers. When it has completely thickened, I’ll add some Sunday tomato gravy to the batch and that becomes a Remoulaude-like sauce for crab cakes. Very surprised it doesn’t taste fishy, and the anchovy plays nice with the crab.
Mayonnaise made with an egg is slightly thicker than the version here made with milk, http://leitesculinaria.com/32983/writings-milk-mayonnaise.html#ixzz1ZOuVaZKb
but I don’t get a giant difference in taste between the two.
Never had a problem making mayo in my food processor. Seems like the issue everyone is having is being caused by the technique and equipment mentioned by Betty. Not only are immersion blenders dangerous, but most don’t have the power to whip things properly.
Here is the process I use:
*Put the yokes in the mixer
*Turn it on
*Add the lemon juice to the yokes and any seasoning you want to add
*SLOWLY…add 1/4 of the oil in about a tbs. at a time
*After that, pour in your desired amount of vinegar
*Then, add the rest of the oil.
Perfect mayo, everytime.
That didn’t work either.
Did not work. AT all. The irony, oh the irony. My mayonaise always turns out when I do the traditional method, which really only takes me what, two minutes, but I thought I’d give this a whirl and it was a dismal failure. Followed the directions carefully, but had to throw out the mess.
I tried this today, but added 1 clove of garlic for Alioli. It was perfect. I think the secret is that when you first start off with the blender, do very tiny pulses, i mean fractions of a second until the egg yolks start to emulsify.
Ill not go back to the dripping method 🙂
Just a comment from the recipe at the top from who ever wrote it, they said to use “organic” canola oil. This is impossible. The oil called Canola is not from a plant Canola plant. There is no such thing in nature called a Canola plant. The oil is actually from the rapeseed plant which has been used as an industrial lubricant. Some Canadians decided if they could take the element of the rapeseed plant that was toxic to humans out, they could have a new human food oil. They were successful in doing this and named their new oil Canola which is short for Canadian Oil. There is no such thing as organic Canola because Canola is Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO). Just say no to GMO. Never eat Canola oil because you are eating what used to be used in industry as a lubricating oil.
OMG! I made this a week ago, and it was perfect!
I TRIED again today, and I got goopy mess.
I used the same $17/bottle organic evoo, same mustard, etc. The only difference is that I made a double batch the first time, and followed the recipe amounts this time.
Tried two batches, then tried reparations on the second batch. Did NOT work. I thought all you failures were crazy, or dumb, but now I join your ranks. This is insane.
My mayonnaise was perfect until refrigerated overnight. It hardened and the oil and egg separated. What went wrong.
It sounds like the kind of oil you are using. I use light olive oil and walnut oil and never have that problem.
I tried this three times. I have a 300 watt braun hand mixer. It did not work. I am very disappointed. It blended but did not thicken. Never looked like your picture either.
check my posts – I had the same problem but now it seems to work every time. One problem can be if you are using small eggs or even medium. I use extra large eggs so you may have to use 3 medium (2 yolks and 1 whole egg) Follow my recipe exactly. Let me know how it turns out. I had a harder time than anyone trying to make it work.
I have to say, I had my doubts because I’ve failed so many times before but it really did work – with an immersion blender or “boat motor” as we call it. I used a tall slender measuring cup just a little wider than the blender. I was shocked so after trying the above recipe, I doubled it and tried again. After being grain free for two years, I can go back to some of my old favorite recipes that call for mayo!
I tried this a while ago but got gross, not-even-white oil and egg. Reading the comments I think I’m ready to try again. I don’t eat mayo myself, but the hubby is Belgian and eats it religiously. Maybe when I make it successfully I’ll try a taste and see if this can’t convert me!
So how long will this fresh mayo last before going bad?
Well, this thickened nicely for me, but in the end it was a huge disappointment because it was just so bitter! A few googles seem to indicate that this is because EVOO really shouldn’t be blended like this – it breaks it down and makes it bitter (it wasn’t bitter before, it was some fantastic quality local Australian oil). The suggestion is to either use a different oil completely, or at least start the emulsion off with another kind of oil – any other kind, really. Well, next time!
Yeah, most sources say do not use EVOO with a machine. “Chops” up the oil and it becomes bitter. But you can use light-tasting olive oil, or establish the emulsion with non-tasting oil (like canola), then hand-whisk in the EVOO. More info: http://www.seriouseats.com/2011/10/the-food-lab-homemade-mayo-in-2-minutes-or-le.html
So far I have made this 3 times the first time I did have to use an egg white as well as the third time. I’m thinking it has to do with the oil I used. The 1st and 3rd time I used some olive oil but mostly avocado oil but during my second attempt I used only olive oil and did not have to add in an egg white to get it to blend. Hope this helps some if you.
What did I do wrong?? I thought I did everything the recipe said even when it called for the egg yolk and not the white. All I got was yellow liquid, it never emulsified. I thought mayo was made from the whites not the yolk. Please HELP!!!!
Ner’ Mind!! I just tried it only this time I used the egg WHITE not the yolk and it turned out looking like actual mayo. I thought it a bit weird when the recipe called for the yolk. Hope this helps someone else in the future, as I see that there are replies from the one who originally posted this recipe.
Um, part of the definition of what all mayonnaise is = is oil emulsified with egg YOLK. So it is not weird, egg yolk is standard. Yours may have worked, glad you enjoy it, but it isn’t real classic mayo.
You made meringue.
I really like homemade mayonnaise. When my child was diagnosed with an egg allergy, I thought all was lost. But, I started using this recipe and while I change up the seasonings, it’s a great alternative for me now. :)http://www.funnytummycafe.com/2013/01/13/may-no-eggs/
I made this and it worked perfectly. My egg was NOT at room temperature. I used light tasting olive oil and omitted the sugar. It was as thick as store-bought mayo. I was quite amazed because it’s been hit and miss for me with mayo before. This worked in about 30 or 40 seconds.
mine 1st attempt failed – left me with a yellow liquid… rather than give up, I read through comments. I’m not sure what change fixed it but it worked. 1st I added the extra egg yolk and mustard… nope. Then I read to pulse the stick blender and someone else added some egg white. I did both of those and it worked!
I tried this method and even added the extra yolk, but it wouldn’t thicken. I ended up making some in a bowl with a hand mixer, adding the ingredients slowly.
I don’t know what you’re talking about. I tried three different times- I used an entire bottle of (expensive) olive oil and got nowhere. Could not be more frustrated.
Scroll through and read my posts on here. I was more frustrated than anybody. I figured it out and now it works every time. I gave some directions and if you follow them it will work – narrow container, Braun handblender, start by pouring a little slow while it’s on and when it starts to thicken you can just pour in the rest of the oil and slowly sift the blender to the top. Make sure everything is at room temperature.
Complete failure EVERY single time.
Don’t you just LOVE recipes that claim to be “foolproof”? I * completely* share your frustration. I can’t make mayo to save my life, and it’s pissing me off too! It’s ridiculous. I think every single recipe I’ve seen glosses over crucial details like, uhm, everything at room temperature?!?
Scroll through and read my posts – I finally figured it out after huge frustration (the reason for my name on here) so read my directions. Works every time now.
I just made it, I didnt get the measurments right and all I could taste was the lemon. I tried adding more sugar and more salt it didnt work so I took a spoonful of mayo out and mixed in a little honey added pepper and it was pretty good, oh yeah my mustard was out of date so I couldnt add it. I read alot of posts first I think adding the oil in about three lots helps and treat it like cream as you blend it same action and slow short blasts
The eggs MUST be at room temp. That is the “magic”. Take them out the night before.
This recipe is very much NOT “foolproof.” Followed it to a T and I have liquid that doesn’t even taste good. It has the consistency of milk, not mayonnaise.
After several failed mayo attempts I was thrilled to find this one. Then I failed at this one TWICE! Finally I watched a quick video and the missing link was found. I don’t think I gathered from this recipe to do quick, pulses… I just blended away & ended up with a soupy mess. Once I tried quick pulses… perfect mayo in less than a minute! It’s a keeper!
Thanks. The one thing that I haven’t tried. I’ve tried several recipes and this one. I’ve used a variety of bowls, and immersion blender, Vitamix and a food processor. Every time a runny mess. And on my meager budget I cannot afford to wasted high quality EVOO and pastured eggs!
Best mayo ever! And you’re right I do always have all of these ingredients in my fridge! Certainly not spending nearly $5 to buy it at the store any more!
This looks too easy! I am looking forward to trying it, especially after many a tearful mayonnaise battle!
I have failed miserably twice and when I saw this post, I thought “yes!”…and then realized I had looked at that EXACT video the second time. 🙁 But, it was in a Solo cup and I couldn’t see what was happening in the bottom. And I’m fairly certain I beat it to death after I couldn’t get it to do what I wanted. I like that you added the extra step if its still a big goopy, oily mess. So I will try again, but three strikes and I’m out!
Mine ended up being a yellow liquid. Followed everything to a ‘T’…
NOT REALLY FOOLPROOF IS IT?
Ha ha ha! It’s so true! “Foolproof” my ass! 😀
My first batch did this too Charissa, but my second worked perfectly when I followed the blending method properly.
I see that several people have said that this recipe did not work for them – even though it says it is FOOLPROOF. They asked for a response but apparently no one here cares enough to respond. I’m going to keep reposting the following in hopes of getting a response:
ANY HELP?
This, like all the mayo recipes I’ve tried is just more nonsense. IT WON’T THICKEN !!!!! I’ve tried EVERYTHING and I made sure I followed the instructions EXACTLY. This one was the worst since all the oil and ingredients were already added so the amount wasted was more. Really I would pay someone who could teach me to make mayo so that it didn’t end up being a thin liquid mess. Please don’t tell me to add oil slowly since of course I’ve tried that too. I am a very determined person but at this point I’ve never been so frustrated and disheartened. This amound of failure doing something that is seems many thousands of people are doing makes you start to feel like a fool. But I have seen others online that seem to have the same problem. I now think that there is an element of magic involved. I really would pay to learn – it would be much cheaper than throwing eggs and oil down the drain.
Never had a problem making mayo in my food processor. Seems like the issue everyone is having is being caused by the technique and equipment mentioned by Betty. Not only are immersion blenders dangerous, but most don’t have the power to whip things properly.
Here is the process I use:
*Put the yokes in the mixer
*Turn it on
*Add the lemon juice to the yokes and any seasoning you want to add
*SLOWLY…add 1/4 of the oil in about a tbs. at a time
*After that, pour in your desired amount of vinegar
*Then, add the rest of the oil.
Perfect mayo, everytime.
Thanks so much Jenni! After two failed attempts using other methods, I tried your way and made mayonnaise! Yay! 🙂
You can also do this with a blender — my food processor is a ‘mini’ processor more suited to vegetable chopping/mincing/grinding which is all I wanted it for. But any good quality blender will make mayo. I have never tried the blender stick to make it, and probably won’t because of all the negative press it has gotten. But the blender really does make it relatively simple, just put your non-oil ingredients in the blender — and don’t forget the mustard, it really is necessary to make the emulsion come togther — and then lid up and start the blender going on slowest speed. Then drip in the oil slowly and increase the speed as the may gets thicker. The proportions here are spot on, although depending on the size of the egg you may not use QUITE all the oil because it may get to thick and start climbing the side of the blender. If that happens, stop. Taste the mayo, and if it seems like it needs salt or lemon add a pinch or a drop and stir it down. At this point you may be able to add the rest of the oil…. or not. One key issue is that all the ingredients must be AT ROOM TEMPERATURE and the egg must be VERY FRESH. I have my own free range chickens but if you don’t have access use the very freshest organic eggs from free range chickens you can get, believe me it makes a difference. Use light olive oil or organic grape-seed oil — not canola oil, as it is a combination of soybean and other potentially genetically modified vegetables, which are NOT good for you. And truly don’t taste particularly good either. Hope it works for you because homemade mayo is NOTHING like the stuff in a jar at the store.
You can also do this with a blender — my food processor is a ‘mini’ processor more suited to vegetable chopping/mincing/grinding which is all I wanted it for. But any good quality blender will make mayo. I have never tried the blender stick to make it, and probably won’t because of all the negative press it has gotten. But the blender really does make it relatively simple, just put your non-oil ingredients in the blender — and don’t forget the mustard, it really is necessary to make the emulsion come together — and then lid up and start the blender going on slowest speed. Then drip in the oil slowly and increase the speed as the may gets thicker. The proportions here are spot on, although depending on the size of the egg you may not use QUITE all the oil because it may get to thick and start climbing the side of the blender. If that happens, stop. Taste the mayo, and if it seems like it needs salt or lemon add a pinch or a drop and stir it down. At this point you may be able to add the rest of the oil…. or not. One key issue is that all the ingredients must be AT ROOM TEMPERATURE and the egg must be VERY FRESH. I have my own free range chickens but if you don’t have access use the very freshest organic eggs from free range chickens you can get, believe me it makes a difference. Use light olive oil or organic grape-seed oil or walnut oil or other light tasting organic oil — not canola oil, (see commenter below) or ‘vegetable’ oil as it is a combination of soybean and other potentially genetically modified vegetables, which are NOT good for you. And truly don’t taste particularly good either. Hope it works for you because homemade mayo is NOTHING like the stuff in a jar at the store. Oh, and you CAN use the whole egg if you wish, it works both ways, but room temperature is key.
This, like all the mayo recipes I’ve tried is just more nonsense. IT WON’T THICKEN !!!!! I’ve tried EVERYTHING and I made sure I followed the instructions EXACTLY. This one was the worst since all the oil and ingredients were already added so the amount wasted was more. Really I would pay someone who could teach me to make mayo so that it didn’t end up being a thin liquid mess. Please don’t tell me to add oil slowly since of course I’ve tried that too. I am a very determined person but at this point I’ve never been so frustrated and disheartened. This amound of failure doing something that is seems many thousands of people are doing makes you start to feel like a fool. But I have seen others online that seem to have the same problem. I now think that there is an element of magic involved. I really would pay to learn – it would be much cheaper than throwing eggs and oil down the drain.
My experience was like yours. Not sure if it emmulsified, but everything is mixed … But it’s as watery as milk! And (since I used fresh farm eggs) it’s yellow. Hmmmm. 🙁
I finally made mayo – adding oil a little at a time was a bust. Blending with my stickblender and not lifting it through the oil fast enough was a bust. etc etc. Here’s what worked: Everything at room temperature, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 whole egg, 1 yolk blended well in narrow container that comes with Braun handblender. Keep blender in bottom of container and add 1 3/4 cup of oil (I use 1/2 walnut oil, 1/2 clear non-virgin olive oil) Turn on blender and lift slowly until 1/2 way to the top (oil should be thickening at the bottom by now) and pour in mixture of 1 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 1/2 tbsp strained lemon juice. Continue pulling the blender up to the top. Now push it quickly down to the bottom and back to the top while blending. Done. If you want it tangier add a little more vinegar and lemon juice. This tastes even better than Hellmans but much healthier non-GMO oil. Delicious. It’s been a trip to hell learning how to do this. I hope it works for you and saves you from the same problems. Let me know if it works for you.
I failed at making mayo. I think the trick may be getting my ingredients to room temperature first! Going to try again…
I’ve had a couple more failures but was able to put another egg in a container, whip, and pour in oil and the failed batch after that. I think it may be that I need to start with a more refined oil. I’m using sunflower oil to start (just enough to start it thickening) and will experiment with that for the next few batches. This is for sure not a foolproof deal and I don’t believe anyone who says it is but if they do, tell me and I will try it.
I follow the directions exactly, my mayo came out perfectly. I didn’t love the flavor maybe the olive oil was of a little bit rancid . I’ve never made or attempted to make Mayonnaise s before I just did everything pretty much like she said eyeballing all the measurements.sorry about the typos, my phone won’t let me correct.
This is a great recipe, but tastes a lot like olives. Not good when the family doesn’t like olives. :{ So I thought I’d use organic canola oil instead, and it would not emulsify. So I had to use some olive oil – I think I used 50/50 with the canola oil. It worked better, but it was still a little on the runny side. Thought I’d share my experience in case any one else wanted to modify the recipe.
This is a great recipe, but tastes a lot like olives. Not good when the family doesn’t like olives. :{ So I thought I’d use organic canola oil instead, and it would not emulsify. So I had to use some olive oil – I think I used 50/50 with the canola oil. It worked better, but it was still a little on the runny side. Thought I’d share my experience in case any one else wanted to modify the recipe.
Canola oil is not a good oil to use if you’re looking for something healthy. Coconut oil would be better. Or Sesame oil, or grapeseed oil, etc.
HELP!!!!! This magic super secret method didn’t work for me! 🙁
This was my first attempt at making homemade mayo ever and it didn’t emulsify. I even tried the fix of adding an extra egg yolk and more mustard. I used yellow mustard instead of dijon and white distilled vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar, because that’s what I had on hand. I also used the combo of grapeseed oil and olive oil. Used my stick blender in the smallest glass bowl I had. My measuring cup is only one cup and it didn’t quite fit, so I used a 2 cup storage container. All I got was a creamy colored soup rather than a magic cloud of mayo. I tasted it, anyway, and the flavor is good, but it didn’t emulsify and I don’t know what to do with it.
Oops! Nevermind, I saw below that someone else had the same problem and it worked like magic when adding the egg white. I added one egg white and voila! Magic cloud of silky goodness!! Now to toss it with that shredded chicken I have on hand. 🙂
I tried adding egg white too but it still didn’t work.
ditto. I just wasted 2/3 cup of good olive oil.
I am convinced from my own experience that some people just can’t make mayo no matter what they do. It’s not science it’s magic. I’m still waiting for someone to convince me otherwise. I’ve tried everything possible with no luck.
I was in the middle of making potato salad when I realized I had no mayonnaise. I had always wanted to make homemade mayonnaise so this was my chance. I followed the recipe and directions exactly as written and it came out excellent! Will never use store bought mayo again. http://choppedfruits.org/
I tried to make this exactly as described and it didn’t work. I had no problem with getting it to emulsify, but it was not thick like mayonnaise. It was much more watery – like a vinaigrette dressing… I even tried adding a second egg yolk. Not sure what could be wrong?
If you ever find out what’s wrong I would love to know. I’m on a quest to find that answer. I have built a house, rebuilt vehicles and am reasonable intelligent but the secret of making mayo still eludes me regardless of how many times I try or how precisely I follow the many different directions. It’s been getting pretty expensive wasting all that high quality oil and organic eggs.
This is what ended up working for me:
1 1/4 cup oil; vegetable, peanut, canola, or extra-virgin olive
2 large eggs; or 3 medium/small eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar; any type of vinegar works
1 tsp mustard; any type works
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
Mayonnaise Preparation:
(immersion blender, glass pitcher blender, or handheld blender)
Start by blending eggs until they’re light yellow and fluffy. About 1 minute.
Add the vinegar and blend for a few seconds to incorporate.
Add the mustard and salt. Bllend about 30 seconds.
With blender running continuously, start adding the first 1/2 cup of oil a few drops at a time. Then, proceed to add the next 3/4 cup at a slow drizzle. Make sure oil is being completely incorporated as you are adding it. If it looks like it might break, slow the speed of the oil drizzle.
Stir in 1/2 tbsp of lemon juice, or more to taste, along with any other seasonings or flavorings as desired.
Makes about 1 1/2 cups. Store in refrigerator or on ice for no more than 5 days.
yup, followed directions and ended up with soup. Tried it with and without mustard. Everything was at room temperature. Used a hand blender in a narrow container and added oil very, very slowly. Tried that many times – soup every time. Any idea why? Thanks
Best damn mayo I’ve ever made. And easiest. I’ve never seen such a low-maintenance recipe!!!
This recipe changed my life! Thank you. I kept having the same issue with breaking the emulsion and was ready to give up. This recipe is super easy and delicious.
This didn’t remotely work for me…not even the remedial version…
You’re not alone. You, like me, apparently don’t have the magic.
Hi! wanted to let you know I tried it and I LOVE it! I just shared it on facebook. I’ll never buy mayo again! And I’m thinking of changing up the flavor with home made vinegar which I’m getting ready to make with our currents and berries! Yum!
Thanks so much for the recipe!
Lori
Just tried this and it didn’t work for me (have an immersion blender). I tried a second batch and it didn’t work either…then I added the egg whites and it was perfect!!! My husband and I are Miricle Whip babies…can I add more sugar for more sweetness?
Same for me! Didn’t work with one yolk, or two yolks, added the white of one egg and VOILA, mayo! Thanks!!
Tried that too and it didn’t work – nothing does. Still waiting for the magical answer to making mayo. I’ve tried it all, exactly and precisely with no luck.
I have a question about the immersion blender: Can it take the place of a hand mixer? I ask because I am trying to air on the minimalistic side with my kitchen tools and to purchase things that have multi-functions. Right now I don’t own a hand mixer because I’ve found that I’ve been able to effectively beat things by hand, the old fashioned way, and also because I live in very small apt in NYC and don’t have a lot of space for one. However, I’m starting to dive into more of the raw vegan cuisine and think that the immersion blender might be a good tool to have on hand. Thanks for any advice!
This may have already been asked as I have a house full of kiddos and just no time to read 55 comments, but…..does the raw egg yolk not present a salmonella danger? Or would one need to use eggs that have been pasteurized in the shell?
The acid content of completed homemade mayo (from vinegar, lemon juice, etc…) is stong enough to kill anything like that.
Yum yum yum yuuuuum! I have several failed attempts, mostly due to my reverence for my mother-in-law – she is French and also Superwoman simultaneously, and whips up her delicioussssssss mayonnaise before I can blink! But no more will I struggle! Stick mixer it is! Hopefully my partner, her son, will forgive me! 😉
I also use a little bit (maybe a tablespoon to start) of the oil that semi-dried tomatoes come in. I dont use olive-oil – I use a neutral flavoured oil plus a whole egg. I started off making mayo in a cafe – so 2 dozen eggs in a old oil bucket, sitting under the new oil bucket to put the oil in, with a cup of dijon! The maths to reduce it to a single egg/two eggs was interesting…But now my entire family is a convert to home-made mayo. I usually make a large batch and divide up between our households.
How did I not see this post earlier? I love love love when you post about food, Betty! I made homemade mayonnaise with my mother when I was maybe 10 years old and haven’t thought about it since. Absolutely will try this soon!
Mustard CAN be left out.My mother is allergic to mustard so we had to try; DELICIOUS, anyhow.
Just made it, it’s awesomely easy! Thank you!
With this one post you have converted this die hard Miracle Whip girl into a mayo lover. This took less than 10 minutes and is amazingly delish!!!! The 2nd use ides were stupendous as well !!!!
I loved this! I don’t have a stick blender, so I tried my regular blender, but the blades were too high and made a crazy mess (I had food on my face! 😉 then I tried a whisk, and that was silly, and then I put it in my Kitchen Aid with the whisk attachment and set it to 10. That worked like magic. We had tuna salad for dinner.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!! I’ve always wanted to try making my own mayo, but was always so intimidated by it. And I LOVED all of the extra beauty tips along the way. You’re the best!!
I hate mayo, but my fiance LOVES it. It grosses me out seeing him glopping it all over his sandwiches. I’m going to try making it and maybe then I’ll be able to actually enjoy it, or at least not be grossed out watching him eat. I’m going to try making it in my bullet blender since I don’t have a stick blender. I’ll let you know how it comes out.
Homemade mayo tastes way different than store bought. Store bought grosses me out too. Homemade is smoother and richer not blobby…you don’t have to load it on to get the flavor. And you can flavor it however you want!
I always add oil little by little, first less than a tablespoon – whisk it to death. And then add the oil in a tiny constant stream until all oil has been added. Never failed me! I am so surprised to see that it works to just whack it all together like this! Amazing! Thank you for sharing!
I made the mayo tonight for an egg sandwhich. It was amazing. Perfect timing. Thank you!!
Mmmmmm! Now I want an egg sandwich! Think of potato salads this summer with this wonderful recipe!!!
I love the idea of making it from scratch (as I’ve tried that with practically everything else in the kitchen), but I’m a little insecure with the whole raw egg thing. Does anybody know anything about “cooked” mayo?
I’ll be the first to admit, I have never been scared of bacteria…but I know homemade mayo does give people pause because for so long you’ve always heard “never ever eat raw eggs or your insides will erupt like a volcano and you will die an excruciating death!” But its more about where you’re eggs come from that would make them “unsafe”.
I don’t know anything about cooked mayo…but, if you’re worried about salmonella, most of the risk of the bacteria comes from the shell. If you wash the shell thoroughly, you shouldn’t have to worry. Of course, it’s always best to use pasture raised, farm fresh eggs, (and to know and trust your farmer) but I know those aren’t always easy to find. Really, as long as the eggs aren’t expired and the shell is clean (especially if you don’t know exactly where it’s from), you should be fine. And I think if you lacto-ferment it, it makes it “safer”, not to mention adding healthy bacterias and increasing shelf life. 🙂
My budget is VERY limited, so I do my best to feed whole foods to my family as well as make whatever I can from scratch, but that’s as far as I can go. I would love to be able to buy organic produce and even meat and eggs, but I guess we all do the best we can :)… I’m going to look up lacto-fermenting. It sounds very interesting and since I make my own yoghurt, I could very easily try it out… Thanks!
I completely understand the limited budget. I’m not ashamed to admit that we get food stamps. I’ve been unemployed for going on 10 months now (although not for lack of trying..I’ve looked EVERYWHERE for a job). Hubs got laid off in December and he has only recently started working again, and part time is all he could find. So if it wasn’t for EBT, we wouldn’t be able to eat most of the stuff we do. Even with it, we have to budget our shopping trips. Luckily, we have a market here that sells locally grown (or at least Florida grown) produce, and they work with local farmers to get eggs, milk, cheeses and meat AND we can use our EBT card there. It kills me when people say “Oh well, you have to make cut backs in other budget areas to be able to afford to eat all organic, all local all the time” and my response is “Well, what if you are already running on the bare minimum of everything?? You just can’t cut any where else.”
And I LOVE making my own yogurt. Out of everything homemade that I do, that is probably my most favorite thing. Nothing compares 🙂 And you can lacto-ferment pretty much anything. I did some ketchup a few weeks ago, and while it was delicious, that’s one thing that is probably more economical to just buy. Especially if your family eats a lot of it, like mine 🙂
My 12 year old just made a “how to make mayo” video a few weeks ago! He will love the stick blender technique. : ) Now to replace my long dead stick blender…
Does temperature affect this? Because the foolproof method didn’t work, and then I tried the ‘difficult’ method (drop-by-drop, whisking by hand) and that didn’t work either, although I’ve done it before. It’s the middle of winter here, really freezing, so maybe…? The mixture would not thicken at all.
I think the temperature does make a difference. I’m not sure why…I know when I make it, I have everything at room temperature (which where I am is about 80 degrees) and it works well. But I’ve read that you don’t want your eggs (or other ingredients) cold when you do this, so it would stand to reason that if its the middle of winter, it would definitely make a difference. Especially if inside your house is on the chilly side. When using a regular blender, you can “warm” the eggs up a bit by putting them in and letting the blender run at low speed for a couple of minutes. I don’t know if you could do this with a stick blender though, but it couldn’t hurt to try. You could also try warming your bowl (or whatever you are mixing it in) too by putting it in some hot water first.
Looks tasty, can’t wait to try it but I don’t eat bread or tuna. What else can I use it for lol??
If you like other salads, there is always chicken salad and egg salad. You can use it as the base for homemade salad dressings or other sauces. I like to make breakfast burritos (or lunch or dinner, lol)…tortilla, mayo, egg, bacon (or sausage or ham or whatever), avocado, mushrooms, cheese…all rolled up together. Yum yum!
I use it every morning on my omelette or as a base for ranch dressing
How timely this post is! I was just making some “sauce” for my homemade Breakfast English muffins and the base is mayo. I used up part of one and had to make more using another brand…EWWW!! It just had this taste I couldn’t put my finger on, but I didn’t like it. I remember years ago trying to make my own mayo and more times than not it wouldn’t emulisify or I over did it in my food processor, bullet, and blender. Tried it by hand,HA! Yeah that didn’t happen, so I gave up and used this Latin version of Hellmann’s that has lime juice in it. I like the zing of lime juice in the mayo…so I was so glad to see this post think I will be getting a immersion blender have wanted one for a while anyway, this just pushes me further.
BTW, I was thinking of maybe taking half applecider and half lime juice to make the mayo, what are your thoughts on that?
can’t you just sub the lime juice for the lemon juice?
Yeah…what you are wanting is the acidity from the citrus. You should be able to use whatever flavor you want.
I’m so thrilled you did this! There is NO comparison between homemade and store-bought mayo. When you taste the homemade (the way it was intended) it’s delish… so much more than just a “sandwich spread”. My last batch was with 2/3 high-oleic sunflower oil and 1/3 olive oil, homemade mustard, sea salt and homegrown Meyer lemon juice…. so so good! Now I’ve got to try Cyndi’s suggestion of adding fresh herbs! I bet it tastes amazing!
Oh, this is so awesome 🙂 🙂 🙂 I can totally make this on the GAPS diet and just use some raw honey instead of sugar. OH, we love mayo in our house 🙂 🙂 🙂 When I lived in Europe, I got used to eating mayo on french fries. Well, I can’t do the French fries anymore…but mayo would be good on meat, too 🙂 🙂 Thanks for the recipe 🙂 🙂 Love and hugs from the ocean shores of California, Heather 🙂
Homemade mayo is something I’m passionate about. I tell everyone I know they have to make it at least once. And usually when they taste mine, they’re like “holy crap…how can I eat store bought again??”
I’ve been making mayo for a little while now, and I use my regular blender. You can’t add everything in at once, it’s a process and It does take a little while, but I’ve never had a “broken” mayo. Everything I’ve read says “Must go drop by drop or the world with implode!” but I’ve done it a little faster with great results. The dijon and ACV help create an emulsion that doesn’t break. And I do NOT like olive oil mayo. I know a lot of people do, but that’s just too much olive oil flavor for me. I use a mix of grape seed, coconut, and flax oil in mine usually. (I use flax to help balance out the omega 6’s in the other oils.)
I think another key to good mayo is having all the ingredients at room temperature before you start. You don’t want room temp oil going on top of cold eggs. This may not matter with a stick blender, but with a regular blender I think it does.
I also lacto-ferment mine because it gives it good probiotics, but it also makes it last quite a bit longer in the fridge. Its crazy easy…just strain some yogurt to get about 1 Tbsp of whey (or more if you make a double recipe like I do), and stir it in to your mayo after it’s turned in to mayo. Leave it covered on the counter for about 7 hours, then put the lid on the jar and refrigerate for a few hours. Eat like normal. And it lasts for at least a month this way.
You use dijon? I usually just use powdered mustard seed, and I’ve never fermented mine. Must try that! Sounds like it would really up the yummy for a homemade Caesar salad – which is all I use it for since no one else in the house likes tuna salad. 🙁
You totally should! I lacto-ferment anything I can 🙂 The “recipe” I follow calls for 1 teaspoon of dijon but I usually use about 2, maybe 2 and a half. I like mine a little more mustardy…plus I usually use about 1.5 cups of oil…since I ferment it, it will keep longer, so I make a bigger batch so I don’t have to make it as often. I’ve never thought about using it for caeser salad…I must try that!
can you post a link or your recipe? thank you!
Sure! I don’t have a link or anything but I’ll type it all up. First, I’ll list the ingredients, then I’ll tell you how I do it.
Ingredients:
2 – 3 whole eggs (depending on the size of the eggs. Smaller/medium I use 3. Really large, 2)
1 1/4 cups oil (I use any type of oil I have on hand. Peanut, coconut, olive, flax seed, grape seed, whatever. I usually use a mix of several like peanut, grape seed, flax seed and olive. Or all of one kind. Or whatever. If you use a lot of extra virgin coconut, it will have a coconut flavor and be hard after refrigeration. If I use coconut oil, I stick to around 1/4 cup or less. And I just pour them in to a measuring cup until I get the total amount of oil so I never have precise measurements for each oil)
1 1/2 Tbs apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1 to 2 tsp dijon mustard
1 1/2 Tbs whey (optional, This is for lacto-fermentation. Just strain some yogurt for a little while until you have enough whey if you want to do this)
First, I get everything that I store in the refrigerator out a few hours before I get ready to make it so that everything is the same temperature.
I use a regular blender. It just works best for me.
I add my eggs to the blender first. I turn it on low and let it whip the eggs until they’re light yellow and fluffy…about a minute. Doesn’t take very long. After the eggs, I add the vinegar and blend another few seconds. Then add the dijon and the salt. Again, blend about 30 seconds just to get everything incorporated. Then I start with the oil. I start adding it drop by drop (not slow dropping, a fast drop, but still one drop at the time) until about 1/2 cup is in, then I add in a thin drizzle for another 1/2 cup. After that, I can drizzle a little faster, but don’t dump it all in. It will get really thick towards the end and I some times have to turn the blender to high. If it doesn’t take all the oil, don’t worry. Sometimes I can’t get the whole amount to take, sometimes its just 1 cup. I think it depends on the weather. Lol. Also, my blender has an automatic shut off after it runs for so long, so it will cut off a few times while I’m making it. But it hasn’t ever effected the outcome. After you’ve added the oil and you have mayonnaise, you can stop here if you are going to use it up in a week or so. If you want it to keep for about a month, add the whey to the blender after everything else. Blend it in. Then put all your beautiful mayo in a clean jar, cover with cloth, and let sit on the counter for about 7 hours. Then put the lid on and refrigerate for a few hours before eating.
You can also add other things, like garlic or other herbs to the mayo if you want to go flavored.
That’s it. It seems kind of complicated when you first do it. And the first time I made it, it took a while because I did the whole amount of oil drop by drop. But now, it still takes a few minutes but not a super long time. And its so yummy. If you have any more questions, just ask!
Why do I follow directions like this and it never thickens? Read my message that’s above yours.
Do you add garlic or herbs before or after fermentation?
I always add it before, whenever I add the whey. I don’t know if it really makes a difference. I would guess that since you’re fermenting for preservation, it would also help preserve whatever garlic/herbs you add as well.
AWESOME information added to Crunchy Betty’s AWESOME recipe. You are a wonderful help.
This is exactly the method I use to make my mayo, and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it! It couldn’t be any easier. My recipe is slightly different than yours (I use a whole egg and apple cider vinegar, along with mustard powder, salt, and oil, and sometimes I add a couple of drops of liquid stevia just to give it the slightest smooch of “sweet”). Btw, two other kinds of oil that taste GREAT in homemade mayo are macadamia nut or avocado oil.
Yay for mayonnaise!!!!! The great thing about making your own is that – like you said – you almost always have the ingredients on hand … AND it’s not full of GMO-laden SOYBEAN oil! Yippee! 🙂
I now make mayo with whole eggs and leave it on the bench for a couple of hours before putting it in the fridge which helps it to ferment a bit which is better for you and helps the mayo keep longer.
Oh yum! Love, love your blog. New fan on board. bloggitymoo.blogspot.com
woo hoo! love fool proof methods! My mom used to make homemade mayo in her Ninja. I want to make it but we don’t eat that much mayo. Maybe next time we have a BBQ or something. I think it would me good with some herbs in it. Chives like a previous poster suggested. 🙂
Crunchy Betty, You are awesome. Enough said!
Not only was that easy it is soooooo yummy. <3
Ok, I’m going to be the dunce here, but could coconut oil be used in this? I’m trying to factor out all oils except olive & coconut, and yes, I could use all olive oil, but coconut oil sounds yummy.
Yes, you can use coconut or any other oils like grapeseed (my favourite – very light), canola, corn or soy. It all depends on your taste. Or you can use half and half or a certain percentage of a different oil just to try something different (ex. hempseed, sesame seed, etc). I have tried part coconut and part grapeseed. Very good.
Thanks so much Marcela. I just didn’t want to waste my ingredients if coconut oil was going to be a no no. You made my day!
I’ve never made it with all coconut oil, but I have read that the mayo will get hard in the fridge if you use straight coconut. But I use part (1/4 to 1/2 cup depending on how much mayo I’m making) and I don’t have any trouble with it being hard straight from the fridge. Just something to think about. 🙂 Happy mayo making!
Thanks much Jennifer! The hardness of coconut oil, while in frig, worried me. Your ratio sounds perfect!
Welcome!
i love this post for so many reasons and can’t wait to try the whole shebang, complete with beauty tips. THANK YOU!!
I’m almost at the end of my mayo and thought, it’s time to just make some from scratch (no more buying what I can make!) but where to begin??? Thanks so much- your timing is impeccable:)
Your home made mayonnaise will last significantly if you ferment it using whey. Check out Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon.
Seriously. I love you, too. I was just in the store YESTERDAY cursing a well.known.mayo.maker.that.sells.pseudo.olive.oil.mayo and wondering how to do this. Well timed, Crunchy Betty. Well timed.
I was cursing the same company as I was reading the ingredients list. Grrr….
My husband got me one of those stick blenders for moms day, now I know what to use it for beside scrambling eggs. lol! Can’t wait to try this recipe.
Great tips! I like to add some fresh herbs into my homemade mayo for a little extra zing. Chives are my fave right now.
I like fresh garlic in mine! I’ve never added chives but I bet that is amazing! Fresh garlic and fresh chives would be delicious!
I love your posts! Thanks for this recipe! I had gotten it from the newspaper a while back, but lost it and have been too freaked out to try to make one that won’t work! Now I can make a truly impressive tuna salad for the next party!
What Anne said.
And as soon as my life settles down a little bit (and when I run out of mayo), this will be my go-to. Thank you!
I want to make homemade Ranch dressing and it calls for mayo (homemade or store-bought). Now I can make the whole thing from scratch! Yum and Thank You!!!
Homemade ranch is AMAZING! Once you start making it, you’ll never go back! I have to make large portions of it because it goes so quick in my house.
I agree…and me too! It’s so fast to make that I don’t mind at all making a fresh batch!
I love you.