Years ago I read an article about how the taste of homemade mayonnaise is worth the extra effort. I filed that away in the back of my mind on the “to-do-someday” list. Years later I ran across a recipe. I tried it. I crashed and burned. I ended up with some concoction that looked like salad dressing. Frustrated, I didn’t try to make mayonnaise again for months. One day, feeling ready to try again, I visited YouTube and searched “homemade mayonnaise.” I thought if I could just watch someone make mayonnaise, then certainly I would be able make it. There are several YouTube videos showing how to whip up mayonnaise in a snap. Armed with a new confidence, I tried again and ended up making more salad dressing. Ugh! I had never been more frustrated trying to make something.
What to do if you’ve tried and failed making mayonnaise by hand
After trying and failing a couple of times to make homemade mayonnaise, I ran across a tip that helped me. The first 7 minutes of hand whipping is the most important and will make or break the results. All the recipes I’ve seen for mayonnaise use language like “pour oil slowly,” or “add oil slowly in a thin stream,” etc. My mayonnaise breakthrough came when I added the first 1/4 cup of oil in 1/4 to 1 teaspoon increments. That’s the secret! Yes, this is painstakingly slow, but it worked. My other tip, as they say “if at first you don’t succeed try try again.”
Update: years later when I bought a food processor I never had a problem again. It has a special place to pour oil and drizzles it into the reservoir through a pin hole. Also, I used to make mayonnaise with canola oil, but now I use a combination of avocado oil, macadamia nut oil, and olive oil to reduce the amount omega 6 and increase the healthier oil. When you want the convenience of store-bought mayonnaise I recommend Chosen Food’s Avocado Mayonnaise.
Ingredients for Homemade Mayonnaise
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon of prepared mustard
3/4 cup oil (blend of avocado, macadamia nut, olive oil)
1. Place first 4 ingredients in a bowl and whip until blended together
2. Add 1/4 cup of the oil in 1/4 to 1 teaspoon increments whipping constantly (about 7 to 10 minutes)
NOTE: this step was the key to my ultimate success in making homemade mayonnaise. When recipes tell you to add oil slow they really mean extremely slow. Adding oil in 1/4 teaspoon increments finally made me realize just how slow I needed to add oil. I don’t think I can pour a thin stream slow enough. Maybe someday.
3. Add the rest of the oil in a very slow stream or 1 tablespoon increments and continue whipping by hand or switch to immersion blender.
Homemade Mayonnaise
Ingredients
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon of prepared mustard
- 3/4 cup oil (blend of avocado, macadamia nut, olive oil)
Directions
- Step 1 1. Place first 4 ingredients in a bowl and whip until blended together.
- Step 2 2. Add 1/4 cup of the oil in 1/4 to 1 teaspoon increments whipping constantly (about 7 to 10 minutes).
- Step 3 3. Add the rest of the oil in a very slow stream or 1 tablespoon increments and continue whipping by hand or switch to immersion blender.
wow Michele, 1/4 tsp. increments… that takes patience. However your mayo looks so yummy that it might be well worth it!! I will have to try this, since I have a neighbor who keeps chickens and gives me eggs!! 🙂
i remember watching my mom make mayo – one of the first things she made in her new blender; this was back in the 60's. i always remembered that toothpick thin thread of oil that she slowly poured in. so, while making mayo in my cuisinart one day, i noticed that the pusher had a very small hole in the bottom. with that in place, i made the mayo per usual, but poured the oil into the pusher – it holds 1/2 cup, then refilled it as it got low. works perfect! one of those ah-ha! moments that only took 40-years for me to discover!!