With only 4 ingredients that you most likely have stored in the house and 5 minutes of your precious time, you can prepare your own homemade mayonnaise.
Mayonnaise requires no special science skills to make as it is basically an emulsion of egg yolks and oil, with a little bit of salt and some acidity to brighten the flavors.
Below’s the basic recipe:
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (or vinegar)
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup of neutral-flavored oil (such as light walnut oil, olive oil, grapeseed oil or sweet almond oil)
- A pinch of fine-grain sea salt
Mayonnaise Prep time: 5 minutes
This quantity of ingredients makes: 1 cup
Directions for preparation
Gather all of the ingredients listed above together. Bear in mind that a sturdy whisk is best, and a bowl with high sides will help prevent splashes.
Separate the whites from the yolks of the eggs. Save the egg whites in the freezer for another purpose (such as meringue), and place then you can place egg yolks in a small deep bowl with high sides.
Pour the vinegar or fresh lemon juice into your bowl with the egg yolks and properly whisk them. Egg yolks naturally contain a natural emulsifier known as lecithin, which helps to thicken sauces and also to bind ingredients.
Slowly pour oil, a few drops at a time, into your deep bowl while constantly whisking. Once you notice that the mayonnaise has begun to thicken, slowly pour in the oil and steady stream. If the oil begins to build up at all, you need to stop pouring immediately and whisk the mayonnaise as fast as you can until the oil has incorporated.
If the mayonnaise begins to appear too thick, add the right amount of water to thin it till you get the consistency that you prefer. Only add about one teaspoon of water at a time.
Once you have been able to mix in all the oil properly, the mayonnaise should appear to be thick and fluffy, with your steady whisk creating ribbons through the mayo mixture. Carefully, season it with fine grain sea salt.
Pour in a small splash of water if you prefer, like a thinner Homemade mayonnaise.
Storage
You can store your homemade mayonnaise in a covered container and put it in the fridge. A well-preserved batch of homemade mayonnaise should last for 3 days.
Here are some additional tips for Successfully making your first homemade mayonnaise:
- Only use eggs of room temperature. Cold eggs will most often result in super-light mayonnaise that will almost never thicken.
- Always add the quantity of lemon juice that you want to use first. Lemon juice will help breakdown the protein in the egg yolks so they can emulsify better.
- You are advised to start with a really slow stream of oil. A few drops of oil at a time is always best until you begin to notice that the mayonnaise is starting to thicken. Once you see that it has started to thicken, you can go ahead and pour in the oil a little quicker.
- Season the homemade mayonnaise with good sea salt and only add a tiny pinch at a time. Mayonnaise is one of those foods that can become too salty very easily.
- Only opt for freshly squeezed lemon juice. When you use bottled lemon juice, get for the funny flavor that it will give your mayonnaise.
- Use good-quality, ana only free-range eggs — because this is a condiment is created with raw eggs.
Common Homemade mayonnaise Troubleshooting
My Homemade Mayonnaise Is Too Thick
If your mayonnaise begins to look too thick, add some water to slowly thin it to the consistency you desire. Pour in around a teaspoon of water at a time.
My mayonnaise Isn’t Thickening
If you’re still partway through the process, you can save the emulsion by adding another egg yolk, whisking vigorously. Add in remaining oil, plus extra for a double recipe, and adjust the seasonings. However, if it never thickens, and you’re left stirring a puddle, you may need to start over.
Customize Your Homemade Mayo
Because it mostly features a neutral flavor, simple homemade mayonnaise is an amazing base for making a wide range of mayonnaises with different flavors.
Below are a few ideas to help you get started:
Garlic Aioli
Once you have successfully made the mayonnaise, all you need to do is to add a very neatly minced clove of garlic and not more than ½ a teaspoon of Dijon mustard.
This unique flavored mayo is wonderful as a dip for French fries and also great on a sandwich.
Chipotle Mayonnaise
When your homemade mayo is ready, do well to whisk in a teaspoon of pureed chipotle peppers in some adobo sauce, a pinch of brown sugar, and few drops of liquid smoke. You should also add a small drop of soy sauce, and a small squeeze of fresh lime is not a bad addition.
You can also drizzle fish tacos with this super tasty mayonnaise.
