simple homemade mayonnaise
Copy-and-Print recipe at bottom of page!
Homemade mayonnaise! It is so delicious, and makes a perfect companion to asparagus! This is my own Mom Ball’s recipe, which she carried with her through the ages & galaxies…
MOM BALL’S HOMEMADE MAYONNAISE
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon or so vinegar to start (and then add another 1/2 teaspoon or so at the end)
a dash of Maggi (or soy sauce)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
3/4 to 1 cup of oil
Add all of the ingredients, except the oil, to a small porcelain, ceramic, or glass bowl (not metal, plastic, wood).
Mayonnaise is an emulsion, so the secret is very gradually add the oil to the rest of the ingredients, while beating vigorously & enthusiastically the entire time. The oil should be added dropwise or in a very fine stream, the thickness of a thread.
My Mom Ball uses a wire whisk & makes perfect mayo every time, but I am too slow, & the mayonnaise never comes together for me…so, instead, I use an electric hand-held beater, set on the lowest speed.
1. First whisk or beat together the first ingredients (egg yolk, Maggi or soy sauce, salt, 1/2 teaspoon of vinegar, mustard).
2. Then, over the next 10 minutes or so, you will very GRADUALLY add the oil as follows:
With the beater or whisk continuously mixing, add literally just a few small drops of oil, and incorporate. The mayo should get thicker. Then add a few more drops while mixing. Gradually, instead of drops, you can start to add a very fine stream of oil, as fine as you can possibly pour it. The mayonnaise should continue to thicken as you add more oil…
If instead of getting thicker, it starts to get thinner, that means it is separating (looks like it is curdling). If this happens, stop adding oil immediately, & just keep beating the mixture until it thickens again; then continue slowly adding oil as before.
Then continue adding oil dropwise or in a VERY fine stream…this is a slow process, but when it works, it is well worth the effort!
(Tip if the mayo keeps separating & does not thicken: Place a teaspoon of vinegar in a clean, warm, dry glass bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of the separated mayo to the bowl & beat until thickens. Then add the rest of the separated mayo 1 teaspoon at a time, mixing well after each addition, until it is all incorporated. Sometimes this will work, but occasionally I will have to start from scratch.)
3. When all the oil has been added, taste the mayonnaise. It may need more vinegar or a bit of lemon juice to make it less oily & have a bit of tangy flavor…you can add perhaps 1/4 or 1/2 teaspoon at a time, mixing it in well with a spoon, and then trying it for flavor. The mayonnaise will become smoother, thinner, & lighter in color, but should still hold together as mayo is meant to do. It will be thinner & smoother than store-bought mayonnaise.
4. If the mayonnaise tastes too salty, you may incorporate more oil, as described above. If it is not salty enough, just add a bit more salt, stirring well until the salt is dissolved.
For variations, you can add finely chopped fresh herbs, or, instead of using mustard in the beginning, use a clove or 2 of crushed garlic & freshly ground black pepper!
I hope you give this homemade mayonnaise a try! Enjoy!
love,
Clay Ball
Copy-and-print recipe below!
MOM BALL’S SIMPLE & DELICIOUS HOMEMADE MAYONNAISE
Homemade mayonnaise! It is so delicious, and makes a perfect companion to asparagus at this time of year!
INGREDIENTS
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon of vinegar to start out (and then will add another 1/2 teaspoon or so of vinegar at the end, to thin out the mayo & give it some more flavor; or instead can use a bit of lemon juice for the same purpose)
a dash of Maggi (or soy sauce)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
3/4 to 1 cup of oil
The secret to making mayonnaise is to very gradually add the oil to the rest of the ingredients, while beating vigorously & enthusiastically the entire time. The oil should be added first dropwise, and then in a very fine stream, the thinness of a thread. My Mom Ball uses a wire whisk & makes perfect mayo every time, but I am too slow, & the mayonnaise never comes together for me…so, instead, I use an electric hand-held beater, set on the lowest speed.
1. First add all of the ingredients, except the oil, to a small porcelain, ceramic, or glass bowl (not metal, plastic, wood). Whisk or beat together.
2. Then, over the next 10 minutes or so, very gradually add the oil as follows: Using the beater or whisk & continuously mixing, add literally just a few small drops of oil, and incorporate. The mayo should get thicker. Then add a few more drops while mixing. Gradually, instead of drops, you can start to add a very fine stream of oil, as fine as you can possibly pour it. The mayonnaise should continue to thicken as you add more oil…
If, instead of getting thicker, it starts to get thinner, then it is separating (looks like it is curdling). If this happens, stop adding oil immediately, & just keep beating the mixture until that oil is incorporated, & it thickens again.
Then continue adding oil dropwise or in a VERY fine stream…this is a slow process, but when it works, it is well worth the effort!
3. When all the oil has been added, taste the mayonnaise. It may need more vinegar or a bit of lemon juice to make it less oily & have a nice zesty flavor…you can add a little bit of vinegar or lemon juice to taste, perhaps adding 1/4 or 1/2 teaspoon at a time, mixing it in well with a spoon, and then trying it for flavor. It will be a bit thinner & smoother than store-bought mayonnaise.
4. If the mayonnaise tastes too salty, you may mix in some more oil, as described above. If not salty enough, just add more salt, & stir well until the salt is dissolved.
(Tip: Sometimes the mayo just does not come together! If the mayo separates & refuses to come together again: Place a teaspoon of vinegar in a clean, warm, dry glass bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of the separated mayo to the bowl & beat until thickens. Then add the rest of the separated mayo 1 teaspoon at a time, mixing well after each addition, until it is all incorporated. Sometimes this will work, but occasionally I will have to start from scratch.)
For variations, you can add finely chopped fresh herbs, or, instead of using mustard in the beginning, use a clove or 2 of crushed garlic & freshly ground black pepper!
Enjoy!
love,
Clay Ball
