Making Mayonnaise at Home

I have mentioned before that our family loves sauces and that includes mayonnaise. Years ago, as health problems arose in the family, we started avoiding soy. Back when we didn't know about the detrimental health effects of seed oils, we sought out products that had other oils, like canola. When the affordable brand of mayonnaise we were using at the time started making their mayonnaise with soy oil, we unsuccessfully searched for other affordable brands without it. As we learned about seed oils, we took those off the list of acceptable ingredients as well and mayonnaise became even more difficult to find. As time went on, we would occasionally find a brand without soy or seed oils and try it, but for the most part it was too cost prohibitive. In addition, some of the soy-free, seed oil-free mayonnaise we tried early on was terrible. I remember one particular jar we bought that was made of coconut oil. It was so terrible the flavor couldn't be drowned out even when blended with other boldly flavored sauces.

Amidst all of this, about six years ago, out of a liking for mayonnaise on his sandwich and a love for our family, my husband looked into making mayonnaise at home. He made some fabulous mayonnaise, but this was about the time that we learned canola oil (which was the main oil we were using) was not good for you. He tried a batch with olive oil, but it turned out very bitter. His did some more research which confirmed his finding about the bitterness of olive oil. Most people suggested that the olive oil be blended with another oil and that the olive oil should only make up 1/4 to 1/3 of the oil you use. Avocado oil was not quite as popular yet and was (as it is now), a rather expensive oil. Life got busy, and while someone at the house would make mayonnaise on occasion, we no were longer making it on a regular basis. We had a couple of bitter batches as we (meaning the guys) experimented with different oils. I avoided making it myself because I was afraid that I would waste an expensive oil if I couldn't get the mayonnaise to emulsify properly. 

Mayonnaise Making Experience #1

A few weeks ago, I decided it was long past time for me to try my hand at making mayonnaise. We had some avocado oil and I was eager to see if I could make a decent batch. I followed the directions for the recipe my husband used. I used the blender an it emulsified. I was thrilled. What were the results?

Flavor - The flavor was a disappointment. It was not as good as what my husband used to make. It started well on the palate, but had a mildly bitter aftertaste. I had used a ratio of  3/4 avocado oil and 1/4 olive oil. I wondered if the olive oil had somehow overpowered it, but then I noticed that the mayonnaise smelled more like the avocado oil than olive oil. I had used extra virgin avocado oil, which apparently has a strong flavor. We were able to improve it a bit by adding in salt and mustard powder. It was good enough to use in deviled eggs and as a fry sauce base, but it wasn't our favorite for using on sandwiches.

Experience - I made it in the blender, which is how my husband had done it. It was successful, but it took a long time to slowly drizzle the oil into the blender as it turned. It was also a bit of a mess. Even with only the pour spout open, it shot half-emulsified mayonnaise into the air as I poured in the oil. Then, there was a very large, messy blender to clean. Ugh. I may not have the same patience with cooking and clean-up as my husband has. 😅

Mayonnaise Making Experience #2

This past week, after getting another kind of avocado oil, I tried another batch. I did several things differently from my first attempt.  First, I used a refined avocado oil instead of the extra virgin avocado oil. Second, rather than search for the recipe my husband used (which we knew was very good), I found a slightly different recipe online, which called for white wine vinegar instead of regular vinegar. Third, I used an immersion blender with a tall canning jar instead of the larger blender. We were thrilled with the results:

Flavor- The refined avocado oil (which has less flavor) was absolutely the right choice. There was no overpowering flavor from the oil itself. White wine vinegar gave the mayonnaise a smoother, milder flavor. I personally like mayonnaise to have a bit of a bite and would use regular vinegar again, but the boys preferred the milder version. They said it tasted like "real" mayonnaise. I presume by "real" they meant "store-bought."

Experience - The immersion blender is absolutely the way to go. My, it was fast! I put everything into the jar (no need to whip the egg before adding the other ingredients) and it emulsified perfectly. It had a great texture, too - not too stiff and not too thin. Cleanup was a breeze with just a jar and the small attachment.

In Summary

For all of you interested in making mayonnaise at home, learn from my mistakes! Here are some helpful mayonnaise-making tips based on our family's experience:

• Use oils with a mild flavor (refined is often more mild than extra virgin)
• If using olive oil, blend it with another oil for the best flavor
• Use an immersion blender for faster results
• For a tarter mayonnaise, use apple cider vinegar and regular yellow mustard
• For a more mild mayonnaise, use white wine vinegar and Dijon mustard
• We loved this recipe from inspiredtaste.net

Happy mayonnaise making!