With all the of the DIY’s I’ve been doing for the past couple of years, I suppose it was inevitable that at some point I would make my way to condiments. Now here is a delicious homemade mayonnaise recipe that uses just 5 ingredients and a few minutes of your time. Plus, ketchup DIY is coming soon too, of course.
Mayonnaise is thick, creamy, and a delicious accompaniment to a massive range of meals. This includes veggie fritters, homemade oven-baked fries, coleslaw, and even using it as part of other dips. I love adding sweet chilli to my homemade mayonnaise, for a sweet and spicy treat.
Why make homemade mayonnaise?
Sauces like mayonnaise are so readily available in stores that it’s easy to forget that these can be made naturally at home ( and to want to make an effort to make your own). However, store bought mayonnaise can come with a long list on unwanted ingredients too, unlike homemade mayonnaise which has a clean ingredients list. For the cheap own-brand versions you’ll often see an ingredients list with colourings, thickeners and gums and sometimes even worse. For example, I looked at a budget option today, and some of the ingredients include Glucose-Fructose Syrup, Modified Maize Starch, Lactic Acid, Sorbic Acid, Guar Gum, Xanthan Gum etc.
Now, that’s not to say that all brands are like this, but as the ingredients list gets cleaner, the price certainly gets higher. To the point that it’s more cost-effective to make you own (bet you didn’t think I’d say that!). Yes, you heard me right – making homemade mayo can be around the same price, if not cheaper than store-bought if you want a clean ingredients list. In fact, homemade mayonnaise is made up of only 5 ingredients, not including salt:
Oil: I have tried a variety of oils for this mayo and sunflower oil and avocado oil are my favourites. Avocado oil is probably my favourite, however, for a budget recipe sunflower oil is the clear victor. You can also try this recipe with olive oil, however, if using olive oil then make sure it’s a ‘light’ one as the taste can easily become overpowering to the delicate mayo flavours. Egg: All you need is a single, whole organic free-range egg to make a cup of homemade mayonnaise – more than enough to last a family for a week (usually). Some versions use just the egg yolk, but I think the entire egg makes excellent mayonnaise and is less wasteful. As this recipe uses raw egg, you may want to use pasteurized egg, if you’re worried about eating raw eggs in the dish (you can also pasteurize the eggs yourself at home). I personally have never had issues using organic, free-range eggs, though. Lemon: Alternatively, you can use apple cider vinegar, but I prefer lemon juice. This is used for flavour as well as to stabilize the mayonnaise. White Wine Vinegar Mustard Seed Powder: You can also buy the whole seeds and grind it into power yourself (this usually works out cheaper). I’m no fan of mustard, but this pulls together mayonnaise so well without adding to much ‘mustard-y’ flavour. It’s also required to stabilize the mayonnaise.
The Cost Difference
I’ve done the maths and, although it depends on where you’re buying the ingredients from, I worked out that on average it costs just under £1 for this recipe, which yields over a cup of homemade mayonnaise. In comparison, the store-bought versions that I looked at with a comparatively clean-ish recipe cost £1.50-1.75 for around the same amount. Which means that if your household goes quickly through mayonnaise at home, but you want a clean-eating, organic, version then homemade may be the way to go for you.
Other reasons to make homemade mayonnaise
The whole process of making homemade mayonnaise takes just a few minutes The taste is delicious – but more than that, homemade mayonnaise can be batched and flavoured (garlic mayo anyone?!).
How to Make Mayonnaise
It’s worth noting that there are a few ways to make homemade mayonnaise. Be it with a blender bowl/jug, small food processor, or immersion blender – the processes will be similar. I used an immersion blender for this mayo DIY as my personal favourite preference. Note* I’ve heard it’s better to use room temperature ingredients; however, I’ve tried it chilled, and room temperature eggs, and haven’t noticed much of a difference. What is great about making homemade mayonnaise is that there are only a few steps. I know that different versions do things slightly different and blend the egg first before adding any other ingredients. However, I’ve found this unnecessary as I get delicious results without adding an extra step to the process.
How to Fix Mayonnaise That Hasn’t Emulsified Properly
I have never had this recipe fail, so I’ve never had to fix my homemade mayonnaise. That being said, I turned to the internet to try and pick up some tips on what to do if your mayonnaise doesn’t work i.e. if you pour the oil too quickly and it doesn’t emulsify etc. Tip 1: In a separate bowl, add an egg yolk and bit-by-bit, blend the broken mayonnaise into the bowl- it should eventually thicken and emulsify. I know some people also add slightly more oil too, to help it emulsify but this may not be necessary. Just remember if/when you add the oil to do it very slowly. Tip 2: Alternatively, add a small amount (about a teaspoon) of mustard to a bowl and slowly whisk/blend the broken mayonnaise into the bowl. The mustard should help to emulsify the mixture again. If you have any other tips, then please let everyone know in the comments below. If you have any questions, then please let me know in the comments. And. As usual, I’d love to see how you end up using your homemade mayonnaise so feel free to tag me @AlphaFoodie.
