Now that we’ve all had time to mourn the news of Hellmann’s Original Mayonnaise being discontinued in South Africa, it’s time to look to creamy new heights and make your own mayo at home!
READ: It’s true – Hellmann’s Mayonnaise will be discontinued in SA
And while we understand that the thought of making your own mayo at home may be a daunting notion at first, it sure beats buying mayo that is going to earn some serious bench time at the back of the condiment shelf in the fridge!
Not only will this easy-to-follow guide help you to make the best mayo at home, but you won’t have to settle for store-bought mayo options that are either too tangy or too sweet and lack that sumptuous creamy feel! Added bonus, you’ll get to enjoy mayo that isn’t loaded with preservatives for a fraction of the cost.
Here’s what you’ll need.
Equipment:
You will need a stick blender, a narrow cylindrical jug and measuring utensils.
Ingredients:
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1 tsp spirit vinegar
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp Dijon mustard
¼ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp ground paprika
1 cup oil
Method:
Add all the ingredients (with the oil last) into the jar.
Give the ingredients a moment to settle, allowing the oil to separate to the top.
Place your stick blender in the jar and press it firmly to the bottom, covering the yolk with the blades. Turn it on and keep it pressed against the bottom of the jar for at least 10-15 seconds. Once the mayonnaise starts to emulsify and thicken, slowly move the stick blender up and down to fully combine the ingredients. The mayo will emulsify easily and come together in under 1 minute!
Once it’s all thick, remove the stick blender. Give it a few stirs with a spoon and place in a glass storage container in the refrigerator. It will stay fresh for up to one week.
Handy tips to follow when making mayonnaise at home:
Make sure both the egg and the oil are at room temperature. This will aid in the emulsification process to create a creamy, thick mayo.
Be careful not to break the egg yolk when cracking the egg into the jar because you want to make sure the blades of the stick blender cover the egg yolk. This ensures that the mayo will emulsify properly.
Use a neutral-flavoured oil. The main ingredient in mayonnaise is oil, so make sure to opt for one that has a more subtle flavour to it. Avoid using extra virgin olive oil, as it has too strong a flavour and will overpower the delicate flavours.
You can use apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar, or any light-coloured vinegar you may have on hand.
Don’t attempt to make this recipe in a food processor or a blender. The ingredients won’t emulsify properly and you’ll be left with an oily disaster!
Use a jar that your stick blender’s head will fit into tightly or the jar that the stick blender came with. This will allow the egg and oil to emulsify properly.
If you prefer a mayo with a sweeter finish, you can add 1-2 teaspoons of sugar along with the other ingredients before adding the oil and blitzing.
If, for some reason, your mayo does not emulsify properly, you can always attempt some crisis management with these tips to fix a broken mayonnaise:
Add 1 tablespoon of boiling hot water to your jug and quickly blitz again. This might happen if the egg or oil was not at room temperature to begin with. The mayo will have a slightly thinner consistency but you’ll still have good mayo to enjoy!
Add an extra egg yolk to your jug, cover the yolk with the stick blender’s blades and blitz away! This will affect the colour and the mayo will be thicker but will be sure to help fix a broken emulsion.