Mayonnaise - Which equipment do you use? *****
- Thread starter Rita Y
- Start date
Rusty Barton
TVWBB Pro
A stick blender and a mason jar.
Clark Deutscher
TVWBB All-Star
Whisk by hand personally...
I agree about the texture. The last few mayos I've made, I was playing with using the stick blender. The mayo was too "shiny."
A new discovery, I think....twice now I have thawed some fresh lemon juice that I froze in ice cube trays and used that for the mayo. It would not thicken at all. When I used fresh-squeezed lemon juice, it thickened right away. Does freezing affect the acidity level? (I use half fresh lemon juice and half champagne vinegar.)
Kevin, have you posted a recipe for hand-whisked mayonnaise? I didn't get any hits on a search but seem to recall that you did.
Rita
A new discovery, I think....twice now I have thawed some fresh lemon juice that I froze in ice cube trays and used that for the mayo. It would not thicken at all. When I used fresh-squeezed lemon juice, it thickened right away. Does freezing affect the acidity level? (I use half fresh lemon juice and half champagne vinegar.)
Kevin, have you posted a recipe for hand-whisked mayonnaise? I didn't get any hits on a search but seem to recall that you did.
Rita
K Kruger
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
I don't think freezing would affect acidity but even if it did I can't see why that would matter. Juice too cold? I'll have to try freezing the juice and then thawing it and using it for mayo.
I think I wrote a recipe for an HACCP mayo recipe somewhere were one concerned with a Salmonela possibility. I'm not as the mayo is acidified enough. (Acids work best when they're not cold. I leave the mayo out for several hours before fridging it.)
I don't measure per se but the amounts here are close:
For handmade mayo--
3 egg yolks
scant 1/2 t Dijon
2 T lemon juice, divided
2 T white wine vin, champagne vin, sherry vin--depending on what I'm making it for, divided
2.25-3 c olive oil, light olive oil, canola oil or a blend
1/2 t salt
pinch white pepper
2 T boiling water
Warm the bowl in hot water, dry it, then whisk together the yolks, Dijon and about half the lemon and vin. Start the emulsion with a few drops of oil at a time, whisking, and when the emulsion is established add about another cup of oil in a very slow stream. Add the salt and white pepper and whisk in the remaining lemon and vin. Continue whisking in the rest of the oil. When done, adjust seasoning then whisk in the boiling water.
Cover with platic, pressing down on the plastic so it covers the surface of the mayo. Leave for a few hours then scoop into a clean container and fridge.
I think I wrote a recipe for an HACCP mayo recipe somewhere were one concerned with a Salmonela possibility. I'm not as the mayo is acidified enough. (Acids work best when they're not cold. I leave the mayo out for several hours before fridging it.)
I don't measure per se but the amounts here are close:
For handmade mayo--
3 egg yolks
scant 1/2 t Dijon
2 T lemon juice, divided
2 T white wine vin, champagne vin, sherry vin--depending on what I'm making it for, divided
2.25-3 c olive oil, light olive oil, canola oil or a blend
1/2 t salt
pinch white pepper
2 T boiling water
Warm the bowl in hot water, dry it, then whisk together the yolks, Dijon and about half the lemon and vin. Start the emulsion with a few drops of oil at a time, whisking, and when the emulsion is established add about another cup of oil in a very slow stream. Add the salt and white pepper and whisk in the remaining lemon and vin. Continue whisking in the rest of the oil. When done, adjust seasoning then whisk in the boiling water.
Cover with platic, pressing down on the plastic so it covers the surface of the mayo. Leave for a few hours then scoop into a clean container and fridge.
Report on Kevin's Hand-Whipped Mayonnaise:
1. Texture = Nicely light; more air incorporated than when made with a stick blender. Almost to a soft-peak stage. Would be best used, imo, as part of a salad or a napé than as a sandwich spread, although the jury is out on the sandwich spread idea. Will try as a sandwich spread tomorrow to compare with my thick sandwich mayonnaise (made with a stick blender).
2. Vinegar quantity: I used as directed, knowing that it was more than I usually use in proportion to the amount of oil. It was a trust issue.
Just after mixing: Oh, oh. Disappointed. Way too much vinegar and lemon juice, so I added a pinch (no more) of sugar.
I also doubled the salt...option based on how you'll use the mayo.
AN EYE-OPENER: After several hours standing at room temp (as directed) it had mellowed significantly and was eat-out-of-the-jar delicious. Lighter than a blender mayonnaise.
3. If doing by hand, I'd use the same amount or just a little less vinegar and lemon juice, depending on planned use. At this point I will probably leave the proportions as Kevin wrote them. Will have to check the flavor after an overnight rest in the refrigerator.
COMMENTS:
1. The mixing process was easy, although my whisking arm gave out part-way through, partly because I should have used a larger whisk, my counter top is a little too high and because Rita needs to get to the gym!
.....Once emulsification has begun, it's OK to wait a bit until your arm recovers before continuing.
2. Initially I stabilized the bowl with a piece of rubber-type drawer liner underneath it and a damp towel around the bowl to hold it steady. I finally stuffed the bowl and towel into a heavy 3-quart saucepan set on a damp towel and that stabilized the whole works. It made the process of whisking with one hand and pouring the oil into the emulsion with the other a little easier.
3. I was looking for a mayonnaise that looked really rich rather than pale yellow, so I added a tiny pinch of powdered turmeric before adding the oil. Great eye appeal; not enough to alter the flavor.
4. I know that boiling water is often used to re-emulsify a broken emulsion. But by the time I measured and added the boiling water to the mayonnaise I'm sure that it had cooled off. I did not notice any textural change in the mayonnaise after I added it, so I'm interested in what its purpose might be.
Thanks, Kevin. This is a keeper! A fun project and worth repeating.
Rita
1. Texture = Nicely light; more air incorporated than when made with a stick blender. Almost to a soft-peak stage. Would be best used, imo, as part of a salad or a napé than as a sandwich spread, although the jury is out on the sandwich spread idea. Will try as a sandwich spread tomorrow to compare with my thick sandwich mayonnaise (made with a stick blender).
2. Vinegar quantity: I used as directed, knowing that it was more than I usually use in proportion to the amount of oil. It was a trust issue.
Just after mixing: Oh, oh. Disappointed. Way too much vinegar and lemon juice, so I added a pinch (no more) of sugar.
I also doubled the salt...option based on how you'll use the mayo.
AN EYE-OPENER: After several hours standing at room temp (as directed) it had mellowed significantly and was eat-out-of-the-jar delicious. Lighter than a blender mayonnaise.
3. If doing by hand, I'd use the same amount or just a little less vinegar and lemon juice, depending on planned use. At this point I will probably leave the proportions as Kevin wrote them. Will have to check the flavor after an overnight rest in the refrigerator.
COMMENTS:
1. The mixing process was easy, although my whisking arm gave out part-way through, partly because I should have used a larger whisk, my counter top is a little too high and because Rita needs to get to the gym!
.....Once emulsification has begun, it's OK to wait a bit until your arm recovers before continuing.
2. Initially I stabilized the bowl with a piece of rubber-type drawer liner underneath it and a damp towel around the bowl to hold it steady. I finally stuffed the bowl and towel into a heavy 3-quart saucepan set on a damp towel and that stabilized the whole works. It made the process of whisking with one hand and pouring the oil into the emulsion with the other a little easier.
3. I was looking for a mayonnaise that looked really rich rather than pale yellow, so I added a tiny pinch of powdered turmeric before adding the oil. Great eye appeal; not enough to alter the flavor.
4. I know that boiling water is often used to re-emulsify a broken emulsion. But by the time I measured and added the boiling water to the mayonnaise I'm sure that it had cooled off. I did not notice any textural change in the mayonnaise after I added it, so I'm interested in what its purpose might be.
Thanks, Kevin. This is a keeper! A fun project and worth repeating.
Rita
K Kruger
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
Well--you're welcome. I think the measurements I gave are (about) accurate but I don't measure. (One of these days I should...)
The salt need to be adjusted to taste when finished. I should have noted that.
I use yard eggs so the color is more there. The turmeric is a good idea for added color.
The boiling water is to ensure stability. You shouldn't notice textural change because there shouldn't be any.
Let me know what you think of it tomorrow.
The salt need to be adjusted to taste when finished. I should have noted that.
I use yard eggs so the color is more there. The turmeric is a good idea for added color.
The boiling water is to ensure stability. You shouldn't notice textural change because there shouldn't be any.
Let me know what you think of it tomorrow.
The day after tomorrow:
I think I forgot to mention that I made a one-yolk recipe---1/3 of the original---and used 1 yolk, 1 cup of mixed pure olive oil (not EV) and canola oil. I wonder if the smaller quantity affected the thickness.
Adding a little more oil usually makes machine-made mayonnaise made with 1 whole egg a little thicker---would it work with hand-made mayonnaise? It might throw the acid and salt proportions off though. With a hand-whisked mayo, a whole egg wouldn't thicken as well as one egg yolk, right?
I don't mean to imply that the mayonnaise was too thin at all. I really liked its texture and lightness. I am, though, curious about what affects the thickening more, the quantity of egg yolk or oil? What role would the white play if using a whole egg?
It's been 2 days now and the mayonnaise is very good. Chilling it didn't really thicken it any more. I used equal portions of champagne vinegar and lemon juice. It is interesting, though, that yesterday the vinegar flavor predominated a little and today the lemon flavor took over...even better.
Letting the mayo stand at room temp for a few hours to allow the acid to to its job and also to get the mellowing process going was a new one to me. Obviously, it works very well.
For our taste, I think 1 1/2 teaspoons each, champagne vinegar and lemon juice per egg yolk will be about right.
Any comments you might have on stabilizing the mixing bowl would be helpful. Holding the bowl steady with my pouring hand didn't work for me.
Reminds me of when I first began making mayo in my early cooking life. I had to try everything. I couldn't stop the bowl from rocking, so in order to have a free hand to hold the bowl, I took a yogurt cup, ran a string through 2 holes at the top, and hung it from a cabinet doorknob. Then I punched a small hole in one side of the bottom, and when I was ready to make the mayonnaise, I filled the cup with oil and, as I was whisking, let it drip into the bowl with the remaining ingredients. Worked just fine!
This is a very good recipe and doesn't take long to do at all. It is a satisfying process and also, it's nice not to have to wash a machine after making the mayonnaise.
Rita
I think I forgot to mention that I made a one-yolk recipe---1/3 of the original---and used 1 yolk, 1 cup of mixed pure olive oil (not EV) and canola oil. I wonder if the smaller quantity affected the thickness.
Adding a little more oil usually makes machine-made mayonnaise made with 1 whole egg a little thicker---would it work with hand-made mayonnaise? It might throw the acid and salt proportions off though. With a hand-whisked mayo, a whole egg wouldn't thicken as well as one egg yolk, right?
I don't mean to imply that the mayonnaise was too thin at all. I really liked its texture and lightness. I am, though, curious about what affects the thickening more, the quantity of egg yolk or oil? What role would the white play if using a whole egg?
It's been 2 days now and the mayonnaise is very good. Chilling it didn't really thicken it any more. I used equal portions of champagne vinegar and lemon juice. It is interesting, though, that yesterday the vinegar flavor predominated a little and today the lemon flavor took over...even better.
Letting the mayo stand at room temp for a few hours to allow the acid to to its job and also to get the mellowing process going was a new one to me. Obviously, it works very well.
For our taste, I think 1 1/2 teaspoons each, champagne vinegar and lemon juice per egg yolk will be about right.
Any comments you might have on stabilizing the mixing bowl would be helpful. Holding the bowl steady with my pouring hand didn't work for me.
Reminds me of when I first began making mayo in my early cooking life. I had to try everything. I couldn't stop the bowl from rocking, so in order to have a free hand to hold the bowl, I took a yogurt cup, ran a string through 2 holes at the top, and hung it from a cabinet doorknob. Then I punched a small hole in one side of the bottom, and when I was ready to make the mayonnaise, I filled the cup with oil and, as I was whisking, let it drip into the bowl with the remaining ingredients. Worked just fine!
This is a very good recipe and doesn't take long to do at all. It is a satisfying process and also, it's nice not to have to wash a machine after making the mayonnaise.
Rita
K Kruger
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
In order:
The smaller quantity can affect thickness, especially since due to whisk size the mixing bowl isn't commensurately proportioned.
Yes, more oil can mean thicker but can be trickier (and longer) which is why one will see recipes cautioning novice cooks to use the lesser amount of oil when the recipe suggests a range.
A whole egg can thicken just fine but one must be mindful of the liquid additions. Egg white has a significant water content. Less liquid (and more time) is in order.
I'm not sure it is either one or the other (yolk or oil) that is more affecting. It is more the proportion of the two to each other and to water (mayo is an oil-in-water emulsion; vinaigrette is a water-in-oil emulsion). A single yolk can hold a tremendous amount of oil (much, much more than most cookbooks allow) but two important variables are at play here: how strong your wrist is and how much room the fat droplets have. A little more water (in the form of water, lemon juice or vinegar) allows more space but also means more whisking. A single egg yolk with the addition of water, as needed, can emulsfy 100 cups of oil.
Looking at your figures (1.5 t each of juice and vin) and multiplying up, means you'd be using 3 T per 3-yolk recipe which seems right to me (and which might be closer to what I actually do--I really should measure one day--but I do vary amounts based on what I'll be using the mayo for).
Also try mayos made with a hand mixer at low speed and the whisk attachment of am immersion belender at low(er) speed and the 'regular' puree end of an immersion blender and see what you think of the differences.
Put a large mixing or salad bowl on the counter. Dampen a kitchen or hand towel and form it into a coil in the bottom of the bowl. Place a smaller bowl for the mayo on the damp towel. If necessary, due to the size disparity between bowls, squash another towel between the bowls. If necesary, due to the composition of the large bowl and your counter, further stabilize the large bowl by placing it on a damp towel or silicone pot holder.
The smaller quantity can affect thickness, especially since due to whisk size the mixing bowl isn't commensurately proportioned.
Yes, more oil can mean thicker but can be trickier (and longer) which is why one will see recipes cautioning novice cooks to use the lesser amount of oil when the recipe suggests a range.
A whole egg can thicken just fine but one must be mindful of the liquid additions. Egg white has a significant water content. Less liquid (and more time) is in order.
I'm not sure it is either one or the other (yolk or oil) that is more affecting. It is more the proportion of the two to each other and to water (mayo is an oil-in-water emulsion; vinaigrette is a water-in-oil emulsion). A single yolk can hold a tremendous amount of oil (much, much more than most cookbooks allow) but two important variables are at play here: how strong your wrist is and how much room the fat droplets have. A little more water (in the form of water, lemon juice or vinegar) allows more space but also means more whisking. A single egg yolk with the addition of water, as needed, can emulsfy 100 cups of oil.
Looking at your figures (1.5 t each of juice and vin) and multiplying up, means you'd be using 3 T per 3-yolk recipe which seems right to me (and which might be closer to what I actually do--I really should measure one day--but I do vary amounts based on what I'll be using the mayo for).
Also try mayos made with a hand mixer at low speed and the whisk attachment of am immersion belender at low(er) speed and the 'regular' puree end of an immersion blender and see what you think of the differences.
Put a large mixing or salad bowl on the counter. Dampen a kitchen or hand towel and form it into a coil in the bottom of the bowl. Place a smaller bowl for the mayo on the damp towel. If necessary, due to the size disparity between bowls, squash another towel between the bowls. If necesary, due to the composition of the large bowl and your counter, further stabilize the large bowl by placing it on a damp towel or silicone pot holder.
Thanks, Kevin. What you wrote is all very interesting and useful. I enjoy knowing the whys and the werefores. I'm looking forward to comparing results when using the different appliances---it will be a fun project...and we get to enjoy eating the experiments.
Your approach to stabilizing the whisking bowl is similar to mine---I just happened to have a heavy pot handy.
Rita
Your approach to stabilizing the whisking bowl is similar to mine---I just happened to have a heavy pot handy.
Rita
Clint
TVWBB Olympian
Kevin, will this version with EVOO be stable in the fridge for a couple of weeks?
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by K Kruger:
I don't think freezing would affect acidity but even if it did I can't see why that would matter. Juice too cold? I'll have to try freezing the juice and then thawing it and using it for mayo.
I think I wrote a recipe for an HACCP mayo recipe somewhere were one concerned with a Salmonela possibility. I'm not as the mayo is acidified enough. (Acids work best when they're not cold. I leave the mayo out for several hours before fridging it.)
I don't measure per se but the amounts here are close:
For handmade mayo--
3 egg yolks
scant 1/2 t Dijon
2 T lemon juice, divided
2 T white wine vin, champagne vin, sherry vin--depending on what I'm making it for, divided
2.25-3 c olive oil, light olive oil, canola oil or a blend
1/2 t salt
pinch white pepper
2 T boiling water
Warm the bowl in hot water, dry it, then whisk together the yolks, Dijon and about half the lemon and vin. Start the emulsion with a few drops of oil at a time, whisking, and when the emulsion is established add about another cup of oil in a very slow stream. Add the salt and white pepper and whisk in the remaining lemon and vin. Continue whisking in the rest of the oil. When done, adjust seasoning then whisk in the boiling water.
Cover with platic, pressing down on the plastic so it covers the surface of the mayo. Leave for a few hours then scoop into a clean container and fridge. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by K Kruger:
I don't think freezing would affect acidity but even if it did I can't see why that would matter. Juice too cold? I'll have to try freezing the juice and then thawing it and using it for mayo.
I think I wrote a recipe for an HACCP mayo recipe somewhere were one concerned with a Salmonela possibility. I'm not as the mayo is acidified enough. (Acids work best when they're not cold. I leave the mayo out for several hours before fridging it.)
I don't measure per se but the amounts here are close:
For handmade mayo--
3 egg yolks
scant 1/2 t Dijon
2 T lemon juice, divided
2 T white wine vin, champagne vin, sherry vin--depending on what I'm making it for, divided
2.25-3 c olive oil, light olive oil, canola oil or a blend
1/2 t salt
pinch white pepper
2 T boiling water
Warm the bowl in hot water, dry it, then whisk together the yolks, Dijon and about half the lemon and vin. Start the emulsion with a few drops of oil at a time, whisking, and when the emulsion is established add about another cup of oil in a very slow stream. Add the salt and white pepper and whisk in the remaining lemon and vin. Continue whisking in the rest of the oil. When done, adjust seasoning then whisk in the boiling water.
Cover with platic, pressing down on the plastic so it covers the surface of the mayo. Leave for a few hours then scoop into a clean container and fridge. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>