Most of us rely on mayonnaise that is bought on supermarkets; actually almost all the consumers are loyal to a particular brand of mayonnaise. There is a war in the market between the mayonnaise and the salad dressing and most often, consumers do not know the difference. This goes the same with commercial mayonnaise and the homemade mayonnaise. Mayonnaise should be thick and creamy used as salad binder and condiment. This is the mixture of lemon juice and egg yolks or it could be the mixture of olive oil or vegetable oil, vinegar and your choice of seasoning. When the sauce is made without the egg yolk, then we can call that as salad dressing.
When you are inclined to make your own homemade mayonnaise recipe, you should be equipped with food processor, electric mixer and blender. These kitchen gadgets make mayonnaise making easier and quicker but a wire whip will also help and do the trick for you.
The correct ratio in making mayonnaise is one egg yolk for every ½ to 1 cup of oil and a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to produce a cup of the mayo.
Extra virgin is not appropriate for it has a strong flavor and do not hold the sauce together. Use the regular olive oil or use half extra virgin oil and half vegetable oil. Vegetable oil can be canola oil, corn oil or peanut oil. Do not use unrefined oils for it will result in very thin mayonnaise.
Lemon juice is a good choice but if you want to use vinegar instead choose vinegar that are of good quality. White wine vinegar is a good choice for this will give the mayonnaise a distinctive flavor.
If you want to have a rich mayo for your mayonnaise recipe, use only the egg yolk and not the whole egg. Additionally, the ingredients that you will use should be at room temperature. You have to take out the egg from the fridge and let it stand at room temperature before you begin with the procedure on making mayonnaise.
The quickest solution when the prepared mayonnaise is too thick, add whipped cream, hot water or evaporated milk to the sauce to thin out the mayonnaise.
Alternatively, you can use pasteurized liquid egg instead of fresh egg yolks. One egg yolk is equivalent to 1/8 cup of pasteurized liquid egg whereas one whole egg is equivalent to ¼ cup of liquid.
There are times that the mayonnaise made at home curdles, all you have to do is get an egg yolk and beat it separately. Drop it slowly on the curdled mayo and beat it until it is smooth or you can also drizzle around a tablespoon of hot water and beat it once again to emulsify the mayonnaise.
Never freeze a mayonnaise recipe for the mixture will separate though expert cooks get away with this by running a whirl of the blender on the sauce.
