4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[prudance]

I'm probably not the first to ask, but before I jump in front of the next bus in sheer frustration, please can I have everyone's tips and tricks for making mayonaise?

 

So far it has taken me 3 attempts (with a 'rescue') to make it. This morning even the rescue went wrong I'm using a food processor. I'm adding oil drop by arm-aching drop and it's still splitting. I refuse to be defeated but this is costing me a fortune in oil. Any advice welcomed.

 

Thanks!

[..lay a little egg for me]

Hmm, I always use the electric whisk...do you have one?

 

1 egg yolk/1 whole egg

half tsp mustard (I used pre-made smooth french mustard)

tsp vinegar

salt & pepper

I put these in a deep jug

whisk up these ingredients and then put whisk on high speed and start pouring oil...I use half olive and half rapeseed. Start with drops of oil and as you progress you can pour faster until it is going in in a steady but fine stream. Keep adding oil until the mayo thickens up. You can get the egg to take about 150 ml of oil depending on its size (I don't bother measuring how much oil I add, but pour it straight from the bottle, the neck of which I rest on the side of the jug so saving the aching arm to an extent ). This takes about 10 mins I reckon.

When you've added enough oil, add 2 tbs boiling water which kind of "sets" the mayo. Transfer to jar and keep in the fridge (for ages if you're like me and forget to use it up )

 

I wonder if the food processor just can't mix the small volume of ingredients properly at first so by the time the volume is enough it's too late and the mixture has curdled? I have also used the blender attachment on the kenwood chef which also works fine but is a pain to clean so I went back to the whisk method.

[Lesley]

There is a whole thread on Mayonnaise somewhere in here..........have you tried Search?

 

I'll add a link if I find it.

[Lesley]

This is it......

 

viewtopic.php?f=20&t=4538&hilit=+Mayonnaise

[prudance]

Thank you everyone - some good recipes. Might try the electric whisk rather than the food processor. Have a feeling that mine might not quite be working because I'm trying to make a small quantity in the food processor with just one yolk. It doesn't seem to quite mix it up properly in the very early stages, then splits half way through adding the oil. We don't get through a lot of mayo so didn't want to use up all my oil making a larger quantity!

 

Will try again on Thursday hopefully, before my cress dies. I really, really, want an egg and cress sarnie with a bit of mayo...

[..lay a little egg for me]

I'm sure it's the small volume in the food processor that is the problem. I bet your mayo works perfectly using an electric whisk! Let us know how the sandwiches turn out. In fact, I am fancying some egg sarnies now...*goes off to find the whisk*

[Lesley]

My food processor has a small bowl which I can add and use for a one egg yolk quantity which is very helpful.

 

The main bowl is fine if I'm making a two egg yolk quantity - but that almost fills 2 x 1lb honey jars.

[prudance]

Nearly cried this lunchtime. Still no mayo...

 

My food processor just doesn't seem to mix in the oil and the egg in the very, very early stages. I've been looking really closely! I've tried the mini bowl with one egg, the normal bowl with two eggs, and the hand electric whisk thingy with two eggs today. None worked! I actually ran out of eggs! I've read that the crucial bit is getting it to emulsify with the first couple of drops, but they're the one's not mixing. The oil seems to sit on the bottom and the egg is flung to the side and the blades carve a nice groove in the side of the egg, but they just don't mix until I've added too much oil!

 

I think I was a little closer with the whisk, but still had the problem of most of the egg being flung somewhere else. Do you just ignore that and gradually incorporate it as your volume grows?

 

Help!

[TAJ]

The trick is to add to oil really slowly. I use an electric wisk - never turn it off - wisk with one hand and drip oil direct onto wisk very slowly with the other hand. I love lemon mayonnaise made fresh this way.

 

Tracy

[redhotchick]

I have made Mayonnaise in a one pint bowl with a fork. It worked but it was a bit heavy.

Not light and whipped and lovely. Maybe if you start it off by hand and then switch to the whisk?

I'm planning on making some mayonnaise next week as I have now run out and don't want to buy any. I will study the previous thread and report back.

I should probably plant some cress tomorrow, by the time I get round to the Mayo the cress might be ready! Any tips on growing cress Prudance?

[..lay a little egg for me]

The trick is to add the oil really slowly. I use an electric whisk - never turn it off - whisk with one hand and drip oil direct onto whisk very slowly with the other hand. I love lemon mayonnaise made fresh this way.

 

Tracy

 

I agree with this. I also use a measuring jug into which the electric whisk only just fits. That way the mixture can't "escape" onto the sides. A bowl maybe too big and so you get the same problem as with the food processor.

 

Don't give up!

[Lewis]

I made some last year with my Dad, we made it in a really big metal bowl and hand whisk. Literally adding one drop of oil at a time.

 

It worked really well and came out darker than shop bought mayo. Kept well in the fridge aswell.

 

I want to make some more now!

[craftyhunnypie]

Make my salad cream instead - using condensed milk!

 

1/4lb butter melted

1/2 cup (American size) white vinegar

1 tin of condensed milk ( I use the light version)

2 - 3 teaspoons of mustard powder or mustard

pinch of salt & pepper

 

I melt my butter in a pan, then take of heat & whisk in all the other ingredients with a normal whisk. Pour into a jar.

It goes with everything & is yummy. Nice on salad, nice on barbequed sausages & kebabs, nice as a dip, nice with chips, makes excellent potato salad, nice on a butty with ham. Just yummy!

 

Emma.x

[prudance]

Thank you for the encouragement everyone. Will try again one day soon. Have resorted to a very small jar of shop-bought in mean time.

 

As for growing cress. It's easy peasy. I use a lid from a punnet of cherry tomatoes, or similar (without holes). Fold up two squares of kitchen paper towel to fit. Add water to make towel nice and damp, but not swimming. Sprinkle loads of cress seeds on top. Cover the whole lot with a sheet of normal paper. Helps stop the seed scorching when you put it on your sunny windowsill. Remember to keep the kitchen towel paper damp. Take off the paper when your cress is around 1" tall, or when it touches the paper. Grow on to around 2". If the paper dries out, your cress will flop. Add more water and unless they've had a prolonged drought, they'll bounce back.

[Lesley]

It sounds to me like it might just be the design of your processor . Mine mixes low down in the bowl and it does do that initial mix. I have even made good mayo. when I've been in a hurry and added the oil fairly quickly.

[Lewis]

Just made some + it doesn't taste very nice

I think its because I used olive oil and sunflower oil, instead of just sunflower oil.

About to try again now

[Cinnamon]

You need to use LIGHT olive oil - anything else gives it a strong oily flavour

[..lay a little egg for me]

You need to use LIGHT olive oil - anything else gives it a strong oily flavour

 

I use half extra virgin olive oil and half rapeseed oil and it does not have a strong oily flavour. I think the amount of oil that you can get one egg yolk to take is more than is required to create a thick sauce, so if you keep adding oil after the sauce has thickened it can get oily. I tend not to measure the oil, but to add a bit of olive oil and then a bit of rapeseed oil and keep going until the mayo looks right. I also add a tbs of hot water to "set" the mayo for keeping, which may reduce the oiliness.

 

Mmm, thinking of hard boiling some eggs now so I can have egg sarnies for lunch

[Cinnamon]

I don't measure the oil either, just keep adding it until it looks 'right'

 

It is a bit hit & miss to begin with,but I have found that using the Filipo Berrio (*sp) light oil has given me brilliant results every time

[jackiepoppies]

Could it be you are putting in too much vinegar

 

That's when mine always splits

 

Jx

[..lay a little egg for me]

That's interesting...one of the recipes I have says to put in the vinegar half way through the process rather than at the start as my other recipes do.