Sunday, January 9, 2011

Paleo Mayonnaise

I've tried a couple of different recipes for mayonnaise recently. What I've learned is not to use a heavy extra virgin olive oil. My original attempt was very bitter.

For this recipe, I used an "extra light tasting" olive oil. It did the trick! You can experiment with flavors by substituting your fat and adding other ingredients. Try it with bacon fat or coconut oil. Add some fresh herbs or a little chipotle pepper. Enjoy it free of guilt! Your mayonnaise will be a beautiful buttery yellow and should stay good for up to a week if refrigerated in an airtight container.

Adapted from Paleo Diet Lifestyle.

Ingredients
2 egg yolks
1 tsp mustard
3 tsp lemon juice
1 cup extra light olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Procedure

  1. In the bowl of a food processor, add egg yolks, mustard, and 1 tsp of lemon juice. Process until smooth.
  2. With processor running, VERY slowly add olive oil through the feed chute until you form an emulsion. If you pour the oil too quickly, it will separate and you will probably have to start over.
  3. Continue to add the oil until the mixture thickens. 
  4. Add the remaining lemon juice and pulse to combine.
  5. Add salt and pepper to taste.


29 comments:

  1. Beth from Crossfit FreedomAugust 23, 2011 at 12:24 PM

    I just love this recipe! I add more mustard and lemon juice. Love, Love, Love it! It brings back memories of my Grandma making her own Mayo.

    Thank you Pam for helping me bring back those memories!

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  2. Thanks, Beth. I never thought I'd be making my own mayo, but once I tried, it was so easy and delicious. I'm posting a recipe for ranch dressing next week that uses this mayo. I think you'll like it! Thanks for the great comments!

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  3. How long does the mayonaise keep?

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  4. Hi, Donna! I have kept it for up to a week. I usually don't have much left over after making a recipe, so I haven't tested it longer than that.

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  5. Hi Pam,

    I made it the other day, and strangely enough the mayo came out tasting bitter. Any idea why that might be?

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    Replies
    1. Sabine, I'm guessing you used regular extra virgin olive oil. That will give your mayo a bitter taste. Try it with oil labeled "light tasting" olive oil. That should solve your problem. Let me know!

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    2. Thanks for your reply, i'll give it a go!

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    3. Hi Pam, forgot to give you feedback earlier.. The light olive oil worked wonderfully, thanks!

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    4. Oh good, Sabine! I knew exactly what you were talking about because I did the same thing the first time I made mayo. Not good! Glad we got it figured out. Thanks for letting me know.

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  6. Is it safe to eat raw eggs like this?

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  7. Good question, Carolyn. You need to be careful with the source of your eggs to ensure their safety. I purchase organic pastured eggs (from local farms, when possible) and have never had a problem. Here is a great article that goes into more details on using raw egg yolks: http://kellythekitchenkop.com/2010/01/are-raw-eggs-safe-to-eat-real-food-wednesday.html. I admittedly was a little leery when I first started making my own mayo, but now I wouldn't have it any other way. You need to make the decision that's right for you.

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  8. what kind of mustard are you suppose to be using ?

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    Replies
    1. I use prepared dijon mustard. I've used Rolland brand and Annie's organic.

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  9. Can you use just egg whites...I am allergic to Yolks?
    sounds awesome, gonna try the chorizo stuffed dates with bacon tonight,...everyone was drooling here

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    Replies
    1. Hi, Anon! My first thought was that you need the yolks for the mayo, but then I did a little checking and found that you can use just the whites. Here's a recipe you could try: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/egg-white-mayonnaise/. Just replace the vegetable oil with the light-tasting olive oil and skip the sugar. I'd love to hear how it turns out. Enjoy the dates--I LOVE them!!! Thanks for the post!

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    2. Try duck eggs. I have an egg allergy, but I can eat duck eggs because the protiens are different.

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    3. Thanks for the duck egg tip. Where do you purchase your eggs?

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    4. I also had an "Egg Allergy" - turns out I have a soy allergy and most eggs (even organic or free range) are fed soy. We tried some soy free eggs from a farm and I did not have my allergic reaction. We now raise our own soy free eggs :)

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    5. That's interesting, Frontier Farms. It makes me wonder how many of those with egg allergies are really allergic to soy. It's good that you were able to identify the real cause of your allergy--I would hate to live without eggs if I didn't have to. Thanks for the post!

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  10. Hi Pam, my mayo came out very runny. I used egg yoks only, is that right?

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    Replies
    1. Hi, Ernie! It sounds like you did not get a proper emulsion. You are correct to use only the yolks. After you mix the yolks, lemon juice, and mustard, it is very important to add the olive oil VERY slowly. I try to get the mayo thickened within adding the first 1/4 cup of olive oil. Believe me, I have thrown a couple of batches away because they have been runny. The mayo should be nice and thick. Once you get that emulsion, you can add the rest of the olive oil at a faster pace--it will stay thick. Hope that helps!

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    2. Really - I have made my own mayo for a couple of years now using the recipe from "Whole foods for the whole family" book - it is a blender recipe and it uses whole eggs. The only time it has not come out is when I am in a hurry and pouring oil in too fast :)

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    3. Hmm. I haven't seen any recipes that use the whole egg, but I sometimes end up wasting the whites--which I hate doing. I'll have to check into it. Thanks!

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  11. For an easier method of getting the emulsion to work, try the technique at Serious Eats: http://www.seriouseats.com/2011/10/the-food-lab-homemade-mayo-in-2-minutes-or-le.html

    I failed multiple times trying to make mayo by other methods. This is, IMO, the most foolproof way of doing it. The secret is to allow the oil to rise to the top of the container and to not move the immersion blender until most of the oil has emulsified.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Janet! I just watched the video and will try using my stick blender next time. I have been using an electric whisk lately and it has worked well, too. I think I'll have to update the recipe to include a couple of mixing options since the food processor can be a little tricky. I really appreciate the information!

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  12. One other thing to keep in mind is to ensure the container is tall and narrow so it prevents the oil from mixing with the rest of the ingredients too quickly. You'll notice that in the video, the container is only slightly wider than the blender.

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    Replies
    1. I've tried this method a couple of times with the tall mixing container that came with my stick blender. I can use my regular recipe, but I need to add a little water to it since it comes out really thick. It is quite quick and easy though. Thanks again!

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  13. This looks great! Just a quick question though, how much approximately does this recipe make?

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    Replies
    1. Hi, JulieBug. This recipe makes about 1 1/2 cups of mayonnaise.

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