How is Mayo Made?

By Mother Earth News readers
Updated on October 19, 2023
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by Adobestock/M.studio

How is mayo made? Learn to make mayo by following this simple recipe using a food processor to whip ingredients together quickly.

Our first attempts at making homemade mayonnaise were time-consuming and largely unsuccessful. Ingredients would bottleneck at the bottom of the blender and puddle rather than blend. The machine would overheat as the base became hot to the touch. Although frequent stopping and stirring helped, the process took much too long. Everything changed when we switched to using a food processor. With the appliance’s ample mixing bowl, mayonnaise comes together quickly, creating a finished product in just a few minutes!

After we discovered the food processor technique, we tinkered with the basic recipe to create exactly the flavor we wanted. The basic ingredients of mayonnaise are eggs and oil, plus liquids to help with aeration. Additional ingredients add flavor. We prefer a touch of olive oil for its richness, lemon juice for the slight tang it adds, and Tabasco sauce as an overall flavor enhancement.

You’ll need to follow a few basic mayonnaise-making rules. Ingredients must be at room temperature, so be sure to warm up anything you’ve stored in a cool place. Always introduce the oil slowly. Mayonnaise recipe instructions often describe this as “by the teaspoon” or “in a slow and steady stream.” This is necessary for mayonnaise to blend properly, and so easily done with a food processor.

We developed the following recipe through trial and error, focusing on taste and consistency. Organic ingredients are always preferable. The availability of organic lemons is inconsistent where we live, so when we can get them, we freeze the juice in tablespoon measurements. (Although freezing doesn’t negatively affect the final product, you must remember to bring the juice to room temperature before using it in homemade mayonnaise.) We prefer to use pink Himalayan salt. Plain white vinegar tastes good in this recipe, but flavored vinegar will taste even better. We always use chive blossom vinegar, with delicious results. You could try basil- or dill-flavored vinegar, depending on your preferences.

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