# Why is my Mayo so thin?



## OddCooker

Fourth Mayo I made, this one is way too thin to go on a sandwich properly.  I used a slightly modified version of Alton Browns Method, I'm experimenting with using a stick blended on low setting with a whisk attachment once I've got the emulsion set.

I then finished the mayo with a hand whisk and a bit of olive oil.  I'm thinking about adding another egg yolk by hand to thicken it.


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## Uncle Bob

Just a guess --- Two much oil - to fast.  Another guess --- Over processed (Stick Blender)


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## bbally

can you post your recipe and methodology?  Make it a little easier to see what is wrong.


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## OddCooker

*my method*

too much oil to fast is very likely, as is over beating. 

i prepped
2 teaspoons of fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon of champagne white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon of table salt
1/2 teaspoon of dry mustard
2 pinches sugar
1 fresh egg yolk
tiny bit of egg white-to counter the increased RPM's i planned to hit them with

little more than a cup of canola oil in a squeeze bottle, embarrassingly with a poked piece of waxed paper as a spout.

1 hand whisk
1 stick blender with a whisk attachment and a low setting

one large plastic mixing bowl
1 damp paper towel to hold the bowl

Clean Spatula, fresh from spatula city!
clean jar

i hand to rig my squeeze bottle, on of my roommate must have lost my squeeze bottles top

i hand beat the dry team, the egg yolk, with just a bit more while left on than i would leave normally. i poured over half my juice/vinager mix then  I beat to an emulsion with the hand whisk then dropped oil in slow as i could till the bowl had doubled in volume.  

I poured in a bit faster and whisked till my arm got sore, then i switched to the power.  I kept it on low and folded with it as i beat.

 i used about half my oil, then added the rest of the juice/vinegar mix and kept up the mixing, i would stop from time to time to hand mix as well, with just a bit of the oil left and a fresh arm i switched over to the hand whisk to finish.

i finished, poured the mix into the jar with the spatula and let it sit for an hour, the put it in the fridge.

it never set it was still very runny at lunch, but tasty, more a sauce than a spread.


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## bbally

Go to one whole egg and one yolk.  Add another half cup of oil.

That will fix it.


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## ironchef

Use a glass or stainless steel bowl to mix it. Believe it or not, plastic actually retards emulsion. Try making a meringue in a plastic bowl. Won't work. And make sure your ingredients are room temp., or at least 60-65 degrees F. Mayonnaise is harder to emulsify if the ingredients are cold. 

Also, fold in the non-oil liquids. Don't add it while using the blender. The blender will agitate the emulsion too violently and the liquids will throw off the oil-to-water ratio which will cause it to break.


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## OddCooker

Plastic retards the emulsion? wow thats something i did not know.  My emulsion seems to be holding (three days and no separation) it is just thin, I am going make turkey salad with it with some dry turkey someone else left.

I thought using a Stainless Steel bowl might discolor the mayo?

Also I hand mixed (I used the term beat) the non oil ingredients and about a third of the oil this a balloon whisk before going to power, my arm just can't hold out to hand whisk a whole batch! I go till my arm gets sore, then switch to the stick blender/whisk attachment, then run it for a bit, hand mix for a bit.

Thanks!


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## ironchef

OddCooker said:


> Plastic retards the emulsion? wow thats something i did not know.  My emulsion seems to be holding (three days and no separation) it is just thin, I am going make turkey salad with it with some dry turkey someone else left.
> 
> I thought using a Stainless Steel bowl might discolor the mayo?
> 
> Also I hand mixed (I used the term beat) the non oil ingredients and about a third of the oil this a balloon whisk before going to power, my arm just can't hold out to hand whisk a whole batch! I go till my arm gets sore, then switch to the stick blender/whisk attachment, then run it for a bit, hand mix for a bit.
> 
> Thanks!



No, stainless won't discolor the mayo. We use stainless bowls and bain maries to make mayos and aiolis all the time in professional kitchens. You might have added too much liquid for the amount of egg and oil you used. If the water-to-oil ratio is too high, your mayo will get runny no matter if you hand whisk it in or not. It's ok to start with a little acid to get it going, but add the main bulk of it after you get it to a thickened emulsion so you have more control over it. If you add too much liquid in initially, the only thing you can do is blend more egg yolks in a seperate container, then add the thin mayo in to re-thicken it. Too much liquid will prevent the proteins in the egg yolks from properly bonding with the oil and the result will be runny.


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## OddCooker

*Thank you Iron Chef*

and bbaly and first responder Uncle Bob.

Would any of you have an opinion on using dry turkey in a Turkey Salad, or should i just toss it?

I'm thinking Dry Turkey (edible, just dry) mixed in with the Mayo, maybe a bit of Lime and Cilantro, something crisp (Probably Celery -edit- Roasted Corn?) then a nice Tortilla wrap to hold it with.

Of course, thin mayo is not much of a binder, is it?


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## archiduc

OddCooker said:


> Fourth Mayo I made, this one is way too thin to go on a sandwich properly. I used a slightly modified version of Alton Browns Method, I'm experimenting with using a stick blended on low setting with a whisk attachment once I've got the emulsion set.
> 
> I then finished the mayo with a hand whisk and a bit of olive oil. I'm thinking about adding another egg yolk by hand to thicken it.


 
Hi OldCooker,

Try this method.

You will need a hand held electric beater, bowl, a measuring jug which can be placed in a pan of warm water and (lots of) teaspoons for measuring and tasting.

Place 250 mls oil - preferably 175-200mls groundnut or sunflower oil or other neutral flavoured oil in a jug with 75-50 mls OO/EVOO. The exact relationship between a neutral oil, in terms of flavour and OO/EVOO is a matter of taste. Place the jug in a pan or warm water - hand hot and let the oil warm for about 15 mins - so do this first whilst you get everything else ready. 

Now why do this - because as you beat the egg yolk mixture with an electric hand whisk, the temperature of that is raised and for maximum emulsion and thickening, you want the temperature of the oil to be as near as possible to that of the egg yolk mix. When I used to do this commercially, making mayo by the quart, the oil was placed in metal jug and left to rest and raise in temperature, near the cooker and the mayo made in a mixer!


Place 2 egg yolks in a bowl and add:

2 good pinches of salt;
1 rounded teaspoon of smooth French mustard - or 2 good pinches of dry mustard powder;
6-8 grinds of freshly ground black pepper;
2 good pinches of caster sugar.

Place the bowl on a damp cloth to hold it steady.

Have ready some warm water from a freshly boiled kettle of water - OK, so it doesn`t make sense now, but it will.

Have ready 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice or white wine vinegar - place in a cup/bowl.

Whisk the egg yolks with the added ingredients (salt, mustard, pepper and sugar) until well blended, and lightened in colour, on full speed. Switch off the whisk whilst you turn to the oil.

Remove the oil, in the jug, from the warm water and dry the outside of the jug thoroughly.

Now, here you have to be patient and work with both hands - one whisking and one pouring! I pour the oil with my writing hand!

Turn the electic mixer up to 75%-80% speed and add, in a gentle stream about 1 tablespoon oil and mix well. Add more oil in a THIN but steady stream whilst the whisk is on and keep whisking. Add more oil and as you add the oil the mixture will thicken considerably. After you`ve added about 175 mls of oil the mixture should be quite thick, so to thin it, add 1-2 teaspoons lemon juice or white wine vinegar. Add more oil and thin to taste with the acid ingredient - lemon juice/white wine vinegar.

Now, you have to use your judgement in terms of seasoning - salt/pepper - you can add, and how oily/acid you like the mayonnaise to be. Keep whisking and tasting but use a clean spoon between each tasting. I use 5/6 teaspoons for each mayonnaise making session. 

If your mayonnaise tastes good, but is too thick for what you need, add a little warm water from a freshly boiled kettle to "let it down", i.e., thin it down to the consistency you want.

Hope this helps,

Archiduc.


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