Recipe Techniques and Tips
Storage and Reheating
Transfer the mayonnaise to a clean, airtight container and refrigerate immediately. Homemade mayo made with raw eggs and no preservatives is best used within 5–7 days for safety and quality. Keep it on a shelf toward the back of the fridge where the temperature is cold and stable, and always use clean utensils to avoid contamination. Mayo should not be reheated; instead, use it cold or let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes to take the chill off before serving.
For additional safety, you can make this recipe with pasteurized eggs, which have been gently heated to kill bacteria while remaining liquid.
Mustard-free version
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1 whole egg, room temperature.
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1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar.
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1/2 teaspoon salt.
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1 cup neutral oil, like sunflower, canola, avocado, or grape seed
How to make it
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Put the egg, lemon juice or vinegar, and salt into a tall jar or narrow cup.
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Blend briefly to combine.
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Pour in the oil very slowly at first, or use an immersion blender at the bottom until it thickens.
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Once it starts to look like mayo, you can add the rest of the oil in a thin
Best tips
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Use a neutral oil; strong olive oil can taste harsh.
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Room-temperature ingredients help it come together more reliably.
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If it’s too thick, add a teaspoon of water and blend again.
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If you want more tang, increase the vinegar or lemon juice slightly.
If it breaks
If the mixture stays runny or splits, start over with a fresh egg in a clean jar and slowly blend the broken mayo into it. That usually rescues it.
FAQ
Q: Is homemade mayonnaise safe to eat with raw eggs?
A: Many home cooks use raw eggs in mayonnaise, but there is a small risk of foodborne illness from Salmonella, especially for pregnant people, young children, older adults, or anyone immunocompromised. Using pasteurized eggs, keeping the mayo refrigerated, and using it within 5–7 days helps reduce risk.
Q: Why did my mayonnaise not thicken?
A: Mayo usually fails when the egg mixture does not reach the blades, the jar is too wide, or the ingredients are too cold. Using a tall narrow jar, starting with the blender on the bottom, and letting ingredients come toward room temperature typically fixes this; in stubborn cases, adding another egg yolk and blending again can help it emulsify.
Origins
Mayonnaise originated as an emulsified sauce likely tied to 18th-century Europe, with roots in Mahón, Menorca, Spain.
The most common story traces mayonnaise to 1756, when French Duke de Richelieu’s chef created it during a victory celebration after capturing Port Mahon in the Seven Years’ War. Lacking cream, the chef substituted olive oil, egg yolks, and lemon juice for a local aioli-like sauce, dubbing it “mahonnaise.” Earlier precursors, like garlic-heavy aioli, appear in 14th-century Spanish texts.
These ingredients—olive oil prominent in Spain—helped the sauce spread via French influence, though some theories suggest Basque French origins as “bayonnaise.”
Early Development
By 1806, French cook André Viard refined it into a stable egg yolk-oil emulsion without Roux, marking the first modern recipe. Antonin Carême later called it “magnonaise” in 1815, and Escoffier deemed it a mother sauce. The term “mayonnaise” entered English that year.
Global Spread
It appeared in U.S. menus by 1838 at Delmonico’s with lobster and chicken. Commercialization boomed in the early 1900s; Richard Hellmann sold his wife’s recipe from a New York deli in 1912, using blue-ribbon jars.
Today, it’s a staple worldwide, with variants like Japanese Kewpie.