After making salads, grilling meat, or mashing potatoes, the only thing left to do is to add mayonnaise, and voila! You have a somewhat normal meal turned into a delicious dish. The condiment is an all-around product you can use as a dressing, sauce, or dip.
So is this delicious treat a dairy product? Well, this question might sound obvious, but considering the whitish-creamy color and flowability of mayo, it’s easy to see where the confusion might come in.
Some people will say mayo looks and sometimes tastes like a dairy product. However, regular mayonnaise is not a dairy product as it does not contain milk or any other dairy ingredients. It only has eggs, oil, and vinegar or lemon juice. Additional ingredients could be spices and herbs.
Does Mayo Have Dairy?
As stated above, regular mayonnaise does not have dairy. Mayonnaise mainly contains eggs, oil, and acid, which are non-dairy.
However, for people with egg allergies, there is an eggless mayo alternative that uses condensed milk instead of eggs. This can be categorized as special mayo with dairy.
The Main Ingredients in Basic Mayonnaise
Basic mayonnaise has three main ingredients; eggs, oil, and acid (vinegar or lemon juice).
Some people add herbs and spices such as mustard, garlic, and black pepper for enhanced flavor.
Mayonnaise is made through emulsification, meaning ingredients that normally would not mix are forced to combine and form a permanent or temporary mixture.
The eggs form the base of the mayonnaise. They keep together the other two main ingredients through emulsification.
The oil gives the mayonnaise a soft, flowing consistency, making it easy to scoop and eat.
The acidic vinegar or lemon juice adds flavor to the mayo mixture and helps keep the emulsion fresh and bacteria-free. It is the preservative of the three ingredients.
Does Mayonnaise Have Lactose?
Mayonnaise has no lactose unless one uses condensed milk instead of eggs for the emulsion. In case one has a milk allergy or lactose intolerance, regular mayonnaise is completely safe to have.
How to Make Homemade Mayonnaise
Making mayonnaise at home takes about ten to fifteen minutes, and the procedure is simple.
The advantage of making mayonnaise at home is that you can easily customize the taste and flavors while also controlling the amount you want to make.
Ingredients:
2 large eggs
1 cup of oil
2 teaspoons of vinegar or lemon juice
A pinch of salt
Water
Preferred spices to taste
Kitchen notes
The amount of each ingredient will depend on the amount of mayonnaise you want to make. For our recipe, we will use a two-egg mayonnaise recipe which is enough for a meal for 3-4 people.
Before we continue with the recipe, it is important to note that mustard has also become a regular, but not a must, ingredient in most homemade recipes.
Mustard, like oil, helps with improving the texture of mayonnaise and keeping together the other ingredients to prevent the emulsion from breaking.
Broken mayonnaise happens when the eggs, oil, and vinegar begin to separate, thus forming clumps and layers in the mayonnaise.
If you want to experiment with tastes and flavors, you can add spices like garlic, salt, and black pepper.
Directions
Step 1
Take your two eggs and break them into a bowl. Add in the vinegar or lemon juice and a drop of oil and whisk.
Tip:
Use a slightly deep ceramic bowl to allow the egg smoothly flow during the whisking. Other bowl materials like plastic can cause the eggs to stick to the sides, thus reducing the eggs’ amount and value.
Step 2
While still whisking, continue to add the oil in drops slowly. Only add it some at a time because it might spoil the consistency of the mayonnaise. If the mixture is too oily, it might be difficult to eat and enjoy. Continue to whisk while adding the oil in a steady stream until all the oil is in the mixture.
Step 3
Check the consistency of the mixture while whisking. If the mixture is too thick, add in some water and continue to mix to reach your preferred consistency.
Step 4
Add a pinch of salt and a dash of black pepper or other preferred spices. Keep whisking while occasionally tasting to reach the desired flavor.
Oil Tips
The oil to use for homemade mayonnaise is best neutral and flavorless. However, some people enjoy oils such as grape seed oil which adds an extra kick to the emulsion.
If you are checking your calorie or cholesterol levels, try using plant-based oils such as flax seed oil, soybean oil, or sunflower oil.
Avoid using melted solid oil, margarine, or butter because they will ruin the stability and final texture of the mayonnaise, especially if refrigerated.
Vinegar Tips:
Most vinegar will do a great job when making homemade mayonnaise. The choice all boils down to your preference.
To make the best homemade mayonnaise, you can use apple cider, white vinegar, rice vinegar, or even balsamic vinegar.
Storage
Although vinegar keeps the mayonnaise fresh, it is best to keep the mixture refrigerated once opened or used.
If that is not an option, there are a few ways to store your mayonnaise without a fridge. Either way, try to consume homemade mayonnaise as soon as possible to prevent it from spoiling.
So, is Mayo Vegan?
Unfortunately, regular mayo is not vegan. Vegans abstain from all animal-based foods and products, while mayonnaise has eggs. It can, however, pass in some vegetarian branches, such as Lacto-ovo and ovo-vegetarianism.
Since the 1970s, vegan mayo has become a popular trend that still exists to date. Vegan mayo is made of plant-based ingredients, including avocado oils chick-pea brine (aquafaba), mustard, and vinegar, among other things.
Best Vegan Mayo
While vegan mayo has a particular group of followers, it is popular among them. Some of the best vegan mayo include:
- Hellman’s Vegan Follow Your Heart Vegenaise
- Good and Gather Vegan Dressing
- Chosen Foods Vegan Avocado Oil Mayo
Is Mayonnaise Healthy?
To correctly answer this question, we will have to look at the different ingredients in the mayonnaise and their nutritional value since mayonnaise is not food by itself.
Eggs and vinegar do have various health benefits that thus make mayonnaise healthy.
However, the oil makes mayonnaise not only high in calories but in cholesterol as well. That is why it is important to be mindful of the type of oil you use when making homemade mayonnaise.
Read Also: What Does Kewpie Mayo Taste Like?
Health Benefits of Mayonnaise
- When used as a hair mask, mayonnaise is a hair treatment that aids in improving hair health and general shine.
- Mayonnaise application greatly helps heal damaged and chapped skin and nails, making them shinier and stronger.
- Mayonnaise is a good source of Vitamins E and K, which are good for heart health and blood clotting.
- Mayonnaise can promote good eyesight thanks to the beta-carotene found in eggs.
- 100 grams of mayonnaise provides 26% of the daily body sodium requirement for proper nerve functions and body water and mineral balances.
Cons of Using Mayonnaise
- Excessive use of mayonnaise can lead to obesity since it’s rich in saturated fats.
- Too much sodium can cause nerve damage, goiter, and body imbalances. Mayo contains sodium and thus should be taken in moderation.
- Mayonnaise can harm people with ulcers and hyperacidity due to the vinegar or lemon juices used to make it.
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