Culinary Poll #27: What About Mayonnaise?

[Daniel Rogov]

Do you make mayonnaise at home or do you rely on commercial brands? And, even if you use commercial brands only some of the time, on what brand/s do you rely?

[Linda R. (NC)]

I am a "Kraft" mayo person. The price has gone up considerably - $5.19 for the 32 oz. size the other day at Harris Teeter.

[Shel T]

Hellmann's for general use.

[Carl Eppig]

We use Cain's All Natural for me, and Fat Free for her. We make our own when something else goes in it such as a handful of garlic cloves.

[Matilda L]

I rarely make my own mayonnaise, although I have been known to do so. A favourite recipe is for a whole egg mayonnaise made in a blender.

I like mayonnaise; I also don't mind some of the commercial salad creams that call themselves "mayonnaise" - although some that I have tasted are nothing like mayonnaise, and nothing like foodstuff, come to that. The Francophile is fond of mayonnaise on his salads and on tomatoes, so we usually have a jar of commercial salad cream in the fridge. Currently, it is Paul Newman's whole egg mayonnaise.

When I was a child in country Australia, everyone's mum made mayonnaise. Not the real thing, but a salad cream based on tinned condensed milk. My mother made it this way:

1 rounded teaspoon Coleman's Mustard powder
A pinch of salt
Blend with enough white vinegar to make a thin runny paste
Add about 2/3 cup tinned condensed milk, and blend together
Add 1/2 to 2/3 cup white vinegar, stirring all the while.
The condensed milk will sour and thicken. Adjust the amount of vinegar to make the mayonnaise the consistency you like. Keeps for 4 or 5 days in the fridge.

During summer, this was often used in potato salad (just cold sliced potatoes with this mayonnaise on it, really). I haven't tasted that potato salad for years, but still remember it fondly as one of my favourite childhood foods.

But real mayonnaise is a whole different thing. I first tasted it at dinner at a friend's house on Christmas Night, aged about 9. In the midst of Anglo-Celtic Australia, housekeeping in this family was influenced very much by the grandmother (who was French) and the grandfather (who was Jewish). French/Jewish influences made for a different dining experience, appreciated even by nine year old Matilda with her lamb chops and white bread background!

On another thread, over in the Forum Kitchen, Eric L suggests that children's tastes are shaped for better or worse by their early family influences (paraphrasing - hope I'm not bending your meaning, Eric!) My first taste of real mayonnaise was one of those childhood food experiences outside anything I'd known before. The texture, the flavour - I liked it! The next day, as I babbled on about what we'd had the night before at Monique's place, my mother grimaced and commented that "what they call mayonnaise is horrible greasy stuff" - but my opinion was formed and wouldn't shift!

[MichaelB]

Trader Joe's is the winner for me. I used to make my own, but it was always too runny.

[Tim York]

Most commercial mayonnaise is sugary and vile. Practically all the mayonnaise we eat at home is made by Germaine, much of it following a slim line recipe from Michel Guérard.

In a half Belgian household like ours, mayonnaise makes a frequent appearance.

[ChefJCarey]

Make it. Both whole egg and egg yolk varieties.

[Shlomo R]

Hellman's

[Daniel Rogov]

I find most commercial mayonnaise unacceptable and thus make my own nearly all of the time. The only exception is when I am in Paris, Florence or Milan where many of the better grocery shops sell their own home-made mayonnaise, much of which is every bit as good as I can make in my own kitchen.

Best
Rogov

[M Kremer]

I never make my own Mayonaise, because I bring/get "Tommy Mayonaise" from Switzerland. This is the very best Maionaise in the world and every Swiss person living outside of Switzerland brings this Mayonaise with him.

If you don't know it yet, you must try it.

Best wishes,

Michael

[Daniel Rogov]

Michael, Hi....


Is that the mayonnaise that comes in tubes and is sold at Migros? if so, I am tempted to agree that this is indeed a fine mayonnaise.

Best
Rogov

[Scott Lancer]

I voted N/A. I'll eat mayonnaise if it's been secretly added to something, and in some cases have enjoyed it. I have however never purchased a jar of mayonnaise, nor made it myself.

[M Kremer]

Indeed - Thomy is the one that comes in tubes and is most probably also marketed by Migros - see attached picture
(Note however that Migros is often marketing in paralel similar products with its own private label).

I use the mayonaise mainly with fish (gefilte fish, Salmon, etc).

A little tip on tomato slices goes also well.

regards,

Michael

[Daniel Rogov]

Ah Michael, we agree. Moi aussi, j'aime bien le Thomy!!!

Best
Rogov

[Vladimir P]

This is the very best Maionaise in the world and every Swiss person living outside of Switzerland brings this Mayonaise with him.

Thomy is mayonnaise of my childhood, it was produced in Slovenia by Kolinska under license.... all others are tasteless comparing to Thomy.

[Ryan M]

I have never made my mayonnaise, but my wife has on at least one occasion - but even then a very rare thing.

[Robert Reynolds]

Mayonnaise is vile, vile stuff, fit only for cole slaw or deviled eggs, IMHO.

[Charlie Dawg]

I have tried to make my own, but it is so cheap and taste ok for what I would use that it is not justifible enough for me to spend my time, which I do not have to make it.

[Carrie L.]

I like Best Foods, which is Hellman's on the East Coast.
Also buy Miracle Whip but use it only for a few specific things like tuna and macaroni salad. Reminds me of Mom's!

[Paul Winalski]

I use mayonnaise for the cole slaw that I make to serve with barbecue and on BLTs. I don't eat either food frequently enough to bother making my own mayo. I buy Hellman's or Cain's. I've been toying with the idea of making my own, though, now that there's some really good uncured apple smoked bacon available (from North Country Smokehouse here in NH) and I find myself eating BLTs more often.

-Paul W.