Is Homemade Mayonnaise Worth the Effort?

Molly WizenbergElizabeth Gunnison, Bon Appetit

In our column Fake It or Make It we test a homemade dish against its prepackaged counterpart to find out what's really worth cooking from scratch.

I like the idea of homemade mayonnaise. I really do. The alchemy of turning a translucent liquid into an opaque solid; the pale yellow, pudding-like concoction that ensues; but above all, I like the idea of making a cheap, readily available condiment from scratch. But real life being what it is--short on potential mayonnaise-making moments--I have my doubts as to whether the homemade version really is as transporting and wholly unique as some devoted home cooks claim; or whether, like butter, it can be left to the professionals with little loss of quality. Let's investigate.

The Contenders
Hellmann's Real Mayonnaise vs. Bon Appetit's Homemade Mayonnaise

Mayonnaise is what's known in science terms as a stable emulsion: lots of oil whipped into a small amount of water until a creamy sauce forms. An emulsifier (egg yolk) and stabilizer (mustard) help disperse the oil molecules and then keep them there. Et voila, mayonnaise. The sauce likely has its origin in 18th century France, but it was first commercialized in New York City around 1912 by delicatessen owners Nina and Richard Hellmann. A so-called "mother sauce" in French cooking, mayonnaise is the basis for other emulsified sauces such as tartar sauce, Thousand Island dressing, aioli, and remoulade. The Belgians, the British and other geniuses put it on fries. In America, we mostly like to use mayo on sandwiches and picnic salads.

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Relative Costs
Homemade is the cheaper of two very inexpensive alternatives. I paid $3.99 for a 15-ounce jar of Hellmann's, which works out to 27 cents per ounce. Ingredients for the homemade version added up to around 14 cents per ounce--less than a dollar for 1/4 cup of mayonnaise.

Relative Healthfulness
Slim advantage to homemade. Hellmann's is made with many of the same ingredients as homemade - oil, eggs, vinegar, lemon juice, salt - buts adds to the mix calcium disodium EDTA, a preservative which improves shelf life.

Time Commitment
It took me 20 minutes to make homemade mayonnaise, including setup and cleanup.

Leftovers Potential
Store-bought is significantly hardier. Hellmann's mayonnaise can stay safely in your fridge for a year or more (there's a 'best by' date on each jar), whereas homemade mayonnaise (which contains raw egg yolk) should be consumed within a few days.

What The Testers Said
First let me introduce our panel.

THE HEALTH NUT
A delicate eater, the health nut is calorie conscious but also likes to eat well

THE FOODIE
Calorie agnostic, our foodie judge has a sophisticated palate and a love of cooking

THE DUDE
Ambivalent toward food trends and health concerns, this guy just wants to be fed when he's hungry

THE KID
Between ages of 9 and 12 years old, not jaded, typically not into strong flavors

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Testers sampled both mayonnaises blind, alone and on turkey sandwiches. Everyone correctly identified the homemade from the store-bought when tested on their own, but the task got considerably harder once sandwiches were involved.

The Health Nut: Store-bought. "I don't notice a huge difference, especially on a sandwich, so I would never spend the time to make it."

The Foodie: Homemade. "This is the mayonnaise I'd rather dip fries into. Its flavor is more complex."

The Kid: Store-bought. "The other one is weirder tasting."

The Dude: Store-bought. "This mayonnaise is thicker and creamier. I like the consistency better."

The Verdict: Fake it.
Homemade mayo is a nice idea, but if you're using it on sandwiches as most of us do, it doesn't deliver much of an impact for the extra time commitment. Hellmann's will work just fine. However, keep in mind that for more sauce-centric applications--as a condiment for fries, or the basis for a remoulade--a homemade mayonnaise may be a nice touch.

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