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Hellmann’s Lovers: Rejoice!

Posted by DishragDiarist on February 17, 2011 in Condiments & Extras with 10 Comments


This is an update to this post in the Kid-Friendly Changes series.

[Yes, this post is an update, but it also HAS an update. If you're Paleo, or just want to try something different, check out this post on making Bacon Mayonnaise! It also contains some good tips on fixing a broken mayo.]

Most people love the taste of Hellmann’s R—, sorry, Hellmann’s RE–, ok, haha, I can’t stop laughing… ahem. Most people love the taste of Hellmann’s REAL Mayonnaise (as the label calls it).

It’s OK. I won’t tell. (I like it, too.)

Let’s take a look at these “REAL” ingredients:
SOYBEAN OIL, WATER, WHOLE EGGS AND EGG YOLKS, VINEGAR, SALT, SUGAR, LEMON JUICE, NATURAL FLAVORS, CALCIUM DISODIUM EDTA.

(That’s real, right? I use Calcium Disodium EDTA in my cooking all the time. I think it’s on sale this week at Wegman’s…)

OK, let’s work backwards on that list. Calcium Disodium EDTA, according Oregon State’s Food Resource Website, “may cause intestinal upsets, muscle cramps, kidney damage, and blood in urine.” (Mmm, hand me another sandwich.) And it gets better: “On the FDA priority list to be studied for mutagenic, teratogenic, subsacute, and reproductive effects.”

Calcium Disodium EDTA is also an organic pollutant. It breaks down into ethylenediamine triacetic acid and then diketopiperazine (a persistent organic pollutant, similar to PCBs and DDT). Yes, I’m serious!

Let’s move on to “natural flavors.” I’m assuming if they were so “natural,” they would list what they are. This is generally code for “MSG,” although I couldn’t find a specific answer on this on the internet (where I thought you could find everything!). See the link just below for a big clue, however.

Soybean oil is a cheap, rancid vegetable oil, which should never be consumed. And since this is non-organic, it’s safe to assume that the soybeans were genetically modified. And speaking of GM, check out this wonderfully clear response that one blogger received from Hellmann’s when trying to determine their GMO (and MSG) usage.

OK, so why am I telling you to rejoice?!

Well, it all starts with a friend of mine, who shall remain nameless. She is very picky hard-to-please discriminating when it comes to her palate. After reading the original post, she made some mayo – and was less than thrilled. Basically, she felt like I had promised Hellmann’s (or better), and hadn’t deliver.

One of the reasons for this is because she used sunflower oil (which I did recommend, but have now even removed from the original post). I really apologize to anyone who had a bad experience using it. I had always grouped sunflower and safflower oils together, thinking they were both equally mild. Not so. Safflower is a much milder choice for mayo. (Don’t throw out your sunflower oil, though! I’m going to give you an awesome use for it in the Non-Toxic Personal Care series! It is also good in small amounts, like in peanut butter, although coconut oil is healthier.)

But the other reason is that she just really, really, liked the specific taste of Hellmann’s (it is the country’s best-selling mayo), and wasn’t going to be happy with anything but that. So I went back to the ol’ drawing board (kitchen island), and tried to figure out a new recipe from scratch. After studying the Hellmann’s label and estimating the ratios of sweet to sour to salt, I think I’ve got it. It’s been tested by that same mayonnaise-connoisseur friend and was very well-received. (Actual e-mail quote: this mayo is the bomb!!!!!  yahoo! thank you, thank you, thank you.)

One quick note on oil before we get to the recipe. As I mentioned above, you will probably want a mild oil. I find safflower to be the mildest. You can also try sesame oil (which is mild, as well, but will impart a sesame taste – which I don’t mind), or extra virgin olive oil (which is the healthiest choice, but also has a stronger taste). You may want to opt for a premium and extra-mild olive oil, such as the one produced by Chaffin Family Orchards. And as you work with the recipe, you can build up to using a blend (such as 1/4 cup EVOO and 3/4 cup safflower). Choose cold-pressed and unrefined/ unfiltered where possible. Avoid all cheap vegetable oils.

Mayo for “N”

*1 cup high-oleic safflower oil, or oil/ blend of your choice
*1 fresh pastured egg, and 1 yolk from a pastured egg (avoid store-bought eggs)
*2 tsp. raw apple cider vinegar
*1 tsp. lemon juice
*1 tsp. raw coconut palm sugar [Can be omitted. See note below.]
*3/4 tsp. sea salt

Place all of the ingredients, in order, in a tall, narrow jar. Place your stick blender on the bottom of the jar, and hold down the turbo button (or just use the low-medium setting) until you see the ingredients emulsify. When nearly the whole mixture has emulsified, slowly move the stick blender up and down the jar to fully incorporate all of the oil. And that’s it – easy peasy!

(If you don’t have a stick blender, buy one immediately. But until it arrives, you can use your jar blender. Start with the eggs, blend them briefly, and then add the remaining ingredients except the oil and briefly blend again. Slowly pour the oil into the jar in a steady stream while blending, until fully incorporated and emulsified.)

This is a reasonably salty recipe, as is the original Hellmann’s. Adjust the salt, along with the sourness (vinegar and lemon juice) and sweetness to suit your family’s tastes.

To super-charge the nutrient value of this mayonnaise, lacto-ferment it by mixing 1/2 – 1 tablespoon of whey into your finished mayo and letting it sit, covered, at room temperature for about seven hours before refrigerating. When lacto-fermented, the mayo will last for several months and get firmer with time.

[Update: I now make this recipe without the sugar. It does not affect the taste much at all. Omitting the sugar makes this mayo Whole Life Challenge compliant.]

Remember to visit the original post and make ranch seasoning to keep on hand. I have an update on that, too: Recently, I’ve also been using my own uncultured buttermilk (from butter-making) in making my ranch dressing, with great results. The dressing is usually a bit thinner, depending on how long I’ve had the buttermilk, but I actually prefer that consistency. Maybe you will, too!

Speaking of ranch, if you’re in a pinch and find yourself without ranch seasoning, try this ranch dressing. If you do, please comment back and let me know how you like it!

Other ideas for using this delicious mayo:

*Make a faux aioli to serve with veggies or fish by mixing mayo and lemon juice with salt and pepper to taste. (Or get more creative and add garlic paste, anchovy paste, curry powder…)
*Have a classic and delicious BLT with crispy, forested bacon (or at least nitrate-free!).
*Try a peanut butter, mayo and lettuce sandwich. (Don’t knock it until you try it! I got this idea from a very good source… ;) )
*See the original post for some more ideas.

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  1. CorrieFebruary 17, 2011 - 3:16 pm #1

    Thanks for the recipe! Can’t wait to try it. I was looking at all the organic mayos in the store yesterday and was disappointed with the ingredients and was actually planning to try out your first recipe. I’ll give this one a try now though. Thanks!

  2. noelleFebruary 17, 2011 - 9:58 pm #2

    i believe i’m on my fourth batch, i think the girls have the ingredients memorized by now! :) thank you so much for the trial and error to finalize the BEST mayo ever!!
    your forever finicky friend. lol

  3. DishragDiaristFebruary 18, 2011 - 9:52 am #3

    I’m so happy you like it so much. I aim to please… :)

  4. DishragDiaristFebruary 18, 2011 - 9:53 am #4

    Yes, it’s a shame they don’t have better ingredients. The Hain safflower one (not lite) is the only one that’s tolerable. I keep one jar on-hand in case I have an emergency (usually for ranch, not really mayo) and don’t have any fresh eggs on hand.

  5. Ruth M.February 18, 2011 - 3:48 pm #5

    I wonder how this would taste with ground flaxseed? For those who cannot eat eggs. To replace one egg you add 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed to 2-3 Tbsp of water, stir it up and let sit for 5-6 min.
    I have no problem with eggs, I was just thinking it might work for running out of eggs too. I used it to great effect in my pancakes this morning! I just love your blog and cannot wait to make this! Yay for another healthy condiment recipe!

  6. DishragDiaristFebruary 19, 2011 - 8:57 am #6

    Ruth – What a good idea! I will try this at some point to see how it works. Flax seed is low in phytic acid, and so doesn’t have to be soaked if taken ground and in smaller amounts. As an omega-3 fat, it has many health benefits. Thanks for the tip (and the encouraging words!).

  7. CorrieFebruary 19, 2011 - 3:00 pm #7

    Just made this – it’s great! I used olive oil as that’s what I had on hand. I think I would like to try it next time with safflower. Also, I love vinegar, but it’s a tad too much for me. Next time, I will cut back on that a little. Thanks so much for a great healthy – and easy – recipe!

  8. DishragDiaristFebruary 19, 2011 - 6:30 pm #8

    So glad you liked it! Just out of curiosity: what kind of vinegar did you use? I think the Bragg’s raw is a little milder/ sweeter than most. Also, it is 5% acidity – is yours the same? Maybe you’d like more lemon juice/ less vinegar (or less sour altogether). Let me know what you do on the next batch!

  9. JanetOctober 9, 2012 - 12:40 pm #9

    Just came across your recipe and it turned out great! I used sunflower oil and it is a little strong, but I like it. I also used Heinz white vinegar instead of apple cider.

    A few thoughts about the eggs. Since raw eggs are a major source of salmonella, I only buy brown, cage free vegetarian diet eggs. I spray the outside of the shell with a solution of 3% hydrogen peroxide with a tiny bit of natural dishwashing liquid added. I let this sit for a few seconds, then rinse and dry.

    I mixed up the eggs with the vinegar and lemon juice and let that sit for a few minutes. Strong acids like these are very effective at killing bacteria. Then I added the other ingredients and blended, and then poured in the oil.

    I would not recommend the lacto-ferment process just because all animal based proteins (eggs, meat, etc) need to be refrigerated within a few hours to avoid bacterial growth that could cause food poisoning. With the acids in the recipe this would be less likely to happen, but having nearly lost a good friend to food poisoning from eggs, I don’t think it’s woth the risk.

  10. DishragDiaristOctober 9, 2012 - 12:53 pm #10

    Hi, Janet! Thanks so much for your comment! Glad you liked the mayo. I’ll be posting a new recipe soon using avocado oil which I just LOVE, so keep an eye out for that.

    Thanks for your thoughts on eggs. Personally, I would not use any store-bought eggs raw. Cage-free doesn’t guarantee they are free-ranging, particularly if they are vegetarian fed. Chickens are omnivores, and should be eating bugs and grubs. If the producer can guarantee they are not eating these things (which they should be eating!) then they are still not free-range, and still not healthy. See this post for more information.

    I understand your worry about bacteria growth. However, properly lacto-fermented foods do not require refrigeration. The good bacteria creates an environment where the bad bacteria cannot survive. This is how people traditionally preserved their foods before then advent of refrigeration. The reason that fermented foods are eventually moved to cold-storage (fairly quickly with mayonnaise) is to slow down the fermentation process. However, I will grant you that there is a lot of chatter in the Real Food world lately about the safest ways to ferment foods.

    Thanks again for your comments!

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