2-Minute Homemade Mayo Recipe Goes Viral

- The origins of mayonnaise are most commonly traced back to 1756 in Mahón, Menorca, where a French chef, celebrating a victory, substituted olive oil for cream in a sauce, creating the first version of the condiment. - The creamy texture of mayonnaise is the result of a chemical process called emulsification, where lecithin from the egg yolk acts as a binding agent, allowing the otherwise unmixable oil and lemon juice (or vinegar) to form a stable mixture. - Commercial mayonnaise often has a thicker, more neutral, and sometimes sweeter taste due to stabilizers and preservatives, while homemade versions are typically described as having a fresher, tangier, and more "eggy" flavor with a lighter, silkier consistency. - A common failure in making homemade mayonnaise is a "broken" or runny emulsion, which often happens when the oil is added too quickly, preventing the egg yolk from properly incorporating it. Using ingredients that are not at room temperature can also cause the emulsion to fail. - While commercial mayonnaise can last for months in the refrigerator after opening, homemade mayonnaise lacks preservatives and should typically be consumed within 3 to 7 days when stored in an airtight container in the fridge. - To reduce the risk of salmonella from raw eggs in homemade recipes, the USDA suggests using pasteurized eggs, which can extend the mayonnaise's refrigerated shelf life.