Homemade Mayonnaise - Bring out the (very) best!

Sorry I didn't get back you sooner. I should've checked my threads lately!

I saw a couple of people asking about whey - you can certainly make mayonnaise without it, but the addition helps it to keep longer in the fridge. If you think you'll eat it within two or three weeks, it shouldn't be a problem. And since this recipe only makes about a pint, it shouldn't be hard to use it up before it goes bad (I saw mold growth on mine once, after I forgot about the last little bit in a jar for about three months. In other words, you'll know when you shouldn't eat it anymore!). If you would like to keep the mayonnaise for longer than a month, I'd recommend including the whey. Here is the advice that I gave another lady who had the same question:

"As for the whey, it's the liquid part of milk, which is separated from the solids, or curds (remember Little Miss Muffet?). The easiest way to get some is to strain some plain yogurt. Pick a brand that's good quality (I'd stay away from low-fat; they don't taste as good after they're strained), with few additives. There shouldn't be many more ingredients than milk and yogurt cultures. Line a big bowl with cheesecloth, pour the yogurt in, then tie the cloth up and let it hang for several hours. The whey will come out into the bowl, and you can keep it in the fridge for a month or so. The yogurt will be thick, like Greek-style yogurt, and you can eat it however you normally would, or use it like cream cheese."

The reason why liquid whey (not whey protein powder) helps to preserve the mayonnaise (and other food, for that matter) is because it contains beneficial bacteria (in the case of yogurt, the bacteria is usually L. acidophilus). When you add it to your mayonnaise and then leave the finished product at room temperature for several hours, you give the beneficial bacteria time to multiply, creating lactic acid, which inhibits the growth of undesirable bacteria, mold, yeast, and other organisms. You can also get the same benefit from using unpasteurized vinegar, which contains similar desirable bacteria. I like Bragg's apple cider vinegar, but any unfiltered, unpasteurized product will probably do.

I hope this was helpful! Please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy mayonnaise-making!

How do you figure out the calories for the whey? I'm thinking of making this for myself for sammiches, and I want to put it on my recipe list. But I'm a little unsure of how to figure that out.

Hmm - I'm not sure. I didn't bother to add it to the recipe myself because there's so little of it in each serving. But I found this info on self.com; I'm sure you could enter it in MFP and it would be a good guess: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/dairy-and-egg-products/100/2

Bear in mind that this info is for 1 cup (8oz) of whey, and 1 cup = 16 Tablespoons. Don't forget to convert for your recipe!

How do you get 40 cals per Tbsp? If you are adding 10 Tbsp (2/3c) of oil, and one egg, wouldn't that be at the very least 80-100 cals per Tbsp?

I'm sorry, I just saw this post! I'm not sure about the math, but I've shared the info that I got when I entered the recipe into MFP. I'm guessing that the difference is a result of the increased volume of the finished mayonnaise. I used 2/3 cup of oils, one egg, and a Tablespoon or so of other ingredients, but the finished product is two cups. I suspect it's because of the emulsion, but I'm not positive. Here's a screenshot of the recipe in MFP: