Mayonnaise is an emulsion , which is a mixture of two liquids that normally can't be combined. Combining oil and water is the classic example. Emulsifying is done by slowly adding one ingredient to another while simultaneously mixing rapidly. This disperses and suspends tiny droplets of one liquid through another.
However, the two liquids would quickly separate again if an emulsifier were not added. Emulsifiers are liaisons between the two liquids and serve to stabilize the mixture. Eggs and gelatin are among the foods that contain emulsifiers. In mayonnaise, the emulsifier is egg yolk, which contains lecithin, a fat emulsifier.
Mayonnaise is made by combining lemon juice or vinegar with egg yolks. Eggs (containing the emulsifier lecithin) bind the ingredients together and prevent separation. Then, oil is added drop by drop as the mixture is rapidly whisked. Adding oil too quickly (or insufficient, rapid whisking) will keep the two liquids from combining (emulsifying). But, as the sauce begins to thicken, oil can be added more rapidly. Seasonings are whisked in after all of the oil has been added. Blenders, mixers and food processors make it easy to make homemade mayonnaise, which many gourmets feel is far superior in taste and consistency to commercial mayonnaise.
To make mayonnaise one must use mostly either polyunsaturated (PUFA) and/or monounsaturated (MUFA) oils. Fats which are primarily saturated, will not make mayonnaise unless âdilutedâ with either PUFAs and/or MUFAs. I wonât go into the details, but you can read them here. Simplified: the molecular structures of PUFAs and MUFAs allow them to be emulsified much more easily than saturated fat molecules. In fact, saturated fats will not emulsify unless diluted to ratios of 4:1, 5:1 and the like.
Most commercial mayonnaise products are made using either canola, safflower or sunflower oil because they contain relatively small amounts of saturated fats:
Of the three canola dominates because itâs cheap. Unfortunately from a keto perspective none of these three oils is desirable due to the processing involved extracting them from seeds under high pressure, heat and often solvents, the PUFA composition each and their respective Omega6 and Omega3 ratios:
The Challenge
The challenge is to develop a keto-friendly mayonnaise recipe that combines a saturated fat, such as butter, lard or coconut oil diluted in an oil that is mostly MUFA and/or PUFA with a decent omega6/3 ratio. It must taste like regular commercial mayo as much as possible and use readily available and not outrageously expensive oil(s), like macadamia oil(!). Both olive and avocado oils are prime candidates but olive oil is very strongly flavoured and avocado oil is relatively expensive, at least for me.Primal and Chosen, for example, produce both coconut and avocado mayoâs that do not taste very good, in my opinion. Plus, they are outrageously expensive.
