The contenders.
Sandwiches, salads, chips, tuna mayonnaise, hamburgers. Our eating landscape would be a poorer place without Mayonnaise.
I taste tested 5 of the most popular brands with my Taste Buddies to discover which one gives you the best bang for your buck.
All these brands were tasted blind, meaning that our tasters had no idea if they were testing a Hellmans, imported from the US of A, or a locally produced brand.
So here we go;
Nola, 375g, R12.59. Thin mouthfeel, very yellow colour, very vinegary taste.
Kraft, 735g, R31.99. Oily smell. Nice colour and consistency. Turns out there is onion and garlic powder in the mix.
Pick n’Pay, 750g, R18.99. Greenish yellow colour, very sweet. Egg free. (How can they even call it mayonnaise?)
Hellmans. 443g, R23.99, Hint of vinegar, consistency surprisingly mousse like, too much air beaten in. Nice creamy colour.
Woolworths. 360g. Creamy, oily and eggy smells. Very vinegary on taste.
The mayonnaises we tasted.
The taste test winner is Kraft. Made in South Africa. It has spices added, real lemon juice and real pasturised eggs and sunflower oil.
Quite frankly, after the taste buddies and myself did this taste test we really felt that if you had the time and the inclination there is really nothing better than making your very own mayonnaise.
Here we go.
2 Free range egg yolks.
Salt to taste.
15 mls white wine vinegar.
225 mls sunflower oil.
Mayonnaise ingredients.
Method.
Mix egg yolks, mustard salt and vinegar.
Slowly, and I mean very slowly, pour sunflower oil into the mixture, beating all the time as you go, until you have a thick dollop like consistency.
Put in a jar, store in the fridge, you can use it immediately and it will last for 3 – 4 days.
Nothing can beat homemade mayonnaise.
Posted in 
Try using Willow Creek’s Extra Virgin Olive oil when making your own mayonaise!
As much as I like Willow Creek’s Extra Virgin Olive oil, I would not put it in my mayonnaise (what a waste!). Personally I think (mostly) sunflower oil is fine. Mayonnaise made with 100% olive oil (let alone extra virgin)is just too ‘rich’!
Well guys, you could do a mix, but yes , 100% olive oil would overpower the mayonnaise. That’s why sunflower is a good bet. Even Franck Dangereux in the Foodbarn used sunflower oil, and he’s French!
Michel I am glad to see that you approve of Willow Creek. It won our blind taste test a few weeks back, beating many strong contenders.And it’s South African!
Is it worth looking at an oil type with a milder odour like canola or something like peanut oil?
Love the idea of a mayo taste test! I am a Helmanns girl through and through (although full fat, not light) and agree on the P&P one – urgh. Interested that Crosse & Blackwell was not included – although i always found that too vinegary!
Actually…one of my favorite food bloggers taught me a trick: this whole drop after drop thing is completely unnecessary – egg, oil – stick blender in, turn it on, pull up once, repeat – done – perfect mayo. And then you add whatever you need to add for flavour. Takes 30 seconds and your arm doesn’t get sore!