One Simple Ingredient Will Get Rid Of Thick Mayonnaise

If you haven't hopped aboard the homemade mayonnaise train yet you might want to reconsider. It's one of the most commonly used condiments in the United States,  and it's surprisingly easy to make in your own kitchen. "But wait," you might say, "I can buy mayonnaise almost anywhere. Why would I make it at home?" Well for starters, all store-bought mayos are not created equal. They can vary in taste and consistency. Making your own mayonnaise means you have ultimate control over the flavor each and every time. You can also tweak your mayonnaise by adding fresh herbs, using spices like red pepper or smoked paprika, and adding garlic to make an aioli.

Second, as mentioned, it's just plain easy, especially if you make it in a blender or food processor. Sure there are a few key things to keep an eye out for, like the temperature of your eggs, the type of oil you use, and the speed and duration at which you blend it. One other snag you might encounter is ending up with a mayonnaise that is thicker than you might prefer. Luckily there's an easy trick to fixing that, and it's as simple as heading to your sink.

To thin out homemade mayonnaise that's a little too thick for your tastes, just start mixing in a little lukewarm water, according to All Recipes. Whether you've whisked your mayonnaise together by hand or are using a blender or food processor, keep blending and add the water a teaspoon at a time until you've reached your desired consistency.

You might be tempted to continue adding oil to thin it, but don't. Mayonnaise is an emulsion, a mixture of oil and water (in this case the water comes from the eggs) forced to come together through the action of mixing. Too much oil will cause your mayonnaise to "break", resulting in an unsavory mix of globs of oil and globs of mayonnaise (via Ricardo). The water will not react with your emulsion in the same way as oil, according to Foodal. (Pro-tip, this same technique can be used to fix other broken sauces like a Hollandaise or a cream sauce, just ask chef Alex Guarnaschelli.)

You can even use this trick to thin out store-bought mayonnaise. A thinner mayonnaise might be more useful if you plan to use it as part of a marinade or dressing, as opposed to spreading it on bread for a sandwich. Now that you're armed with all these tips the only thing standing in the way of a delicious homemade mayonnaise is the will to make it.