Mayonnaise is a controversial product. Some hate it and some think sandwiches are incomplete without it, and no matter what your opinion is, we have to agree that mayonnaise dips make many dishes taste better.
If you are one of those who love mayo but are lactose intolerant, you’d want to know whether mayo has dairy in it or not. The good news for you is that we here are going to tell you all you need to know before you start eating mayo as lactose intolerant. We are also going to give you two excellent ways to make your own dairy-free and even vegan mayo at home.
What is Mayonnaise?
Mayonnaise is the condiment used in sandwiches and pasta that gives it it’s tangy and creamy flavor. It is also quite a popular dip.
The condiment is made by slowly emulsifying eggs or some kind of fat and some kind of acid. The resulting mixture is thick and creamy and it makes a great addition to Buffalo wings and fried chicken.
Sometimes eggs are substituted by other dairy products and non-dairy milk to make vegetarian mayo. But whether your mayo is vegetarian or vegan, it will contain an obscene amount of fat. So, if you are trying to lose weight, you better refrain from eating too much of it at once.
Most of the mayonnaise’s concentration consists of fat, which is why it is so creamy and thick in texture. Vegan mayo consists of some kind of vegetable oil and hence can be seen as the healthier version but not by a lot. It also has more sodium than you need, so it definitely cannot be considered a healthy food, yet it is still consumed by the masses because of its rich flavor.
Does Mayo have Dairy in it?
Many people may confuse mayo as a dairy product because of its creamy texture and sour yogurt-like taste. But in reality, most mayo has nothing to do with any dairy products. Some do contain the dairy product, but there is a clear distinction between the ones that contain dairy and the ones that do not.
To know whether mayo is dairy-free or not, we need to know the ingredients involved in the making process. As mentioned earlier, mayo is made by the emulsification of egg yolk and vegetable oil and some added acidity. So, the main ingredients in mayo are egg yolk, vegetable oil, and vinegar. Salt, other condiments like mustard or hot sauce, and spices are sometimes added for additional flavor.
So, in essence, mayo should be dairy-free, and most of the time it is. But it might not always be. Some dairy products like cream are used for the making of vegetarian mayonnaise. In the case of vegan mayo, soy milk is used as a dairy substitute making the mayo dairy-free.
So, if you do not consume dairy with your mayo, the best course of action for you is to check the ingredients of the mayo jar you are about to buy from your supermarket. If you do not see any dairy products listed in the ingredients you can safely assume that it is dairy-free.
How to Make Dairy-Free Mayo at Home
If you want to be absolutely sure about all the ingredients that are used in your mayo dip, you can make your own dairy-free mayo at home. The process is fairly simple and the homemade stuff tastes way better than those you can buy in the supermarket. Plus as a bonus, you can tweak the recipe to make adjustments to the flavor of the condiment.
All you need to make creamy delicious mayonnaise at home are egg yolks, vinegar or lemon juice, some neutral-flavored oil, and salt. You can use soybean oil, sunflower, or canola oil. You can also add additional spices and mustard. You could use simple lemon juice, but using wine vinegar will give it a more complex flavor.
You could either use a food processor or a hand mixer. You might get better results by using the hand mixer as you’d better be able to see the consistency of the mayo as it is being made.
Take the yolks of two large eggs and add two teaspoons of lemon juice of vinegar to it. Put it in a bowl and mix them well. Now take a cup of your preferred neutral oil and keep adding the oil drop by drop to the egg vinegar mixer while whisking the mixture constantly.
You need to make sure that you add the oil to the egg mixer slowly so that the mixer has time to form a stable emulsion. If you add the oil too fast, the emulsion might not form and the resulting product will be runny instead of creamy and thick.
If you are doing correctly what you are supposed to do, as you continue whisking the mayo should thicken. Once it reaches the right consistency you can stop whisking. Add salt to your taste. If you want to make spicy mayo dip, you may even add hot sauce, or you may add mustard to it for a little bit of kick.
If you want to make vegan dairy-free mayo, there is a solution. You can swap egg yolks for soy milk which is vegan. You can use a food processor for easier mixing. Just combine soy milk, salt, vinegar, and whatever spices and condiments that you’d want to mix in a food processor, and then like the previous method, add the oil drop by drop while continuously whisking until the mixture thickens.
Conclusion
Whether homemade or out of a jar bought from the supermarket, mayo is delicious, and as long as you are cautious about the ingredients, dairy-free. So, you can eat it without worrying about your lactose intolerance. Although mayo is full of fat and sodium, it has an abundant amount of Vitamin E and K, which is why in a limited amount it can be quite good for your health as well as being delicious.