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In praise of Hellmann’s

Hellmann's mayonnaiseWhen I think about Hellmann’s I remember that old commercial. A hungry man finds a stale crust of bread in the fridge, spreads it with a dollop of Hellman’s and munches with a beatific smile.

The commercial worked for me. I bought some and, although it didn’t seem to have quite the same effect on stale bread, it was delicious.

Danny was happy about the 2008 challenge (cutting 25% of the shopping bill) until I thought I’d really test his enthusiasm.
“We eat an awful lot of Hellmann’s. I think we should go back to Blakeley’s.”
“Not the stuff from Netto?”
“It’s less than 50p a jar.”

D is a Hellmann’saholic. I’ve tried giving him other supermarket brands and they are met with a snort or hunched silence.

But it does mean that a jar lasts a long time.

When I first bought Hellmann’s Danny spotted it in the larder within a nanno second. He broke the seal, opened the top and dived in.
“I’ve been dreaming about that for some time.”
And then he put it in the fridge.

The last move was just for show. It barely needs to be refrigerated as it is savoured with salads, sandwiches, home made burgers and dolloped on chips. Coleslaw is D’s favourite salad. Need I say more?

Apart from creating a massive dent in our shopping bill it was having the reverse effect on our waistlines. So I switched to Hellmann’s light (60% less fat). I found D examining the jar, teaspoon in hand.
“Good but it just doesn’t have the depth of the original.”

Perhaps it’s time to start making my own homemade mayonnaise. This would be cheaper and presumably even tastier. Does anyone have a good recipe out there?


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14 Comments

  1. Fiona Nevile

    Hi Jeanette

    Thanks so much for adding this to the mix!

    I’m going to try the whole egg mayonnaise next time I make it.

    Hi Eleanor the Great

    You will see from today’s post that finding a great homemade mayonnaise has become a bit of an obsession for me! We are lucky that we have our own eggs.

    Interesting that Best Foods is the same as Hellmann’s. Just shows the importance of a name in branding. Children seem to be much more brand conscious than adults, I’ve found.

    Thanks for dropping by.

  2. Eleanor the Great

    Oh, I am a mayo lover also. My sisters were quite crazy about it as a kid. One of our favorite things to do was roll bits of butter in the sugar dish and eat it, but they would actually make mayo sandwiches. I never liked it that much myself.

    We eat the West Coast, USA, version of Hellmann’s, called Best Foods. Exactly the same taste, same producer, just different name. Even the logo looks the same. My boy didn’t believe me when we were shopping while on the East Coast for a bit and I picked up a jar of Hellmann’s and said it was the same thing. *grin* But my mother lived in the East, so I had learned from her.

    I actually like the light mayo better after having gotten used to it while on a work-vacation, but I haven’t convinced the boy yet that we should switch. *sigh* I will be watching this thread and trying a few recipes, too. Maybe I could find something he’d like. šŸ˜‰

  3. jeannette

    Cook’s Magazine Mayo:
    Can homemade mayonnaise be made with whole eggs to cut cholesterol?Although traditional mayonnaise contains yolks only, a successful version can be made using both yolks and whites–it will be lighter in color and have a somewhat less eggy taste.

    The basic recipe for yolks-only mayonnaise calls for two large egg yolks, one tablespoon red wine vinegar or lemon juice, one-half teaspoon Dijon mustard, salt to taste, and oil. Once the yolks, acid, mustard, and salt are combined, the oil is slowly incorporated with a whisk; two egg yolks require about one and one-half cups of oil to form a thick mayonnaise.

    One whole egg may be used instead of two yolks, if desired. However, two cups of oil must be whisked in to create a sauce with the characteristic thickness. A better alternative is to use a food processor instead of a whisk to incorporate the oil. The powerful motion of the metal blade creates a thick, luscious mayonnaise with just one and one-quarter cups oil. The color (which is white) and texture are akin to commercial products, but the taste is superior. (Traditional mayonnaise with just yolks may also be made in a food processor, using about one-half cup oil per yolk.)

    Although whole-egg mayonnaise has half the cholesterol of the original, the number of calories and fat grams are basically the sameā€very high. In its favor, whole-egg mayonnaise has a mellower flavor, and the recipe comes in handy when there are few eggs on hand. Just donā„¢t think of it as œliteĀ mayo.

  4. Fiona Nevile

    Hello Jackie

    Thanks so much for this recipe! It sounds ideal. Can’t wait to try it with Magimix assisting.

    Hello David

    I didn’t know that there was an olive oil version. Waldorf salad – I suddenly feel peckish. As it’s 2 in the morning I think I’ll go to bed!

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