I read once that "mayonnaise purists" insist on wooden spoons instead of
whisks or food processors which are probably much more commonly used than
wooden spoons for making mayonnaise among the relative few who still make
mayonnaise (I only make mayonnaise once in a while). The site
http://haverchuk.blogspot.com/2006/0...se-please.html also
kinda indicates this as well (at least the person writing it seems to
believe so).

Why? It seems to me that unless mayonnaise made with a wooden spoon is
either better (either in flavor or consistency), or if a wooden spoon forms
the emulsion faster than either a whisk or a food processor, or if a wooden
spoon forms a more stable emulsion, I really don't see how a wooden spoon
can lay claim to being a better tool for making mayonnaise.

If all you have is a wooden spoon, then it is obviously a better tool. If
whisks cost $200,000, then the wooden spoon is the better tool, but last
time I was at the store, they were out of the solid gold ones with the jewel
encrusted handles, and the regular whisks were just a few dollars. If you
were to buy a food processor for just making mayonnaise, that is probably a
bit pricey for that particular unitasker (unless you have a business that
sells homemade mayo).

Well, anyway, after all that blather, my question is, why is a wooden spoon
a better tool for making mayonnaise? Or is it just an attempt to hold on to
a "tradition."

Brian Christiansen

Brian Christiansen wrote:

> Well, anyway, after all that blather, my question is, why is a wooden spoon
> a better tool for making mayonnaise? Or is it just an attempt to hold on to
> a "tradition."
>
> Brian Christiansen

Probably just tradition. My mother used to make mayo with a wooden
spoon but I use a food processor and get a longer lasting result
because the emulsifying effect is stronger, also it takes a lot less
time and I've never had one break.

On Thu, 13 Apr 2006 06:05:41 GMT, Brian Christiansen wrote:

> Well, anyway, after all that blather, my question is, why is a wooden spoon
> a better tool for making mayonnaise? Or is it just an attempt to hold on to
> a "tradition."

I dunno, never heard that theory myself.... you don't even have a cite
for it?
--

Practice safe eating. Always use condiments.

> I dunno, never heard that theory myself.... you don't even have a cite
> for it?
>
In the cookbook "The New Basics" by Rosso/Lukins, there is the following
sentence: "Traditionalists rarely use a whisk, mixer, or food processor,
using instead either a fork or a wooden spoon," but there is no indication
as to why. Are they better tools (rosso/lukins seem to believe the food
processor is the better tool because all their recipes for mayonnaise use
one) or just an attempt to hold on to a "tradition.

Brian Christiansen

On Thu, 13 Apr 2006 16:20:42 GMT, Brian Christiansen wrote:

> > I dunno, never heard that theory myself.... you don't even have a cite
> > for it?
> >
> In the cookbook "The New Basics" by Rosso/Lukins, there is the following
> sentence: "Traditionalists rarely use a whisk, mixer, or food processor,
> using instead either a fork or a wooden spoon," but there is no indication
> as to why. Are they better tools (rosso/lukins seem to believe the food
> processor is the better tool because all their recipes for mayonnaise use
> one) or just an attempt to hold on to a "tradition.
>
Thanks, I vote "tradition".... I can understand using a fork (they had
to get the whisk idea from somewhere), but a wooden spoon seems like
an awful lot of work to me. I use mechanical devices for that job.


--

Practice safe eating. Always use condiments.

Brian Christiansen wrote:
> I read once that "mayonnaise purists" insist on wooden spoons instead of
> whisks or food processors which are probably much more commonly used than
> wooden spoons for making mayonnaise among the relative few who still make
> mayonnaise (I only make mayonnaise once in a while). The site
> http://haverchuk.blogspot.com/2006/0...se-please.html also
> kinda indicates this as well (at least the person writing it seems to
> believe so).
>
> Why? [snip]

Doesn't matter. The stick/wand blender does such a magical job all
history and tradition has to give way. -aem

Brian Christiansen wrote:

> I read once that "mayonnaise purists" insist on wooden spoons instead of
> whisks or food processors which are probably much more commonly used than
> wooden spoons for making mayonnaise among the relative few who still make
> mayonnaise (I only make mayonnaise once in a while). The site
> http://haverchuk.blogspot.com/2006/0...se-please.html also
> kinda indicates this as well (at least the person writing it seems to
> believe so).

<snip>

speaking of mayo, when y'all make it, do you use pasteurized eggs or non?
i use non pasteurized. some of my friends refuse to eat it for that reason.
i wonder why rocky never died from drinking raw eggs?

AC wrote:
>
> speaking of mayo, when y'all make it, do you use pasteurized eggs or non?
> i use non pasteurized. some of my friends refuse to eat it for that reason.
> i wonder why rocky never died from drinking raw eggs?

I use non, but then I've eaten raw eggs all my life so probably have
immunity to whatever nasties they may contain. Not sure I've ever seen
pasteurised eggs.

AC wrote:
> Brian Christiansen wrote:
>
>
>>I read once that "mayonnaise purists" insist on wooden spoons instead of
>>whisks or food processors which are probably much more commonly used than
>>wooden spoons for making mayonnaise among the relative few who still make
>>mayonnaise (I only make mayonnaise once in a while). The site
>>http://haverchuk.blogspot.com/2006/0...se-please.html also
>>kinda indicates this as well (at least the person writing it seems to
>>believe so).
>
>
> <snip>
>
> speaking of mayo, when y'all make it, do you use pasteurized eggs or non?
> i use non pasteurized. some of my friends refuse to eat it for that reason.

The low pH and low water activity kill bacteria. Mayo is bacteriostatic.
That's why it can sit on the room-temp shelf in the grocery stores with
no preservative processing.

> i wonder why rocky never died from drinking raw eggs?

He did. That's why there were only 27 Rocky movies (or so it seemed).

Pastorio