Quote:
Originally Posted by GFCFVF
I used egg whites and it didn't thicken up...think I need to use a whole egg?
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You MUST use the yolk! The egg white has nothing but protein in it, and it is a type of protein that is hard to digest and prone to cause allergies. The fat and cholesterol is in the yolk, which is why some people think the yolk is bad, but as you might see around here, many low-carbers think fat and cholesterol are not a problem. The yolk also contains lecithin, an emulsifier. It's the lecithin that makes mayonnaise work. Blender mayonnaise seems to work only when there are both whites and yolks, but if you make it with a whisk instead of a blender you only use the yolk.
There is a continuum of egg quality:
* Conventional eggs have all the problems listed above, plus they are most likely to have salmonella, which is why I would not use them for mayonnaise.
*Organic eggs are better, but all that really means is that the chickens are given organic feed - they can still be stacked up in cages, and I wouldn't rule out salmonella.
* Then comes "cage free" or "free range" eggs, which means the chickens have access to grass, but it doesn't actually mean they ever get to it. Many "cage free" chickens run around on the floor of a giant warehouse - there is a door to the outside with a small patch of grass, but the door is not opened until the chickens are older and set in their habits. If they did choose to go outside, it would be a disaster because there wouldn't be room for all of them.
* The very best eggs come from "pastured" chickens, who spend all day outside, and really do eat grass (and bugs).
* Then I guess there are chickens that you keep in your own backyard. If you don't have a lot of grass, this might not actually be better, but at least you know for sure where your eggs are coming from.
* There are also specialty eggs like Omega-3 eggs or fertilized eggs. These are most likely cage-free warehouse hens who are fed flaxmeal or have access to roosters.
Whole Foods or local health food stores will at least have cage free eggs, which I think is not so bad. The most likely place to find pastured eggs is at a farmer's market.
That's a great idea to make mustard from the mayonnaise. I should try that!