I like me a bit of egg mayo in a sandwich. I really like the stuff I get in pre-made packaged sandwiches, or even in delis where they make the sandwiches in front of you. But whenever I make egg mayo at home, it comes out a) sulfurous, and b) wet. Any idea what I’m doing wrong (using Hellman’s)? Are there any techniques to get the eggs to de-eggify themselves a bit?
I hate to tell you, but that isn’t mayo.
What isn’t mayo? Hellmans? You mean not real mayo (I know)?
Or are you being gross (I did in fact find a condom in my jar of Hellman’s the other day)?
The latter, which the condom confirms.
BTW, the statement, while true, isn’t meant to imply that Hellman’s was responsible for the presence of said condom… a friend put it in the jar for shits and giggles.
Do you mean whenever you make a sandwich at home using Hellman’s, it comes out excessively eggy tasting and wet? Is that what you mean?
It’s the mashed-up boiled egg that is sulfurus and slimy. The Hellman’s (or indeed any other brand of mayo) I use is fine. The resultant egg salad is usually close-to-inedible.
OK, I get it now - you’re talking about EGG SALAD! I’ve never heard it called Egg Mayo before.
Cures for overly eggy & wet egg salad:
1 - make sure you’re not overboiling your eggs. Are the outside of the yolks green or grey colored? If so, that’s where your sulfur taste is coming from. See below for The Perfect Hard Boiled Egg recipe.
2 - Wetness: Are you using too much mayo? You don’t need much for egg salad - just enough for a binder. Also, if you’re adding celery, onion, or other vegetable, make sure it’s DRY when you add it to the mixture. IE, if you wash your celery before you cut it up, wipe it off before you dice it and add to the egg salad.
Also, mayo is firmer when it’s cold. Even if you start with cold mayo, the eggs/vegetables are typically at room temperature. If you allow the egg salad an hour or so in the fridge before using, it’ll get less “wet.”
The Perfect Hard Boiled Egg
Using eggs directly from the fridge, put them in a pan and cover with water. Make sure they’re covered by at least an inch of water. Bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to a low boil, and boil for 14 minutes. Time it, don’t guesstimate.
Towards the end of the 14 minutes, put a bunch of ice cubes in a bowl. Fill with cold water. When eggs are done, remove from boiling water and put them in ice water. Allow them to cool in the ice water.
These eggs will be perfectly done, no sulfurous ring. The yolks will be bright yellow. Enjoy!
Sorry for the misunderstanding. It’s just mayonnaise and egg - nothing else. I was using a lot of mayo before, so that may be the proble. Also, I was peeling the boiled eggs very soon. I’m going to let them cool thoroughly and dry them with a towel.
I’m going to try your method this evening! 14 minutes seems a long time to do eggs, but we shall see. Should the water be cold to start with?
Thanks!
Yes, you start with cold water & cold eggs. The trick here is taking them OUT of the hot water after 14 minutes… get 'em in that cold water bath FAST or they’ll get icky. Cool thoroughly before using.
For 3-4 eggs, start with one rounded tablespoon of mayo. Add more to taste, but in general, less is more when it comes to egg salad.
Also - I’m not sure about deli style egg salad in Ireland, but over here a bit of dried mustard powder, salt, and pepper is typically added. That might also be part of the difference in taste you mention.
Are you accounting for eggs right out of the fridge, Zen? I’ll concede that room temperature eggs take less time. But, as most people store eggs they purchased at the grocery store (not farm fresh) in the refrigerator, I posted a recipe for that type of egg.
13-14 minutes boiling (13 minutes for slightly softer yolks, 14 for slightly harder, timed from when the water starts to boil) followed by cooling off in ice water works perfectly, every time. Perfectly creamy, yellow yolks - not a hint of black or green on 'em. Soft whites, not overdone at all.
I follow Zenster’s recipe for hard boiled eggs, directly out of the fridge. Always completely cooked, and never a green yolk. I also use very fresh organic eggs.
The only difference, is I peel them under water. Fill a bowl with ice cold water, crack the eggs all over, then peel in the bowl. The shell practically slides off. Then, dry them with a towel.
Athena, my eggs come out of the refrigerator as well. I get great results with my method. Admittedly, I like my yolks dark yellow and never pale. There is also nothing quite like eggs straight from the nest. I used to know some people who kept layers and I would always make some scrambled eggs whenever I visited.
jjimm, please be sure to try the Danish smorgasbord suggestion. Here is the recipe for an open face egg and tomato sandwich:
Use one slice of rye or white bread
Spread the bread with Mayonnaise
Cover with thin sliced ripe red tomato
Layer with slices of freshly hard-boiled egg
Top with another small dollop of Mayonnaise
Sprinkle with chopped chives or scallion
Dust with salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
Snarf immediately
Evidently, both of my posts have been hampstered, so here is the recipe again:
Egg Salad
Sandwich spread
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Serves: 3-4 people
Ingredients:
6-8 Freshly hardboiled eggs
1-2 Chopped green onions (small diameter is best)
½-1 Tbs Grated white or yellow onion pulp
¼-½ Cup Hellman’s or Best Foods Mayonnaise (home made is best)
½ Tbs Dill pickle relish (or chopped dill pickle)
½ Tbs Sweet pickle relish (or chopped bread and butter pickles)
¼-½ Tbs Prepared yellow mustard (French’s)
½ Tsp Lemon juice
¼ Tsp White sugar (or less)
¼ Tsp Prepared horseradish (not creamy)
¼ Tsp Dill pickle brine
¼ Tsp Sweet pickle juice
¼ Tsp ground white pepper (or less)
¼ Tsp Cider vinegar
Dash of Crystal hot sauce
Dash of garlic powder
Salt to taste
Options:
Substitute a handful of chopped chives for the spring onions.
Preparation:
Place eggs in pan and cover with one at least quart of cold tap water. Bring water to a prompt boil and remove pan from heat. Allow eggs to rest in the boiled water for eight to twelve minutes depending upon how hard cooked you wish them to be. When done, rinse eggs under copious amounts of cold running water or immerse in ice bath for easiest peeling. Peel the eggs under cold running water helps to speed the process and rinse off any shell fragments.
In a medium bowl, mix all other ingredients together, then taste for salt and spice balance. Add the Mayonnaise in small increments to avoid too runny of a mixture. Reserve at least one quarter of the Mayonnaise for later addition once the eggs have been mixed in.
Dry the peeled eggs and use a sharp knife or wire harp to slice the eggs into pieces. Add the sliced eggs to the dressing and stir briefly. Avoid breaking up the eggs too finely or the salad will assume an unpleasant mushy texture. Taste the salad for correct balance. The egg flavor should be foremost with the dressing providing a piquant finish.
Spread on lightly toasted white or other bread. Layer with sliced tomato and shredded lettuce. For a richer and more satisfying meal, add a slice of mild Cheddar or Jack cheese. To make a delightful ham and egg “breakfast” sandwich add both the cheese and a slice of smoked ham, a paper thin slice of fresh onion and slices of dill pickle are optional.
Hmmm… Zen, that’s weird, I read both your posts earlier today, now they’re gone.
Anyway, from what I can tell both our methods must result in the same type of eggs - I like the yolks dark as well. Regardless, as long as we agree that the Dreaded Green Yolk never comes into play, we can get on with the sandwiches, eh?
Bah. BOILED Eggs. Is there nothing the English won’t boil?
BAKE your eggs. Oven at 325, place the eggs directly on the rack, then take them out with tongs in 25-30mins, when little brown spots are just starting to pepper the surface of the shell (this is microscopic amounts of slightly caramelized egg white that squeezes out the pores). If you’re a wussy, you can put a pan under the rack in case any crack, but unless they START with cracks, they won’t be leaking anywhere.
You can then either dunk them in ice water, or just stick em in the fridge and peel em when they’re cool, no water needed (if you do this, though, make sure to shave off two or three minutes off the cooking time: otherwise they’ll coast past done since you wont be applying the deep freeze directly). For peeling, make sure to crack the shell all over, then rub the egg between your palms quickly for a few secs to dislodge the membrane.
Nothing beats a well-baked egg for a nice creamy texture, no sopping mess, no dripping. Perfect for egg salad.
If you’re a water zealot though, then at least steam, don’t boil. Get a boil of medium high heat going with about an inch of water, then stick the eggs in a covered steamer above the water for 12 minutes. Then ice bath em and peel. The end.
As for egg salad, you might find that a little less than a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice per every 12 eggs adds a nice depth, and you can’t skimp on the mustard powder or the salt if you want to get it up to deli quality. And half a teaspoon of ground white pepper per 12 eggs? You’d be crazy not to…
I also go with a bit of uncooked onion at times, and celery is a classic (celery salt instead of regular too).
Made this for myself this morning in fact.
Bring water to boil. Drop in egg(s). Boil for 5.5 minutes. Run under cold water and peel immediately. Pat dry.
Squish roughly with a fork. Add sprinkle of paprika. Dallop of salad cream (or mayo). Tiny bit of mustard for a tang if you like. Salt and pepper to taste. Scrummy on toast 
As mentioned, if the egg gets over-cooked it will taste nasty and super-eggy.
As an aside, Athena’s 14 minutes is the perfect amount of time to boil eggs at high altitudes.
Fenris
Mmmm, paprika.
My dear departed grandmother used to make what she called “stuff eggs” (she was West Indian), where she’d hard-boil eggs, peel them, cut them in half lengthways. She’d carefully scoop the yolks out, put them all into a bowl, and mash them up with lots of paprika and mayo, then pipe them back into the half-eggs in a spiral, using an icing bag. Delicious.
Ooooh. jjimm, in the US that’s called Deviled Eggs. Yummiest items on the planet. My dear mother made some last weekend.