# Why would mayonnaise separate? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 31, 2016, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-mayonnaise-separate/775983 "2016-12-31T19:12:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2016, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-mayonnaise-separate/775983/1 "2016-12-31T19:12:36Z")
We didn’t see this in the store, and maybe it hadn’t happened yet, but when we got it home, the jar of mayo had separated - it was apparently no longer emulsified. Maybe it was that way on the shelf and we didn’t notice, but there was about 1/2 jar of yellowish oil and about 1/2 jar of, what?, egg white? Could it have happened in the car? Could it have happened spontaneously? Could some contaminant of some sort have been introduced inadvertently in a factory? So weird. What do you suppose happened? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2016, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-mayonnaise-separate/775983/2 "2016-12-31T19:17:33Z")
It may have gotten frozen somewhere in shipment. You can try to recombine it with a whisk, but I’d just take it back and get a refund. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2016, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-mayonnaise-separate/775983/3 "2016-12-31T19:18:32Z")
Irreconcilable differences? ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2016, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-mayonnaise-separate/775983/4 "2016-12-31T19:21:55Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > It may have gotten frozen somewhere in shipment. You can try to recombine it with a whisk, but I’d just take it back and get a refund. Did that (took it back). Still wondering. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2016, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-mayonnaise-separate/775983/5 "2016-12-31T19:28:23Z")
> [@CC](#): > > Did that (took it back). Still wondering. Freezing, as mentioned, is the most likely cause. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2016, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-mayonnaise-separate/775983/6 "2016-12-31T20:56:48Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Irreconcilable differences? Now that is funny! ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2017, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-mayonnaise-separate/775983/7 "2017-01-01T01:47:24Z")
To answer the OP’s other question, mayonnaise is made with egg yolks not egg whites. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2017, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-mayonnaise-separate/775983/8 "2017-01-01T04:07:50Z")
Was it made with olive oil? Mayo made with olive oil can spontaneously separate only a few hours after it’s made. This is most likely with old or badly stored oil. It seems unlikely with commercial mayonnaise, but you never know. . . Mayo will separate if it freezes. Heating can also cause it to break, as can agitation. BTW, most commercial mayo is made with whole eggs in addition to egg yolks. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2017, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-mayonnaise-separate/775983/9 "2017-01-01T04:09:29Z")
> [@Jeff\_Lichtman](#): > > BTW, most commercial mayo is made with whole eggs in addition to egg yolks. As is the original homemade thing, the one which only contains olive oil, eggs and salt. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2017, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-mayonnaise-separate/775983/10 "2017-01-01T04:16:47Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > As is the original homemade thing, the one which only contains olive oil, eggs and salt. ? Whole eggs? Typically, it’s just yolks. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2017, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-mayonnaise-separate/775983/11 "2017-01-01T04:30:28Z")
I said the original recipe. As made in Mahón, and spread from there way before anybody came up with commercial versions. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2017, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-mayonnaise-separate/775983/12 "2017-01-01T04:48:43Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > I said the original recipe. As made in Mahón, and spread from there way before anybody came up with commercial versions. There are several theories in re: the origins of mayonnaise. Nobody knows what the original mayonnaise was exactly. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2017, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-mayonnaise-separate/775983/13 "2017-01-01T04:56:20Z")
Regardless what is and isn’t the original mayo and whether it contained whole eggs or not is not that important in this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2017, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-mayonnaise-separate/775983/14 "2017-01-01T05:00:00Z")
Sure, but I think we can agree it was unlikely to have been invented in Chicago. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2017, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-mayonnaise-separate/775983/15 "2017-01-01T05:06:16Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > Sure, but I think we can agree it was unlikely to have been invented in Chicago. Um, yes?