The Popular Store-Bought Mayo Martha Stewart Uses Instead Of Making It Herself

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Martha Stewart may be known for her many popular cooking shows and cookbooks, where she usually is known to make everything from-scratch, but she's not always opposed to cutting corners. In fact, there's a store-bought version she almost always prefers over homemade: mayonnaise. Not just any of the many mayo brands, however – Stewart reaches for Hellmann's Mayonnaise. It's just one of the 15 store-bought shortcuts celebrity chefs actually use. 

Established in 1913, Hellmann's prides itself on being "America's #1 Mayonnaise," and Stewart seems to agree. While she could certainly take the time to whip up homemade mayonnaise – whisking egg yolks with salt, mustard, lemon juice, vinegar, oil, and sugar — Stewart believes Hellmann's works just fine in everything from her potato salad to her deviled eggs. She even uses mayo to enhance her grilled cheese recipe — which is the secret to a perfectly melty center.

Martha Stewart may approve of using Hellmann's Mayonnaise, but that doesn't mean she always does. On her popular website, not only did she share a recipe for homemade mayonnaise, but she told her readers that "making this emulsified sauce at home is easier than [they] think." The recipe included a few staple ingredients, like an egg yolk, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and grapeseed or sunflower oil, emulsified in a kitchen blender — but Stewart encouraged home cooks to venture out from there.

Whether you grab a jar of Hellmann's or make your own mayonnaise at home, you can always improve the taste of store-bought mayo with ingredients you already have on hand. Going beyond the usual salt and white pepper, you might consider adding soy sauce for an umami burst, sriracha for some heat, or honey for sweetness. Or, as Stewart suggested, "you can jazz it up with everything from fresh herbs to lemon zest to curry powder if you like."