However, without emulsifiers, the mixture will also quickly separate back into its immiscible (not mixable) parts.

Thickener - Finally, adding a thickener to the continuous phase can make the emulsion even more stable as this makes it more difficult for the dispersed droplets to move and combine.Īny mixture of oil and water can be transformed into an emulsion, even without emulsifiers. The higher the force you applied when making the emulsion, the smaller the droplets and the more stable the emulsion is. However, no matter how small the droplets are, the ingredients will eventually separate without the presence of an emulsifier that keeps the molecules with different polarity from repelling each other. We'll cover these later.Įmulsifier - The next problem to solve is to make the emulsion stable. For this you can use a whisk, blender or other lab equipment such as rotor-stator homogenizer. Mechanical Force - To make an emulsion you first need to apply a mechanical force to break down the dispersed phase into small droplets that become suspended in the continuous phase. It is important to know the type of emulsion when adding an emulsifier as the preparation process changes but we'll explain this later. For example, a mayonnaise will not form correctly if it is over-beaten or the oil is incorporated too quickly. Most emulsions will not turn into butter even if you whip them for a long time, but some emulsions can break down with too much stirring. But despite this being the only difference between cream and butter, the effect on taste and texture are significant. To make butter, you simply mix cream until the emulsion reverses that is, it transforms from a oil-in-water emulsion into a water-in-oil emulsion. Consider the difference between cream and butter:Ĭream and butter are literally the same thing. For example, vinaigrettes are oil-in-water emulsions even though there is more oil in a vinaigrette than water (vinegar).įor most recipes, it doesn't matter what type of emulsion you've created, as the end result is the same. In an oil-in-water emulsion, the continuous phase is the water and the dispersed phase is the oil while in a water-in-oil emulsion the oil is the continuous phase.Ĭounterintuitively, the type of emulsion does not depend on the actual amounts of oil and water present in an emulsion. In every emulsion there is a continuous phase that suspends the droplets of the other element which is called the dispersed phase. These emulsions are exactly what they sound like, as pictured below. There are two basic types of emulsions: oil-in-water (O/W) and water-in-oil (W/O).

Oil in water vs water in oil emulsion