Homemade Mayonnaise

Here’s the thing - I RARELY ever use mayonnaise. I think the last time I bought a jar, I went through maybe half of it in like two years. (Don’t worry, two years was the tossing point, not the last time I used it). So it’s just not worth it to keep on hand. However, occasionally I find that I need it for a recipe. So I decided to look into making my own.  And let me tell you - IT IS SO MUCH BETTER! Homemade actually has some flavor to it. And not in the gross way like Miracle Whip has flavor. 

And surprisingly, it’s pretty easy to make! It just takes some patience. Two things are absolutely key to making successful mayonnaise: 

1) You MUST use a small container. If you don’t, the egg and oil won’t have enough contact to emulsify properly. I learned this when I first tried making it using my blender. It was not working at all. So I switched to my immersion blender and the tall, narrow cup that comes with it, and it was perfect. Also, the whisk attachment seems to do better than the blender attachment.

2) You must add the oil SLOWLY. Like, water torture slowly. Too quickly and you just have a cup of oil with egg stirred in. Seriously, be patient and take it slow. 

Also, for storage purposes, remember that this is made with a raw egg, so that’s going to limit its refrigerated shelf life. I don’t have an exact shelf life for you, because I’m more in the “give it a smell/check for discoloration” camp when determining whether something is too old. I just know I can’t keep it around for months on end. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 

Homemade Mayonnaise

Ingredients 

• 1 whole egg, room temperature 
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon red or white wine vinegar [I’ve also used tarragon vinegar]
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup neutral flavored oil, such as grape seed or canola
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice (optional)

1. Place the egg in your food processor/blender/immersion blender fitted with a small bowl. Blend for 20 seconds. Add the mustard, vinegar, and salt and blend for another 20 seconds. 
2. With the blender running, SLOWLY add the oil into the egg mixture in small dribbles. It is crucial you do not add it too quickly. As the mayonnaise begins to emulsify, you can increase the rate to a VERY thin stream, but don’t get too comfortable or you’ll end up with oil soup. 
3. After all the oil has been added, check flavor and add more salt, vinegar, or lemon juice as desired. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.