Don’t you just hate it when you need mayo – and open the pantry or refrigerator only to find there isn’t any?  Happened to me, and what I decided to do was make a batch of my own, because it was just too much to run to the store for only one thing.  And what I learned was not only that it’s really easy to make, but it tastes so much better!

Mayo is basically just oil and egg.  With some spices and lemon juice – all things I have on hand.  I like to use a combination of different oils – always some olive oil for the healthy fats, but I find the mayo to heavy and overwhelming if made with all olive oil.

I found a recipe in my Joy of Cooking Cookbook, and modified it slightly.  It’s made in the blender, and one batch (1.5 cups) will fit into a pint canning jar.  Alana Chernila has a similar recipe  for Spicy Mayonnaise in her book The Homemade Kitchen using a bowl rather than a blender, and adding Siracha.

Here’s how:

In the blender add:

• one large egg
• 1 tsp dry mustard
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp smoked chile powder ( I use Ancho chile powder or Santa Fe Chile powder a lot) – smoked paprika also works well
• 1 tsp of sugar or a smidgen of pure stevia
• 1/4 c of vegetable/canola/oil of your choice

Cover and blend well on high, then turn the blender to low and slowly add through the hole in the lid:

• 1/2 c of olive oil
• blend slightly then add 3 tbsp of fresh lemon juice (bottled lemon juice  or white vinegar will work in a pinch)

Once thoroughly blended add in:

• another 1/2 cup of oil

Blend well until thick.  You will probably have to stop and scrape down the sides.

I’ve also made it in a food processor, which makes it a bit easier to scrape the final product out.

 

Start with the basic mayo recipe, and find a version that is perfect for your family – please tell me what you made!