Homemade Mayo
As a kid, every summer our family would leave behind the sticky heat and heavy wet air of Florida and drive two days to the corn belt of Illinois. After what seemed like an eternity, we would to pull into the gravel drive way of the two story white farm house where my father was born and raised. To our amazement we would sleep with the windows open as a chilly breeze charged the quiet and peaceful night air. We actually had to wear sweaters at night; but by day, though hot, the heat was crisp. It was kid heaven. We ran carefree in cut-offs and tennis shoes from sunrise to sunset. Warm days were filled with 4-H county fairs, community parades, baby farm animals and riding a red Cushman scooter up and down dusty roads between the corn fields. Simple, but flavor packed lunches and dinners always included plenty of fresh picked sweet corn and vine ripe tomatoes.
Sometimes our Yankee cousins - talked funny. We were always amused to learn of familiar items with different northern names or totally unfamiliar items like corn relish, pork loin sandwiches (kind of like southern fried chicken steak on a hoagie bun), and tractor pulls.
When we asked for mayonnaise on our sandwiches my aunt would have to translate to the cousins– Oh, they mean “salad dressing” or “sandwich spread”. When we looked at the jar of the same product that we bought in our southern grocery stores – sure enough – that familiar white goop was labeled “salad dressing”.
Mayonnaise is simply an emulsion of oil and eggs with a little salt and acid. Sounds easy to prepare when you think about it doesn’t it? Unfortunately, like most store bought food products the bottom line of mass production is profit. Profit in the food industry translates into long shelf life which further translates into added preservatives which equals one more brick in the wall to building an unhealthy body. Homemade mayonnaise usually tastes better, is healthier, is less expensive and is certainly fresher.
After I checked the ingredients on my standard store bought mayo jar, with it’s preservatives, then compared it against the little half pint health food brand that cost $8.00 I decided to start making my own. Egg and oil in the blender – how difficult could that be?
This recipe is not the white creamy goop in the jar that you are used to but it is very flavorful and healthy. I use it all the time now and my family has not even noticed the switch.
Homemade Mayo
(I always double this recipe)
1 cup light Olive Oil
1 egg (or 2 eggs for a thicker mayo)
Juice of 1 lemon (or red wine vinegar)
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
A pinch of salt
Fresh ground pepper
Put mustard, lemon, and egg into the blender (or food processor). Blend on low for a minute or less. While blender is on low, drizzle in the oil in as slowly as you can.
If you like a thicker mayo, use two eggs or just the egg yolks. After refrigeration it will thicken more.
Pour into glass jar and seal. I like to use wide mouth mason jars. They now make a plastic screw on lid for canning jars of most sizes. I use the wide mouth quart and pint jars for most of my soup, sauces and leftovers.
Don’t be afraid of the fat. The Low fat diet craze has proven to be unsound. Yes, bad fats are bad for us and good fads that are heated up too high are bad for us but we now know that good fats protect against heart disease, stroke and inflammation as well as type 2 diabetes. This recipe contains good fat. Enjoy with a good conscience.
As a kid, every summer our family would leave behind the sticky heat and heavy wet air of Florida and drive two days to the corn belt of Illinois. After what seemed like an eternity, we would to pull into the gravel drive way of the two story white farm house where my father was born and raised. To our amazement we would sleep with the windows open as a chilly breeze charged the quiet and peaceful night air. We actually had to wear sweaters at night; but by day, though hot, the heat was crisp. It was kid heaven. We ran carefree in cut-offs and tennis shoes from sunrise to sunset. Warm days were filled with 4-H county fairs, community parades, baby farm animals and riding a red Cushman scooter up and down dusty roads between the corn fields. Simple, but flavor packed lunches and dinners always included plenty of fresh picked sweet corn and vine ripe tomatoes.
Sometimes our Yankee cousins - talked funny. We were always amused to learn of familiar items with different northern names or totally unfamiliar items like corn relish, pork loin sandwiches (kind of like southern fried chicken steak on a hoagie bun), and tractor pulls.
When we asked for mayonnaise on our sandwiches my aunt would have to translate to the cousins– Oh, they mean “salad dressing” or “sandwich spread”. When we looked at the jar of the same product that we bought in our southern grocery stores – sure enough – that familiar white goop was labeled “salad dressing”.
Mayonnaise is simply an emulsion of oil and eggs with a little salt and acid. Sounds easy to prepare when you think about it doesn’t it? Unfortunately, like most store bought food products the bottom line of mass production is profit. Profit in the food industry translates into long shelf life which further translates into added preservatives which equals one more brick in the wall to building an unhealthy body. Homemade mayonnaise usually tastes better, is healthier, is less expensive and is certainly fresher.
After I checked the ingredients on my standard store bought mayo jar, with it’s preservatives, then compared it against the little half pint health food brand that cost $8.00 I decided to start making my own. Egg and oil in the blender – how difficult could that be?
This recipe is not the white creamy goop in the jar that you are used to but it is very flavorful and healthy. I use it all the time now and my family has not even noticed the switch.
Homemade Mayo
(I always double this recipe)
1 cup light Olive Oil
1 egg (or 2 eggs for a thicker mayo)
Juice of 1 lemon (or red wine vinegar)
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
A pinch of salt
Fresh ground pepper
Put mustard, lemon, and egg into the blender (or food processor). Blend on low for a minute or less. While blender is on low, drizzle in the oil in as slowly as you can.
If you like a thicker mayo, use two eggs or just the egg yolks. After refrigeration it will thicken more.
Pour into glass jar and seal. I like to use wide mouth mason jars. They now make a plastic screw on lid for canning jars of most sizes. I use the wide mouth quart and pint jars for most of my soup, sauces and leftovers.
Don’t be afraid of the fat. The Low fat diet craze has proven to be unsound. Yes, bad fats are bad for us and good fads that are heated up too high are bad for us but we now know that good fats protect against heart disease, stroke and inflammation as well as type 2 diabetes. This recipe contains good fat. Enjoy with a good conscience.
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