Monday, February 7, 2011

Homemade Mayonnaise

I started making homemade mayonnaise about 6 months ago, and now I wonder what took me so long!  It is delicious and super easy to make with the right tools on hand (I use an immersion blender, but you could also use a food processor). Homemade mayo is so much healthier and tastier than the store-bought kind (which is filled with strange ingredients).  And if you add whey, this mayo will become a probiotic food and will keep for several months!

It never seems to last that long in our house, though, as we use it as a base for so many things like salad dressing, honey mustard mayo, tartar sauce, tuna salad, and ham salad.  This recipe is based on the one in Nourishing Traditions.  Using olive oil will result in a more strongly-flavored mayo; I use a combination of olive oil, unrefined coconut oil, and sunflower oil as we get plenty of omega 3's in our diets. [Sunflower oil is high in omega 6, but our bodies need both omega 6 and omega 3.  There has been a lot of hype about omega 3's these days and that is because the typical American diet is very low in them, so many people have an omega 3 deficiency. However, if you are eating a nourishing diet with plenty of omega 3 (for instance, from cod liver oil, flax, and fish), then there is no reason to not also consume some omega 6 in the form of sunflower oil.  If you are concerned about too much omega 6 in your diet, you could easily substitute a small amount of flax oil for some of the oil in the mayo.]

Homemade Mayonnaise:
2 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
2 tsp dijon mustard
3 Tb lemon or lime juice
2 Tb raw whey, optional
1.5-2 c. sunflower oil, olive oil, or unrefined coconut oil** (softened or melted)
1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt
pinch freshly ground pepper

If using an immersion blender, add all ingredients to cup or jar in the order listed.  Then it is as simple as using the immersion blender, with gentle up-and-down strokes, until the mayo is well mixed and creamy.  If using a food processor, add all ingredients except oil to food processor and pulse to combine.  Then, while the machine is running, pour oil into dripper cup (the cup that allows one drop of oil at a time to be added).  Process until well mixed and creamy.

If whey was used, make sure there is at least 1-inch of space at the top of the jar and allow to sit on the counter (with the lid on) for 7-10 hours before refrigerating. Store in the refrigerator.  The mayonnaise will thicken slightly during refrigeration (and even more so if whey was used). Without whey, may will keep for about 2 weeks. With whey, it will keep for several months.

*Time-saving tip: Using an immersion blender, measure and mix the mayo straight into a mason jar.  This will reduce the number of dirty dishes.

**The more coconut oil you use, the more firm the mayo will be.  I like to use just a small amount (1/4 to 1/2 cup).  Sometimes I leave the coconut oil out altogether if I want it to be thin enough to drizzle on top of a green salad. Homemade mayo is super tasty as a salad dressing.

This recipe is part of Fight Back Friday at Food Renegade, Pennywise Platter at The Nourishing Gourmet, and Monday Mania at The Healthy Home Economist!

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

I usually use Veganaise (grape seed version) in recipes that call for mayo, but may just give this a try.

Marina said...

I am here from Monday Mania.
wow, thanks for the tip of using the immersion blender! that saves time and dirty mixer/food processor! :)
I just made up some whey and will do this recipe today!

Jackie @ Crest Cottage said...

I've been looking for a good mayo recipe, so thanks! I don't actually eat it, but mu husband does on occasion and we haven't been able to find a store-bought one that satisfies our cost, nutrition, AND taste needs.

Anonymous said...

this sounds better and more nourishing than any other mayo recipe I've seen.
thanks for posting it.

Anonymous said...

If you want to jazz it it up you can add chipotle to it and get a zingy treat. Really good with roasted chicken sandwich

Anonymous said...

Add some roasted sweet peppers for exceptional taste and a pretty color. The blender handles them easily. Then use it as the French do, for "French" fries, instead of ketchup. Fabulous!

Sarah Smith said...

Sounds delicious!

Amy Love@ Real Food Whole Health said...

I make mine with half olive and half coconut oil. Here's the recipe http://www.realfoodwholehealth.com/2011/02/homemade-mayonnaise/

The coconut oil helps it firm up and it has a fantastic flavor and all the coconut oil benefits! :)

Anonymous said...

I'm somewhat confused as to if it is actually ok to use sunflower oil. Isn't it highly processed? What brand do you use?

Sarah Smith said...

There is nothing inherently wrong with sunflower oil. It is high in omega 6, but our bodies need both omega 6 and omega 3. There has been a lot of hype about omega 3's these days and that is because the typical American diet is very low in them, so many people have an omega 3 deficiency. However, if you are eating a nourishing diet with plenty of omega 3 (for instance, from cod liver oil, flax, and fish), then there is no reson to not also consume some omega 6 in the form of sunflower oil. If you are concerned about too much omega 6 in your diet, you could easily substitute a small amount of flax oil for some of the oil in the mayo.

Anonymous said...

Re: sunflower oil and the second to last post. I think Anonymous was suggesting that sunflower oil is not healthful because it's an industrially processed seed oil (a class of food toxins), not because of the EFA content. My understanding is that industrial processing of seeds to make oil damages the oil which, in turn, causes them to act as potent toxins in our bodies. You're right that sunflower oil is not inherently dangerous. And if we used a slow method wedge press to extract it like in the olden days, the oil would be healthful. But many sources advise that we stay far away from ALL industrial seed oils (sunflower, safflower, corn, canola, etc.) because of their serious negative health effects.

Sarah Smith said...

That's good information about seed oils. Thanks for posting it.

Michelle said...

I used the immersion blender method with a different but similar recipe once and it was amazingly easy. I was so excited that I could make healthy mayo with so little effort. Since then I have tried to make it twice and both times it didn't emulsify. Such a waste.... I'm afraid to try again. Anyone have any advice? Thx!

Sarah Smith said...

Hi Michelle,
I think the keys to getting it to emulsify when using an immersion blender are:
-make sure you put the ingredients into your jar in the order listed
-when you start blending, make sure the blender is all the way down at the bottom of the jar. Blend there first until blended well, then slowly start moving the blender up into the oil and back down again. This allows you to mix in the oil a little at a time, like you would in a food processor by using the little oil-dripping cup.

I hope this helps!

elizabeth said...

I just made this! OMG - so easy - thankyou SO much :)

Paula @ acresoflearning.blogspot.com.au said...

just made this ....used extra virgin olive oil so it was just a little tangy..just added a little raw garlic. It was a lot better. Capsicum...what a great idea. Also, I think it would be great with roasted garlic. Maybe it will taste more like Aioli then.

Kate said...

Hey Sarah- I left my mayo out on the counter all night by accident. So it was out for around 17 hours, instead of 7 - 10. Do you think that it's a safety issue?

Sarah Smith said...

Hmmm, I don't know. It seems like if there was whey in it, it should be fine, but I can't say for sure.

Kate said...

Thanks for your reply, Sarah.

Anne said...

Is there something you can substitute for dijon mustard?

Sarah Smith said...

Hmmm, in a pinch, you could probably use a bit of yellow mustard and maybe a tiny bit of red wine vinegar. Deli mustard or spicy brown mustard would probably work too.

Anonymous said...

Is Dijon mustard okay on the GAPS diet? Do you buy a special brand?

Sarah Smith said...

Dijon is fine. I buy Natural Value brand.

Natalia said...

Immersion blender saved my hope of ever eating homemade mayo! However, my last batch of 1 cup EVOO and half cup coconut oil became solid in th fridge :( should I skip co? What are your thoughts on macademia nuts oil?

Sarah Smith said...

Yeah, the more coconut oil you put in, the more firm it will become. I like to add just a little coconut oil (probably between 1/4-1/2 cup). Sometimes I leave it out all together if I want the mayo thin enough to drizzle on green salads (it is so yummy as a salad dressing).

I've never used macadamia nut oil...