Why go to the trouble of making stuff?
Good question. I’ve ask myself that on occasion, especially when I find myself spending precious time deciphering a recipe for something I could grab at the store in two seconds flat.
Sometimes it’s to avoid toxins or artificial ingredients (like in my homemade fly spray or from-scratch BBQ sauce).
Sometimes it’s because I end up with a superior product than the store-bought version (like in the case of my homemade honey lip balm recipe).
But a lot of the time, I DIY just for the sheer joy of it. Creating is one of my favorite things, whether the creation involveshomemade butter, or homesteading ebooks, or this blog.
Creating energizes me better than a cup of black coffee. There’s something about sitting back to admire a completed projected and being able to say, “Hey– I made that!” I’m a creation addict. And there’s no turning back.
Anyone relate?
The Industrial Age brought us many advances, and I’m thankful for well-stocked stores full of ready-made products when I need them. However, only ever being a consumer robs of us of the pleasure that accompanies producing. And creating. And experimenting. And crafting. And while I don’t feel the need to make/grow/product/create every single tiny thing in my life, any time I can add a new skill to my repertoire, it makes me oh so happy.
Which brings us to homemade mayo.Creamy, rich, decadent homemade mayo.
Do You Mayo?
In the interest of full transparency, I don’t make homemade mayonnaise all the time. Just keepin’ it real. It’s not something we eat a ton, and so it’s usually easier for me to simply buy it and keep it in the fridge the rare occasions.
But, how cool is it to say you know how to make mayo from scratch? Because you never know when the insatiable urge for mayo will arise when you don’t have any in the fridge. Plus, you can skip out on the less-than-desirable soybean or canola oils present in many of the premade versions.
There are lots of ways to make mayo, but I’ve found my food processor to be the the simplest method. And holy cow, I just discovered the COOLEST thing you guys.
Go get your food processor right now. No really, go get it. I’ll wait.
Grab the plunger thingie and look at the bottom. Is there a tiny hole? If so, you have a crazy-awesome mayo-making machine at your disposal and you didn’t even know it.
The teeny hole lets the oil drizzle ever-so-slowly into the rest of the mayonnaise mixture so it emulsifies perfectly. It’s borderline miraculous. Technology, y’all. Who woulda thought?
Brought to You By…
(this post contains affiliate links)
This particular homemade mayo recipe is from the book Homegrown & Handmade: A Practical Guide to More Self-Reliant Living by Deborah Niemann.
Deborah does a fantastic job of introducing the reader to the idea of doing what you can to produce more, and this book is a slam-dunk reference for anyone looking to expand their self-reliance, or even just understand the options that are available in the homesteading lifestyle.
Homegrown & Handmade includes chapters on:
- Growing a sustainable garden
- Cooking from the sustainable garden
- Managing a backyard orchard
- Keeping a backyard poultry flock
- Starting a home dairy
- Keeping fiber animals
- And much more
Now, onto the mayonnaise!
(From Homegrown & Handmade, used with permission)
You Will Need:
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons organic lemon juice (buy it here)
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt (buy it here)
- 1 1/4 cups mild cooking oil (see below for options)
Instructions:
Place the eggs in a food processor or blender and blend for 30 seconds. Add the lemon juice, salt, and dry mustard and blend for an additional 15 seconds.
Slowly drizzle in the oil while the processor or blender runs on high (the slower you drizzle, the thicker the mayo). If the plunger of your food processor lid has the magical hole, simply fill it and let the oil drain out before re-filling with the remainder of the oil.
Blend until the mayo is creamy and thick. Taste and add more lemon juice and/or salt, if needed.
Store in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Kitchen Notes:
- The key to the best-tasting homemade mayonnaise is to use a mild tasting oil, such as light olive oil, sunflower oil, avocado oil, or safflower oil. Skip using straight extra-virgin olive oil–it’s too strong and will overpower it in an unpleasant way. You can also mix oils 50/50 (such as half olive oil/half avocado oil). For a super thick mayo, use half light olive oil and half expeller pressed coconut oil (the kind that does not taste like coconuts– buy it here).
- Spice up homemade mayo with extra herbs and spices, such as 1 tablespoon parsley, 1 teaspoon dill weed, 1 to 3 teaspoons chili powder, or 1 teaspoon paprika, just to name a few.
- Any food processor will work, but I have a model similar to this one. (My actual model has been discontinued, I think.)
- Real mayo does contain raw eggs, so be sure to use eggs from a healthy, reputable source.
- You can also use a hand blender to make mayo, although I have had the best results with a food processor. You can also use a plain ol’ whisk, but I’m a wimp and my arm gets tired.
P.S. Don’t forget to grab your copy of Homegrown & Handmade for more from-scratch living ideas!
More DIY Foodie Goodness:
- Homemade Fruit Popsicles
- How to Make Sour Cream
- DIY Herb Seasoning Salt
- How to Make Cream Cheese
- Homemade Whipped Cream Frosting
