I began making my own mayonnaise probably about 15 years ago after a visit to my husband's grandmother, Mamie. She made her own mayonnaise. All of it. I'm not sure she ever bought a jar in her entire life. During this particular visit, she happened to need mayonnaise while we were there so she assembled all of the ingredients and made it. I was delighted to see how easy it was. Homemade mayonnaise is so much creamier and more flavorful than store-bought, my family was hooked.
Homemade Mayonnaise
The recipe that I use is a modified combination of the recipe from Joy of Cooking (page 363 in my 1975 edition if you care to look it up) and the way that Mamie made it. Quick, easy, and delicious; I make it all the time.
Ingredients
- 1 egg
- 3/4 t. dry mustard
- 1 t. sea salt
- 1 cup olive oil
- 3 T. tarragon vinegar Tarragon vinegar is made by putting a bunch of tarragon into a bottle of white wine vinegar and letting it sit "for a while." If you don't like tarragon, don't use it. I have also made this recipe with raw apple cider vinegar when I didn't have any tarragon vinegar on hand.
Instructions
- Place the egg, 1/4 C. oil, salt, and mustard into a container. Blend well. I use a stick blender which I think is one of the best kitchen gadgets ever invented.
- Drizzle in another 1/4 C. olive oil and blend well again.
- Add the tarragon vinegar, blend well
- Add the remaining 1/2 C. olive oil slowly and blend well a final time
Notes
The end result is a delicious, creamy mayonnaise. It's a little thin at first but after it sits in the refrigerator it firms up quite a bit and is just fabulous spread on sandwiches, in dressings, or any other way you choose to use mayo. My particular favorite is for tomato sandwiches.
