How to Make Homemade Mayonnaise, You Choose the Fat!
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I’m going to start this recipe by stating this mayonnaise does not taste like store-bought mayo. THAT IS THE POINT. So, if you are looking for something that looks and tastes identical to the non-nutritional garbage from the store, I ain’t gonna do it for you. BUT, I can tell you this. Homemade mayonnaise is so much better once you figure out what your family enjoys. It took me a bit of trial and error, including making a huge batch with olive oil (blechhhhhhh) to figure what exactly we were looking for. Now, when my daughter hears the stick blender run and the sound of emulsifying mayonnaise, that girl could be in another state and would come running like the man on SpongeBob after the chocolate because she wants to lick the blender. That’s how good it is.
Homemade mayonnaise really elevates recipes that use mayonnaise; my deviled eggs, chicken salad, ham salad, potato salad, and cheeseburgers are so stinkin’ good smothered in this stuff. We even use it to dip french fries in and to make homemade ranch salad dressing. I find myself make 2-3 batches of this EVERY WEEK, especially when the hens are cranking out the eggs. By using healthy oils, namely animal fats, and my farm fresh eggs from free range hens, this mayonnaise is a super food here that I don’t feel bad about letting my kids eat spoonful’s of. Once you get it figured out, that sad, regular mayonnaise from the grocery store won’t taste right anymore!
What Oils or Fats Can Be Used For Homemade Mayo?
You can really use basically any mild flavored oil or fat to emulsify and make mayonnaise with, but here’s a list of what I enjoy and will personally use:
- lard
- schmaltz
- rendered bacon fat or bacon grease
- avocado oil
Oils I don’t recommend for homemade mayo because of flavor:
- olive oil, extra virgin olive oil
- beef tallow
Let’s get started!
Equipment You Will Need:
- Immersion Blender
- Wide Mouth Mason Jar (a pint is perfect)
- Air tight Jar Lid
Ingredients
- whole egg
- red wine vinegar
- dijon mustard
- salt
- black pepper
- fat or oil of choice (lard, bacon grease, avocado oil, or schmaltz)
Step 1: Measure Ingredients
Measure out your oil or fat. If you are using bacon fat, lard, or schmaltz, make sure it’s room temperature and soft or slightly melted and cooled.
To a wide mouth pint mason jar, add:
- 1 whole raw egg
- 1 cup lard, OR fat or oil of choice
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Step 2: Emulsify
Place your immersion blender into the bottom of the mixture and blend until it begins to emulsify and turns white. This only takes a second, and then start moving your blender up and down while you blend so all the oil/fat gets blended in. Once it has thickened to a creamy, pale yellow color and there’s no visible oil, your mayonnaise is done. The color of your mayonnaise depends largely on the color of the oils and your egg yolks. If I make my mayonnaise with schmaltz, it’s quite a bit more yellow than if I use lard.
Step 3: Store
Store the mayonnaise in the jar you made it in with an air tight lid, or in an airtight container, in the refrigerator. Use within 2 weeks (which definitely won’t be hard).
Tips & Ideas
My Mayonnaise Is Runny!
If your mayonnaise is runny or didn’t emulsify well, it happens. Don’t get frustrated! To a different jar, add another egg and an extra splash of red wine vinegar and dijon mustard. Place the immersion blender into the jar, and with it running, slowly add the runny mayonnaise into the new jar using a slow, steady stream. Move the blender up and down to emulsify and thicken. This normally fixes it and thickens it a second time around. If it doesn’t you could try a second time or just use it runny and make it into a homemade dressing. I normally have this issue more often if I use avocado oil than if I use an animal fat, since animal fats are normally solid fats at room temperature, they make a nice thick mayo.
Sub for Red Wine Vinegar:
You can substitute any acid of choice here. Fresh squeezed lemon juice, white wine vinegar, or even apple cider vinegar work well. Go for the flavor profile you would like and go ham!
Can I Use Different Herbs & Spices in my Mayo?
This is really fun to do. Playing with making different flavor profiles with fresh herbs and spices makes some really interesting recipes. I recommend fresh dill, cayenne pepper for a spicy punch, and fresh garlic for a savory twist. We LOVE fresh dill mayonnaise on sandwiches.
I hope this has inspired you to make your own mayonnaise and play around with the flavors, fats, and oils to make a mayonnaise you LOVE!
Enjoy!
Equipment
- wide mouth pint mason jar
Ingredients
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 cup oil or fat of choice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a wide mouth pint mason jar.
- Using an immersion blender, place it in the bottom of the jar and begin to blend ingredients; once they turn light and begin to emulsify (this only takes a second), start moving blender up and down in jar until oil is completely emulsified.
- Store with an airtight lid in the fridge for about 2 weeks, but it won't last that long!
Perfect! Thank you