Mayonnaise

Bring out the mayo! Seriously, it seems to be in everything at the Fourth of July picnic. Like a lot of pre-made products, I have some beef with the common jar of mayonnaise and it is not with the fat--big surprise. It is that nasty soybean stuff that sounds healthy enough until you learn what is done to it; chemicals, heat, extreme pressure, preservatives, deodorizers. This bean is toast! Most vegetable oils, including canola are mass produced for efficiency not for quality or health. They process it until it is a clear, tasteless substance, then filter it,, add preservatives and deodorizers to lengthen shelf life and cover up the rancid mess. It can be found in almost any package of snack food on the market, which leads to an even bigger problem – the omega 6 content. It is high. Really high. With this oil being so prevalent, our bodies are becoming toxic while the label is claiming it is healthy, but what’s new? It is important for proper body function to have a balance of omega 6 to omega 3 (3:1 or better is optimum). Good sources of omega 3's include; wild fish, pastured beef, chicken and pork, sea weed, raw nuts and seeds…do you see the problem? These previously common staples have become hard to find, expensive commodities.

Okay, enough trash talking the white stuff in the jar, let's get to the real stuff. Homemade mayonnaise requires some patience and I have had enough bad experiences to know how handy it would be to just pick up some at the store. It is a skill that can be mastered however and I am determined. I have found the highest quality of oil that can be used is pure olive oil. Extra virgin becomes too bitter through the emulsification process, coconut has too much flavor and I opt for the low omega 6 slightly processed oil over the high omega 6 less processed expeller pressed canola oil.

*UPDATE; I got a tip from my friend Sonya, who made this recipe with excellent results in her kitchen aid with the wire whips. So I tried it in my Bosch and it was easy and fast as ever! The oil can be drizzled faster because of the greater surface area. Also I found this method requires less scraping down and can hold more oil if you want to do up to another 1/2 cup. I did it on medium speed and it worked great. This method saved me 10 minutes and seems like it will yield very consistent results!

2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon honey
3 teaspoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups pure olive oil

*Beginning with all ingredients at room temperature is important for emulsifying.

In mixer, blend yolks, salt, honey and mustard with wire whips. Combine lemon juice and vinegar in a separate bowl add half into the yolk mixture. Place oil in a container with a pour spout that can easily be controlled (I like to use a plastic condiment bottle, it fits exactly 1 1/2 cups oil). Start mixer on medium and add a slow stream of oil until the liquid seems to thicken and lighten a bit. Then, increase the oil flow to a faster stream. Once half of the oil is in add the rest of the lemon juice mixture. Continue adding oil until all of the it is incorporated. If you get distracted and dump the oil to quickly, the emulsion will break and get very runny. From here you can begin the process again with two new egg yolks and the broken mixture, starting drop by drop and moving to a steady stream. This recipe can also be done in a food processor, blender or whisking by hand. Store in a jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.