If you have chickens you probably have a good supply of eggs. One of the many things you can make with them is homemade mayonnaise. When I was in high school there was this guy from France that was staying with us. He thought it was so strange that Americans bought mayo and kept it in the fridge when it was so easy to make fresh. Egg yolks contain a natural emulsifier called lecithin. If you’ve ever looked at the ingredients of processed food you might be more familiar with soy lecithin, which is also a emulsifier. After learning more about soy, I’d much rather use the lecithin in my hens’ eggs.
Ingredients
1 egg
1 tbs lemon juice
1 cup light flavored oil (don’t use olive oil as the flavor is way too strong. We use safflower oil)
salt to taste
any spices or herbs to taste (optional)
Process
1. In a bowl whisk the egg with the lemon juice.
2. While whisking, slowly add oil in a steady stream until the mixture thickens.
3. Add salt and any herbs or spices to taste.
Because mayo has a fairly high acidity, it doesn’t harbor bacteria very well. Store it in your refrigerator and use it within 5 days.
I also like to add a clove of garlic and chili powder or hot sauce.
Ain't that the truth about olive oil… I ran out of grapeseed and used some extra virgin I had on the counter, and have never concocted anything so oddly bitter. I wound up sloshing some balsamic vinegar into it and a couple cloves roasted garlic, and that toned it down, but holy cow.
Which reminds me, I need to make more…
I almost never buy mayo at the store (only in an extreme emergency). I have never made the same tasting mayo twice. Each batch flavor depends on my mood, craving or what I will be using it in. Being able to run outside and clip herbs for seasoning makes each jar of mayo like heaven in my mouth! BTW, I use corn oil and a bit of chili oil for a nice tiny kick.