Homemade Mayonnaise (That keeps well!)
With rising food prices, even simple condiments like Mayonnaise have gotten pricier. At my local Walmart, a jar of mayo can ring you up at almost 5 dollars- a price that a couple years ago, used to get you a whole footlong sandwich at Subway! I don’t know about you, but I’m not paying 5 bucks for just mayo. Also, if I’m going to the effort of making a condiment from scratch, I want it to last long. Sadly, most homemade mayo recipes I’ve found only last you a week in the fridge. I did some research and found a recipe that keeps for up to 3 months (if your family doesn’t use it all by then)! Let me show you how easy it is to make your own Mayonnaise at home with a few pantry staples. Not only is this recipe keep well in the fridge, but it’s also simple, cheaper, and it’s healthier too! No chemicals in this ingredient list! All you need are eggs, oil, vinegar (or lemon juice), a couple of optional spices, and to preserve your mayo, some liquid of a ferment brine of your choice (I use sauerkraut). It’s also worth it to make your own mayo because is so much richer and more flavorful than storebought. Let’s elevate your sandwich and sauce game and get to it!
Why Fermenting Mayo Works
This mayo recipe is Lacto-Fermented. Lacto fermentation is an ancient method of preserving food. Lacto Fermentation refers to the process in which good bacteria produces lactic acid (Robertson). This acid helps creates enzymes and probiotics that not only preserve your food but are also good for your health (Robertson).
If you wish to learn more about how lacto fermentation works and it’s health benefits, I recommend visiting What Is Lacto-Fermentation, and Does It Have Health Benefits? (healthline.com). It is a wealth of information!
The Pricing of Storebought VS Homemade Mayo
Why is it worth it to make your own mayo at home? It’s a lot cheaper than buying it. Here is the price break down:
(Disclaimer-all of the ingredient prices are from Sam’s Club but many of these ingredients are affordable and available at other stores as well. My family likes to buy 95 percent of our groceries in large quantities from Sam’s Club. In the future, I will make a post about how buying in bulk has helped us save money on groceries and how it has helped us to be able to afford a wide variety of healthy foods.)
Homemade Mayo Vs Storebought Price Breakdown
At Sam’s Club, you can get 6 quarts of vegetable oil for $11.98, so the oil is 6 cents an Fl oz.
This recipe calls for 2 1/4 cups of oil so the oil only costs $1.08.
We pay $4.94 cents for 2 dozen Grade A Eggs at Sam’s.
For the recipe you need 2 eggs which will cost 42 cents
We pay $2.99 for a gallon of white vinegar at Sams (approx 2 cents an oz)
For this recipe, you will need 1 and a half tablespoons of white vinegar which will cost not even 2 cents.
Mustard at Sam’s is $2.74 for 30 oz ( aprox 9 cents an oz)
For this recipe you will need 1 teaspoon of mustard which will cost only about 1 cent.
I get my saurkraut at Aldi for $1.75 .
For this recipe you only need a couple tablespoons of sauerkraut liquid so that’s basically free.
In TOTAL, this homemade Mayo recipe only costs $1.66 for 4 cups (32 oz) of delicious creamy remoulade! This is $4.32 cents cheaper than Helman’s Mayo at Walmart which sells for $5.98 and only gives you 30 oz.
Disclaimer: Is it safe to use Raw Eggs to make Mayo?
According to the USDA, as long as you are using pasteurized eggs (which most storebought eggs are) it is perfectly safe to consume homemade mayonnaise (ASKUSDA). The carton will say whether they are pasteurized or not. If you have your own chickens and wish to use farm fresh eggs to make mayo, you will have to pasteurize them yourself. Here is a good website that shows you how to do this: How To Pasteurize Eggs – Sugar Geek Show. It is important to note, that my family has enjoyed homemade mayo for almost a year, and we never gotten sick from eating this recipe!
Why Use an Immersion Blender
When making this recipe, I prefer and have only used an immersion blender, but If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can also use a food processor, blender, or whisk it by hand. If you use a food processor or blender, you just have to add the oil in gradually and the end product might be a little less thick than storebought mayo. If you whisk it by hand, the mayo will have an even runnier and will have a sauce like consistency (which is fine if you don’t mind that it will still be yummy). I prefer using an immersion blender with this recipe because you can mix everything together at once and the mayo emulsifies in a couple of seconds. Immersion blenders work the best as well because it produces a texture that is most similar to storebought mayonnaise. Thankfully these gadgets are very affordable (can be purchased as cheap as 30 dollars), are easy to clean, and don’t take up much space to store. The one I use is a kitchen aid immersion blender which is a little pricier (at 49 dollars it was a gift from my mom). You can also get cheaper blenders for 30 dollars. I will post a links to both options below.
$29.00 Immersion Blender
Kitchen Aid Immersion Blender
KitchenAid® 2-Speed Hand Blender, Empire Red, KHB1231 – Walmart.com
How to Make Homemade Mayo (that keeps well)
Recipe makes 32 oz (roughly 4 cups)
1 serving is 1 tablespoon and is about 100 calories
Ingredients:
2 eggs
1 and 1/2 tsp mustard
1 tsp salt
1 and 1/2 tablespoon white vinegar
1 and 1/2 tablespoon of drained minced garlic
1 and 1/2 tsp of dill (optional)
4 tablespoons of sauerkraut juice
2 and 1/4 cups vegetable oil
Steps
- Pour all ingredients into a medium mixing bowl (or you could make it in your favorite jar or airtight container of choice).
2. Blend all ingredients with your immersion blender starting from the bottom and working your way to the top, incorporating everything.
3. Keep blending until it has a very thick and creamy consistency like mayo!
4. Transfer to a jar or airtight container and put the lid on.
5. Let sit on counter for 5-7 hours, then refrigerate and enjoy for up to 3 months!
Notes:
You can use Lemon juice instead of white vinegar. If you don’t have sauerkraut, you can also use whey from yogurt or sour cream. You can also use liquid from any other fermented vegetable of your choice. Garlic powder can also be substituted for minced garlic just use 2 teaspoons. You can use any oil of your choice that stays liquid at room temperature (ex, avocado oil, canola oil, soybean oil, and olive oil). If you use olive oil, the mayo will have a robust olive taste- which some people may not like. Feel free to add other spices to your mayo to make it a different flavor. You could add a small bit of cayenne pepper to make it spicy! This mayo makes a great base for homemade sauces, salads, or a great aioli for dipping fries!
Works Cited
ASKUSDA, ask.usda.gov/s/article/Is-homemade-mayonnaise-safe. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.
Marek, Elizabeth. “How to Pasteurize Eggs.” Sugar Geek Show, 7 July 2020,
sugargeekshow.com/recipe/how-to-pasteurize-eggs/.
Robertson, Ruairi. “9 Ways Lactobacillus Acidophilus Can Benefit Your Health.” Healthline, Healthline
Media, 20 Apr. 2023, www.healthline.com/nutrition/lactobacillus-acidophilus#TOC_TITLE_HDR_13.
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