How to make homemade mayonnaise that beats the name brands

Store-bought mayonnaise in its weirdly unrefrigerated state is pretty gross. It looks like a greasy version of that marshmallow fluff stuff and doesn’t taste much better. I’ve been lucky enough to be raised on the homemade version. It’s kind of a family tradition — there is even a recipe for it in the secret family cookbook — so I’ve always made my own.

Making mayo at home is easy, quick and doesn’t require any weird ingredients. In fact, you probably have everything you need to make a batch right now. I don’t know any fancy or fusion-y applications for mayonnaise; I just use it to make my sandwiches and chicken salad significantly more awesome.

The recipe below is adapted from my family’s recipe. It does contain raw egg — if that freaks you out you can use pasteurized egg. Because mayo is an emulsion, where oil is suspended in a liquid, sometimes it just doesn’t come together. Everything from the size of the egg you use to the humidity outside plays a part in whether the liquid/fat ratio is just right. Thankfully, the ingredients are cheap, so if doesn’t work, just try again.

Dohrman’s Mayonnaise

Ingredients:

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder (I use Colman’s Mustard in the old-timey looking yellow tin)

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 tablespoon lemon Juice

1 cup Wesson salad oil

Directions:

Put egg, seasonings, vinegar, lemon juice and 1/4 cup of oil into blender or food processor. Cover and process. Begin pouring in very sloooooowlllllly. If needed, scrape down the sides with a spatula. Once all the oil is incorporated transfer to a storage container, preferably something glass. I like to use my mayo right away, though my sister says it’s better if you refrigerate it for a few hours first. This is real mayonnaise so it needs to be kept in the fridge. It will keep for about a week, though mine usually gets sandwichified before that.

Image: little blue hen via Flickr