Homemade Mayonnaise

"THAT'S mayonnaise?!" my husband exclaimed.  "What's with the colour?  It sure doesn't look like the stuff in the Hellman's jar!"

And he's right.  

My mayo is a gorgeous yellow colour because the egg yolks I use to make it come from happy chickens.  Those happy hens live on a small local farm and spend their days outdoors, eating grass and bugs.  

It shows.

Their eggs have sturdy shells and beautiful, dark yellow-orange yolks.

Good quality, really fresh eggs are important when making mayonnaise.  There are few ingredients involved so each and every one becomes important.

The process of making mayonnaise is as simple as the ingredient list is short.  

Although mayonnaise is often made in a blender or a food processor, neither are really necessary.  I make mine with just a mixing bowl and a whisk, and it turns out perfectly every single time.  

I'm notoriously uncoordinated so I'm quite sure that if I can make mayonnaise by hand, you can easily do it too.

Use your homemade mayonnaise just as you would the stuff from the store but be prepared to enjoy a much better flavour.  

To make homemade mayonnaise, you'll need:

• 1 egg yolk 
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard or dijon mustard (I prefer the flavour of dry mustard.)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (You can use vinegar if you don't have lemon juice.)
• approximately 3/4 cup oil (I use sunflower oil because I prefer its neutral flavour.  I find olive oil too acidic. You, of course, can use whatever oil you prefer.)

Place the egg yolk in a mixing bowl. 

Add in the dry mustard, salt, and lemon juice.  

Whisk them together to make a paste.

Measure the oil into a cup from which it can easily be poured. 

Gradually, in a slow stream, pour the oil into the egg yolk paste while whisking constantly.  

If you are not able to whisk and pour at the same time (and often I am not), add the oil a little at a time, whisking to incorporate it after each addition. 

Continue adding oil until the mayonnaise reaches the consistency and flavour you prefer.    

Cook's safety tips:

• Keep your mayonnaise cold.  Don't leave it out on the counter or table.  (Its temperature should never rise above 40F.) Store your homemade mayonnaise in the fridge when you're not using it.
• You can easily double or triple this recipe but I don't recommend it.  It's always best to make mayonnaise in small batches, and use to it up quickly.