Don't buy it

I was so excited last fall when I realized that I could make mayonnaise instead of buying it.

Regular Hellmann's is decentish with ingredients, but uses soybean oil, which doesn't exactly delight me. Hellmann's with canola oil (slightly better than soybean, but not stellar) has a bunch of additives that don't seem necessary. And for a "pure" mayonnaise I'd be paying through the nose.

Solution? Make it myself. No sugar, no soybeans, and nothing you won't find on the grocery store shelves. It tastes great!

Use either fresh free-range eggs or pasteurized eggs for this, since they stay uncooked. I wouldn't try it with factory-farmed eggs.

Mayonnaise
(original from Favorite Food at Home)

1 large egg
2 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup "light-tasting" olive oil*

1) Blend whole egg, yolks, vinegar, mustard, and salt for 30 seconds, until thoroughly combined.
2) With the blender still on high speed, pour in the oil in a very slow, steady stream. I use a funnel to guide the stream of oil: my blender has a small hole in the lid, and I set the funnel on there. The mixture will emulsify into a thick, pale yellow mayonnaise. Whisk in the last drops of oil that might not emulsify, and refrigerate immediately.
3) If your mayo doesn't emulsify, pour the liquidy mixture into a glass measuring cup. Blend up another egg and pour in the "flopped" mayonnaise like you did with the oil last time. This should work. (I have never had it flop though.)

*More processed than extra virgin, but still much better than canola or any other industrial oil.

{image credit: bour3 on Flickr}