Mayonnaise has a long history and the stories of it’s origin vary depending on you who ask. The general consensus is that it was first invented in 1756 to mark the French capture of the city of Mahon, on the Spanish Isle of Minorca. For the celebratory victory feast the chef was preparing a sauce which would normally consist of of cream and eggs, but when he realised that he had no cream, he substituted it with olive oil – thus mayo was born! The delicious new sauce was named ‘Mahonnaise’ in honour of the victory. Apparently the spelling of mayonnaise was by accident when it was printed incorrectly in a cookbook in 1841.

Did you know that making your own homemade mayo is so easy! With our quick recipe you can make it in minutes and have it on hand for whenever you need it.

---

Homemade Mayo

Makes: 1 C (250 ml)
Difficulty: easy
Prep time: 5 minutes

1 free range jumbo egg
1 Tbsp (15 ml) white sugar
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) mustard powder
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) salt
1/4 tsp (1.25) white pepper
2 Tbsp (30 ml) white vinegar
1 C (250 ml) sunflower or canola oil

squeeze of lemon juice, lemon zest, cayenne pepper (optional)

How to make it…

Place the egg, sugar, mustard powder, salt, pepper and vinegar in a tall container or glass jar with a mouth big enough to fit  hand-held electric blending stick.

Whizz for about half a minute or until all of the ingredients are well mixed.

Pour in the oil in a steady stream with the machine running and continue to whizz until the mixture emulsifies and thickens.

Add a squeeze of lemon juice, some lemon zest and a sprinkle of cayenne pepper (optional) and whizz until well mixed.

Voila! You have yummy homemade mayo in minutes! Seal and store in the fridge until ready for use. (Note: we made two batches to fill a big jar).

Mayo is the perfect carrier for lots of delicious flavours, check out our recipe HERE for these variations – Wholegrain Mustard and Maple Syrup, Wasabi, Blue Cheese and Chipotle.