Cultured Mayo (for Easter Egg Salad!)

I tried making mayonnaise once upon a time, but it turned out runny and gross.  I think the trouble was that I made it in the Vita-Mix: too much power.  A girlfriend recently made some though, and insisted that it was easy as pie (way easier, actually).  So, I gave it another go, this time in the Cuisinart, and that seemed to work much better.

The funny surprise was that our mayonnaise looks closer to mustard than mayo!!  I guess that makes sense since egg yolks are really supposed to be bright orange, not pale yellow.  And I used olive oil, which lent it some color.  Though, I don’t recommend straight olive oil.  In future batches I’ve used (and prefer) a milder oil like sunflower, or grape seed.  I followed the recipe for cultured mayonnaise from Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon, making just a few adjustments.  Here’s her basic recipe:

I used olive oil the first time (the pictures are the olive oil version) and also added a bit of Bragg’s apple cider vinegar and a splash of Cholula sauce(!) at the end.  My mom always puts a bit of Tabasco in her Hollandaise sauce—which my mayo seriously reminded me of—so I thought it could use a little something extra like that.  I think the ACV and the Cholula, plus an extra helping of salt aided the flavor.

The best part is that this time it actually turned out thick, the way mayo is supposed to be.    So, aside from the color, it was just like, actually better, than the “real” thing.  But I’m okay with yellow mayo, especially if it means I made it myself and know exactly what went into it!  And the thing is, it really was so easy!  You can do this, seriously.  It was really quick to throw those ingredients together, and with the help of a modern appliance, the stuff practically makes itself.  Now you’ll have plenty of mayo for making piles of egg salad sandwiches!