Mayonnaise Accomplished

I think I figured out the right recipe for my homemade Hellman’s/Best Foods style mayonnaise. I don’t quite know the measurements since I experimented until it tasted right, but I do know which ingrediants I used. I know this is gonna sound weird to non-foodies, but my mayonnaise just tastes better. So here is my listing:

• 1 medium egg yolk
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon concentrated lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon sea salt

You could save the egg whites and add it for thinner mayo, or you could just add less oil. Because the resulting mayonnaise is only good for a week, I make small amounts. I threw everything except the oil in a 16oz ziploc “twist ‘n loc” container. Hit it with a cheap immersion blender until the ingrediants are well mixed. Then add oil until the emulsification fills the container about 4/5 full. Despite my disgust for all things Wal*Mart, I picked up everything there. It has been suggested that I use cage-free/free range eggs and extra virgin olive oil instead of vegetable oil due to salmonella and genetically modified corn. After seeing Food, inc, it might not be the worst idea. I could also use an actual lemon instead of lemon juice concentrate. Mayonnaise off the shelf is definitely cheaper, but there are those that question the origins of the industrial ingrediants and other preservatives in those products.

I picked up a package of Hidden Valley Ranch flavoring and turned my previous batch into ranch dressing. I think my next endeavor will be to create ranch dressing with natural ingrediants like sour cream and parsley… Any ideas?