Why You Should Ditch Store-Bought Mayo (And How to Make Your Own the Right Way)
Mayonnaise is one of those staple condiments that shows up in everything—from sandwiches and deviled eggs to potato salad and dips. But if you’ve ever taken a moment to read the label on your average supermarket mayo, you might be surprised (and not in a good way).
What’s Really in Store-Bought Mayo?
Flip over the jar, and you’ll likely find ingredients like:
- Soybean oil or canola oil: These seed oils are heavily processed and often rancid by the time they hit the shelf. They’re high in omega-6 fatty acids, which can promote inflammation when consumed in excess.
- EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid): This preservative extends shelf life, but it’s a synthetic compound that some studies have linked to potential health concerns with long-term exposure.
- Natural flavors: A vague term that can hide dozens of lab-derived additives.
Bottom line: the convenience of store-bought mayo comes at the cost of questionable ingredients that add up when you think about everything mayo is used for!
The Case for Homemade Mayo
Homemade mayonnaise is a game-changer. It’s fresher, tastes better, and puts you in complete control of what goes into your food. Plus, it’s surprisingly easy to make with just a handful of ingredients and about five minutes of your time.
Simple Homemade Mayonnaise Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 egg (room temperature)
- 1 cup Avocado Oil or Grape Seed Oil
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard (optional, for flavor and emulsification)
- 1/4 tsp salt or to taste
Instructions to make using an Immersion Blender. The one linked here is the one I have and its super affordable! Doing it this way makes this so amazingly easy, it takes seconds!!
- Add the egg, oil, mustard, lemon juice (or vinegar), and salt to a tall, narrow container. The tall wide mouth mason jars or a tall drinking glass work great. I like to use a mason jar because then I can just add a lid and throw it in the refrigerator.
- Using an immersion blender, place it at the bottom of the container and blend without moving until the mayo starts to emulsify. Then slowly move it upward to incorporate the rest. This will happen very quickly.
- Taste and adjust salt or acidity as needed.
Store in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 2 weeks.
Why a Narrow Jar Matters
The key to successful mayo is emulsification—that magical moment when oil and water-based ingredients combine into a smooth, creamy texture instead of separating. A tall, narrow jar (like a mason jar or wide-mouth pint jar) helps keep all the ingredients close together at the bottom where the immersion blender starts working. This ensures that the oil is slowly and steadily pulled into the egg mixture, forming a stable emulsion.
If your container is too wide, the ingredients can spread out too much, and the emulsion might not form correctly—leading to a broken or runny mayo.
Pro Tips:
- Use room temperature ingredients. This helps the emulsion come together more reliably.
- Avocado oil is a great neutral-flavored, heart-healthy alternative to seed oils.
- Want to spice it up? Add garlic, herbs, or a pinch of smoked paprika for a twist.
Final Thoughts
Once you make mayo from scratch, it’s hard to go back. You get a fresher product without preservatives, rancid oils, or unpronounceable additives. It’s healthier, tastes better, and you know exactly what’s in it.
If you’re someone who’s trying to clean up your diet, eliminate unnecessary chemicals, or just make better food, this is one of the easiest and most rewarding upgrades you can make.
Fool Proof Mayonnaise!
Equipment
- Immersion Blender
- Wide mouth mason jar or tall glass
Ingredients
- 1 Large Egg
- 1 TBSP Dijon Mustard
- 1 TBSP Apple Cider Vinegar You can use white vinegar also
- ¼ TSP Sea Salt
- 1 Cup Avocado Oil
- 1 TSP Fresh Lemon Juice
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a tall wide mouth mason jar or glass.
- Turn on immersion blender, slowly moving it up and down in the jar until all of the ingredients are incorporated and it turns into a thick mayo.
Storage
- I love using the 20 oz wide mouth mason jars linked here because the mayo can be made and stored in the jar, all you do is screw the lid on after you make it! Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- This recipe does call for uncooked eggs. Make sure to use clean, properly stored eggs with un-cracked shells.
- Using too large of container to blend the mayonnaise in will cause it not to emulsify properly which is why I recommend an immersion blender and tall jar or glass.
