If you are thinking I have gone to the dark side, rest easy. This is NOT a paid advertisement! It’s just that I am SO excited about a smokin’ hot deal at their store! Check this out- I got a HUGE (1 liter) bottle of Spectrum Organic EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) for only $9.49. Yes, you read that correctly. Natural Grocers have really good prices anyway (waaaaaaay better than our friends at Whole Paycheck), but this bottle of EVOO takes the cake. And for those of you who don’t know, the Spectrum EVOO is a pale green liquor and smells Divine. This is the good stuff.
Here’s the rundown. Regular price: $16.99. Sale price: $10.49. But wait! They have $1.00 off coupons taped to the shelves in front of the bottles! Net price: $9.49. Oh yeah, I love me the Natural Grocers. 🙂
I got two. And a bottle of organic canola oil while I was it at. Why so much? Well, I use olive oil instead of butter when cooking so this is a staple in my pantry. This will last me quite a while so it was a smart purchase. I also make my own mayo which consists of some kind of oil with very few other ingredients. I started making my own mayo because 1. I wanted to know what I was actually ingesting; 2. Organic mayo is expensive! 3. It tastes better; and 4. It’s incredibly fast and easy to make. How easy? See for yourself….
Make Your Own Mayo
2 egg yolks (Save the whites for breakfast)
Couple of shakes of the following spices- Feel free to innovate and pick your faves!
Salt
Pepper
Paprika
Ground Cayenne Red Pepper
Zest off one lemon
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Couple tablespoons of vinegar (I used rice vinegar this time but have used balsamic, apple cider, port wine vinegar….be creative!)
Olive Oil and Canola Oil
Here’s the drill: Using a deep mixing bowl (Avoid spatters), mix egg yolks and dry spices on a low speed till blended. Turn the speed up on your mixer to medium and start adding olive oil and/or canola oil in a slow stream while the mixer is running.
If you want a *very* savory mayo, only use EVOO. If you want something with less personality, switch between the olive oil and canola oil equally. No you don’t have to measure. The egg and oil mixture will begin to get thick (emulsify) as the oil gets incorporated into the egg yolks. When it gets to a soft version of what you like (remember, it’s going to get thicker when it chills in the fridge), throw in the lemon zest and a juice. Wham! The color gets instantly lighter! NOTE: Do NOT add the lemon juice or vinegar until the egg yolk and oil mixture has emulsified! Why? It won’t get think and you’ll end up with a runny mess. Trust me. I forgot and made this mistake. Ugh. What a waste of perfectly good EVOO!
Now, turn off the mixer and taste a bit. Needs more zing? Turn the mixer back on and slowly add in one tablespoon of vinegar at a time until the mayo has the zip you like. Want it a bit sweeter? Try a bit of agave syrup or cane sugar. That’s ALL there is to it. Bottle and store in the fridge. It should safely last a few weeks. No it doesn’t make the humungous jar you see at the store but you want to use it up as it is not loaded with preservatives (like the store mayo.) No, it is not pure white like the mayo at the store but it tastes so much better! AND it’s cheaper, cleaner and easier than running to the store for something you can make in less than 5 minutes. Try it and please let me know how it works out!
Super Simple: Homemade Mayo