Learn how one simple ingredient can transform your homemade mayonnaise into fermented mayo that will last in the refrigerator for months! This recipe tastes delicious and is actually healthier than regular homemade mayo.
Why I Love Fermented Mayo
I love the idea of making homemade mayonnaise, but I also like making recipes in big batches. Traditional homemade mayonnaise only lasts about four or five days, so making this on a regular basis every time we want a lunch that requires it just isn’t feasible for our busy homestead schedule.
The same is true with making homemade fermented ketchup. Making a large quantity once will always win out over having to make something on a weekly basis because of a short shelf-life.
That’s why I love this homemade fermented mayo recipe. By adding just one simple ingredient and allowing the mayonnaise to ferment it will last in the refrigerator for months and it’s actually healthier than if you left that extra ingredient out.
Supplies Needed
The one tool that makes this recipe extremely easy to make is an immersion blender. You can use a regular blender or a food processor, but I’ve found the immersion blender to be the quickest and easiest with the least amount of cleanup (always a win in my book!).
You can find immersion blenders on Amazon for less than $20, but for the number of recipes we use ours for, getting one that’s a little more expensive that will last a long time is ideal. We love the Cuisinart Immersion Blender (you can even buy one that comes with a whisk attachment).
Ingredients
- Room Temperature Egg – You will be consuming the eggs raw, so be sure it’s fresh and from a trusted source. You can also use two egg yolks instead of a whole egg, but I don’t like to waste parts of my eggs so I use a whole egg.
- Mustard – Any mustard you have on hand will work well for this recipe. I prefer stone-ground mustard (and I’m very liberal with my teaspoon, so adjust according to your taste preferences), but yellow, dijon or any other kind works great, too. Here’s my quick & easy homemade mustard recipe.
- Sea Salt – If you’ve used any of my recipes before, you’ll know how much we love our Redmond Salt. So much, in fact, that we buy it in bulk and store it by the barrel in our basement! Homesteading Hack: Using that link for Redmond Salt will automatically give you 15% off your order!
- Fresh Lemon Juice – I recommend using fresh lemon juice over a store-bought bottled variety. The flavor never seems quite right when I use the bottle, but either will work for this recipe if you don’t have a fresh lemon on hand.
- Fresh or Dried Herbs – During the summer months, I love adding fresh herbs like homegrown rosemary and garlic to my mayonnaise. Herbs make the flavor more upscale and are a delicious addition on sandwiches (or as a dip for artichokes!). Dried herbs work as well.
- Probiotic Liquid – This is the magic ingredient that transforms the mayonnaise into a lacto-fermented condiment that will last in your refrigerator for months. This can be the whey that’s drained off plain yogurt, kombucha, sauerkraut brine, or any other ferment you might have going in your house. For this recipe, I used the brine from a cranberry chutney I had fermenting.
- Oil – We generally only have a couple of kinds of oil in our house, so for our homemade mayonnaise we use a grapeseed oil. We buy from Azure Standard or you can press your own grapeseed oil. We also like to use olive oil on occasion, but it does add a stronger flavor to the mayonnaise so if you’re looking for a more mild flavor I recommend avocado oil or grapeseed oil (here is a list of the 7 staples I always keep stocked in my pantry).
How to Make Homemade Fermented Mayo
The beauty of using an immersion blender for this recipe is that I can make the mayonnaise directly in the jar I’ll be storing it in. For this recipe, a quart-sized wide-mouth Mason jar works best.
- Add all ingredients into the mason jar and allow the oil to separate to the surface for just a few seconds.
- Place the immersion blender all the way to the bottom of the jar, keeping it perpendicular to the bottom of the jar, and allow it to blend until the color turns an opaque white.
- Once the bottom is white you can slowly lift the immersion blender up and down a few times until the rest of the oil is incorporated and emulsified.
- Taste the mayo and adjust seasonings as desired.
- Cover the jar and leave it out on the counter at room temperature for 6-10 hours to ferment.
- Transfer to the refrigerator and use as you would regular mayonnaise.
Did you make this recipe? If so, please leave a star rating on the recipe card below. Then snap a photo and tag us on social media @homesteadingfamily so we can see!
More Recipes You May Enjoy
- Homemade Garlic Salt
- Easy Freeze-Dried Garlic
- DIY Non-Stick Cooking Spray
- DIY Onion Powder
- Easy Homemade Celery Salt
- Homemade Butter
- Preserved Lemons
- Fermented Limes
- Lacto-Fermented Ginger Carrots
- Homemade Sauerkraut
Easy Homemade Fermented Mayo
Equipment
- Immersion Blender blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 1 whole egg farm fresh, if possible
- 1 teaspoon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice fresh, if possible
- 1 clove garlic optional
- 1 teaspoon fresh herbs optional
- 2 Tablespoons brine from a ferment kombucha, sauerkraut, whey, etc.
- 1 1/4 cups oil avocado, grapeseed, or olive oil
Instructions
- Add all ingredients into the mason jar and allow the oil to separate to the surface for just a few seconds.
- Place the immersion blender all the way to the bottom of the jar, keeping it perpendicular to the bottom of the jar, and allow it to blend until the color turns an opaque white.
- Once the bottom is white you can slowly lift the immersion blender up and down a few times until the rest of the oil is incorporated and emulsified.
- Taste the mayo and adjust seasonings as desired.
- Cover the jar and leave it out on the counter at room temperature for 6-10 hours to ferment.
- Transfer to the refrigerator and use as you would regular mayonnaise.
Notes
- Any mustard works well for this recipe, we prefer stone-ground.
- Feel free to adjust and play with the seasonings. I like the garlic and oregano combination, but fresh basil, rosemary, or even cilantro would work well, too.
- For a lighter flavor use oils such as avocado oil or grapeseed oil. Occasionally I’ll use a good quality olive oil, but you can definitely taste the oil in the mayo, so if this isn’t a flavor you enjoy, choose one of the other oils.
- Store mayo in the refrigerator, covered, as long as it tastes great! Ours doesn’t tend to last two months in our house, but if you’ve allowed it to ferment, it should last that long in the refrigerator.
- If there are any off smells or you see signs of mold, toss it out and start a fresh batch.
