Homemade Mayonnaise or 'Miracle Whip'

     Mom made homemade mayo for a while when I was a kid, until she did the math and realized it was more expensive than the storebought variety. These days, however, I think this will be a money-saver, depending on the oil used. Even if you opt for the highest quality, expensive organic olive oil, it's worth making for the health benefits alone. And it'll be delicious.

     This recipe isn't my mom's, but I didn't like hers, at least not as a child, and didn't save the recipe. I'm excited now, though, because I've been contemplating making my own for months but hadn't found a recipe that sounded really promising.

     The basis of this recipe came from allrecipes.com and has the advantage of using the whole egg, not just the yolk. It lasts about two weeks in the fridge. No, the eggs are not cooked, so let me insert a disclaimer here in case anyone were to get sick, ***If you get sick from eating uncooked eggs, it's not the responsibility of this blog or me, personally*** but I expect the acidic ingredient effectively 'cooks' the eggs. If you're concerned about the egg issue, you can purchased pasteurized eggs. I'll use lemon juice, myself, at least in part, though it may need to be used sooner than if made with vinegar. See some  variations and tips at the bottom of this post.


Whole Egg Mayonnaise

1/2 t dry mustard (or quality prepared mustard of your choice - dijon, whole grain, etc)
1/4 t salt
2 eggs
2 T acidic ingredient of your choice (white vinegar, cider vinegar, flavoured vinegars, lemon juice)
2 c oil of your choice (veg, sunflower, canola, olive; if using olive oil, check the quality to make sure it
     won't have a bitter flavor

In a food processor or blender, first four ingredients. Set your appliance on medium speed, and very slowly drizzle in the oil while it runs. Transfer to container with a lid and refrigerate for up to two weeks.

Notes:
Have all ingredients at room temperature.
Processing container must be very dry.
Add 1-2 T sugar to make "Miracle Whip"-like dressing.
To easily add oil slowly, make a paper cone with a very tiny hole at the bottom, or poke a hole in the bottom of a paper cup with a toothpick. Set it on top of the appliance over the hole. The "pusher" of my     Cuisinart has a tiny hole in the bottom of it - I wonder if it was designed that way for this purpose?

Uses:
Not just for sandwiches, use this as a dressing for green salads and for mixing up your main- and side-
    dish salads such as tuna, chicken and potato salads
Adding chopped dill pickles and a lemon-herb spice mix makes tartar sauce.
Add-ins: fresh or dried herbs - chives, basil, parsley, dill - and spices, a T or so of dip/soup mixes;
     you can adjust the recipe for specific dishes, such as adding horseradish or a little dry onion soup
     mix for roast beef sandwiches