If your family balks at fermented foods, try fermenting things that can be hidden in recipes—like lacto-fermented mayonnaise. This recipe will boost dishes like potato salad, coleslaw, and sandwiches for your summer picnics.
This probiotic mayonnaise recipe is a twist on classic mayo, with added probiotics and healthy oils. It’s easy to make, although you do have to pay attention when combining the oil with the other ingredients to ensure your mayo emulsifies correctly. But the end result is worth it, with a creamy, sparkling taste you’ll love.
Traditionally, mayonnaise is made with olive oil, but to give this recipe an additional healthy twist, I substituted grapeseed oil, which can be found in the oil section of your local grocery store.
When making any recipe, adding probiotics is as simple as adding fermented vegetable or fruit juice, or using whey left over from yogurt or cheese making. For this recipe, I used whey leftover from cheesemaking. I also used raw, organic apple cider vinegar to add an extra amount of beneficial bacteria.
When using grapeseed oil, be sure to use food grade – some oils are sold for cosmetic use. Because the oil is extracted from the seed using a chemical process, it’s possible a cosmetic-grade oil will be harmful if consumed. But if you find your grapeseed oil in the food aisle at your local store, you’re probably okay!
Grapeseed oil is full of beneficial antioxidants, and it’s become popular for cooking because it’s known to reduce cholesterol. It’s filled with healthy fats, making it ideal for a condiment like mayonnaise, which traditionally has been full of unhealthy fats.
Grapeseed oil also emulsifies well, so it’s easier to make a healthy probiotic mayonnaise with it. Sometimes, using the traditional olive oil can get a little tricky.
How to make Probiotic Mayonnaise
Ingredients:
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon whey
• ½ tsp Himalayan salt (or any salt)
• 1 cup grapeseed oil
Directions:
1. In a wide-mouth jar, combine the egg yolks, mustard, apple cider vinegar, whey, and salt.
2. Using a tabletop blender or immersion blender, begin blending ingredients together while very slowly drizzling the oil into the mixture, keeping the blender running the entire time. It took me a good three minutes to drizzle the grapeseed oil into the egg yolk mixture, and it’s important to not stop when blending the ingredients together to make sure it emulsifies.
3. Once you’ve added all the oil, you will know your mayonnaise is ready when the mixture becomes thick, coats your blender, and is more difficult to mix.
4. Transfer your completed probiotic mayonnaise into a clean plastic container or glass jar, and keep in the fridge. Use as you would any other mayonnaise.
What condiments do you make for yourself? Could you possibly make them healthier? I’d love to discuss this idea in the comments.
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Don’t be caught without supplies. Fermentools store has everything you need to ferment mayonnaise and more. Get a 12–pack so that you are sure to have everything on hand at a moment’s notice.
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Maat van Uitert is a professional writer and homesteader based in the South. Maat is a fermenting nut who specializes in making cheeses, yogurts, probiotic sauces and condiments to spice up and create flavorful meals. You can read more about Maat and her homestead at FrugalChicken, where Maat helps everyday people achieve independence by raising chickens, learning traditional skills, and becoming more self-sufficient. You can also catch up with her on her weekly podcast, What The Cluck?!, available on iTunes now.