One of the easiest “convenience foods” to make at home is mayonnaise. Once you make your own, to your own taste, you’ll never go back to store bought.

Some time back, I stumbled across the book Make Your Own Convenience Foods by Don and Joan German and my kitchen and pantry haven’t been the same since.

Basic Recipe:

2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon lecithin (optional)
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard (actually to taste)
1/4 teaspoon salt (again to taste)
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil (depends upon size of yolks)

Actually making the mayo is really pretty easy.

Step one: get out ingredients

Step two: put yolks into blender with vinegar, mustard and salt

Step three: put top on blender and mix this up well.

Step four: take out little plug from top of blender and slowly add oil in pencil thin stream. (about 20-25 seconds)

Step five: scoop mayo out of blender into a jar and label

And now you have delicious home made mayo, no preservatives, no chemicals, and just the herbs and spices you like.

–gretchen