I’ve experimented a lot to find which oils make the mayonnaise taste the best while providing great nutritional value – I think this recipe is my fifth variation and I’m finally happy with it! My endless thanks to the Nourishing Traditions cookbook for providing the lacto-fermentation method, which allows the mayonnaise to last for three to four months instead of just a few weeks, and yields another source of beneficial food-based probiotics.
If you have a nutrient-dense mayonnaise made from good, bioavailable fats, you can use it anywhere – dips, dressings, sauces, sandwiches, salads, etc. Remember, healthy fats are not used to create your body fat! They are used for important body functions such as hormone pathways and production as well as healthy hair, skin and nails. The cell membrane is made up of 40% fat – so you need to consume plenty of good fats to keep your body in optimal health.
Jini’s homemade lacto-fermented mayonnaise recipe
Hand mixer method:
Find a glass, ceramic, or metal blender container that fits fairly snugly around your immersion blender when it’s at the bottom of the container (I use a metal milkshake cup).
1. Add these ingredients to the container in this order:
2 tsp white vinegar
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. raw liquid honey
1/4 teaspoon mustard powder (or 1 teaspoon fresh mustard)
1 tbsp. fresh liquid whey*
1/2 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
3 organic egg yolks
Add the above ingredients to the blender jug, run hot water around the outside of the jug until the ingredients warm to room temperature, then blend on low speed until smooth.
2. Then add to the container*:
1/4 cup Italian organic extra virgin olive oil at room temperature
1/4 cup cold-pressed organic sesame oil at room temperature
1/2 cup cold-pressed organic avocado oil at room temperature
Add oils to the container all at once. Dip the blender into the mixture and beat on LOW speed. Hold the blender at the bottom of the container for 12 seconds. You can then move the blender up and down until the mayonnaise thickens.
3. Pour the mayonnaise into a glass jar, screw on the lid and leave it on the counter for 7 hours (at room temperature) – the whey in your mayonnaise will now lacto-ferment your mayonnaise.
4. Then place it in the refrigerator and the mayonnaise will now last for several months (due to the protective bacteria that arise from the lactic acid fermentation of the mayonnaise with the fresh liquid whey).
*Important: The oils MUST be at room temperature otherwise the mayonnaise will not thicken. So measure out your oils in a glass. Let them sit on the counter until they reach room temperature OR run hot water over the outside of the jar to warm your oils. Make sure all of these oils are brand new or have been stored in the refrigerator immediately after opening. Don’t use oil that has been sitting on the counter for a day or more after opening, as cold-pressed oils go rancid quickly and you won’t get a great-tasting mayonnaise.
Dairy-free version
*If you want, you can leave out the whey and put it in the fridge immediately after preparation – this mayonnaise will then last for about 2 weeks. The taste and consistency (slightly firmer) are better if you use the whey for lactic fermentation. But I’ve done it both ways and both are great!
If you prefer, you can use 1/2 cup coconut oil and 1/2 cup olive oil instead of the mixture I recommend.
Blender method
You can use a traditional blender and the same recipe. But for step 2, you need to add the oils very slowly, in the thinnest stream you can imagine while the blender is running, so that the mayonnaise thickens. If you add the oils too quickly, you will end up with runny mayonnaise and the ingredients will separate.
About the oils
sesame oil lowers LDL cholesterol, is anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and has been used in numerous clinical studies to inhibit the growth of melanoma and colon cancer cells.
olive oil exerts anti-inflammatory, antithrombotic, antihypertensive and vasodilating effects in both animals and humans
Avocado oil is rich in lutein (for eye health) and vitamin E and studies have shown it promotes arthritis and diabetes.
egg yolk are an excellent dietary source of vitamins K2, B6, B12, D3 and DHA – this table contains the complete list of all the fantastic nutrients in egg yolks:
Original post January 2012. Last updated March 2024.
Jini Patel Thompson is an internationally recognized expert in natural healing for digestive diseases. She healed herself from widespread Crohn’s disease and has been medication and surgery free for over 25 years. Jini has appeared on numerous podcasts, TV and radio shows in the US, UK, Canada and Australia, giving people hope and vision on how to heal their colitis, Crohn’s disease, diverticulitis and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) using all-natural methods. Her books on natural healing of digestive diseases have been sold in over 80 countries worldwide. Jini is married and has three children, nine sheep, 11 horses, a cat and three dogs.
