I’ve got an awful lot of empty jars in my pantry that need refilling lately. Last year I started keeping things in mason jars to help with clutter and to keep any crumb seekers from smelling what I had stashed away. When you live in a 100 year old house with a stone foundation there’s always something scurrying around looking for a snack.
So todays project was to start filling up some empty jars and make mayonnaise and peanut butter…two staples in our house…and both are super easy to make. Today it probably took me 20 minutes and that included cleaning out the food processor in between and at the end and taking some pics. yes, that’s right, I have some pictures of my process.
First off I did the mayonnaise. I’ve done this several times with mixed success. Olive oil is not my friend when it comes to making mayo! It worked out once for me and I was so excited but then I ruined a lot in other batches because it just wasn’t emulsifying for me. I tried different oil temperatures, different egg temperatures, different processor speeds, no luck. So now I stick with a good quality vegetable oil and it’s fine and works every time so far. The other ingredients I used are dijon mustard, egg, and lemon juice, and salt and I’ll give amounts at the end.
I have more duck eggs in the fridge than chicken eggs so that’s what I used today. First time but I figured it would work out well since the yolks are so much thicker and it would just make the mayonnaise creamier if anything.
I whizzed that up with about a tbsp of dijon mustard and a splash of lemon juice before moving on.
The oil part is where you either make mayonnaise or end up with eggy oily mess. It needs to go in slowly and by slowly I mean just a drizzle. I use a measuring cup with a little spout so that I can pour a steady little stream into the food processor.
I also use the lower speed on my processor. I read somewhere that a higher speed won’t make it any faster and can actually split the mayonnaise. Not sure if it’s true or not but the lower speed works for me so that’s just what I use.
I used a cup of oil to start out and it just took a minute to get that incorporated. Make sure you take the top off the processor and scrape down the sides. It’s going to splatter a lot when you start so there will be oil all up the sides that needs to be incorporated too.
At this point have a little taste. I added some salt and a little bit more dijon and it wasn’t quite the consistency I wanted so I added another bit of oil.
Once you get the hang of things you can play around with flavours. We buy different flavoured mustards so today I used a Chardonnay Dijon. For the acidity you could use some sort of vinegar instead of lemon juice. If you are going to be using it up fairly quickly you could even add some fresh herbs or garlic.
And that’s all there was to it. I popped it into a mason jar and into the fridge to chill right next to a lovely ripe tomato that is probably going to turn into lunch very soon.
HOMEMADE MAYONNAISE
- 1 whole egg (at room temperature)
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1-1 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- salt to taste
Add egg, dijon, and lemon juice to food processor and blitz just to incorporate. In a slow steady stream with the food processor on low add 1 cup of oil until completely emulsified. Taste and season to your liking. Scrape down the sides of the processor and process again, adding more oil to reach desired consistency. ***This has to be kept in the refrigerator.***
For the peanut butter I just used roasted salted peanuts. I buy big bags because I use them in lots of recipes and it’s healthier and more economical for me to make peanut butter with them. And since the kids love peanut butter and jam sandwiches on the weekends it only makes sense for me to make peanut butter, jam, and bread at home.
So I started out with about 2 1/2 cups of peanuts and I just threw them into the food processor. I didn’t do it today, but have lots of other times, make sure you put the blade in before the ingredients go in.
This is what you want to see when you turn it on. 🙂
After a minute it will start to look like this and you’ll probably think the processor will give out before it turns into anything but don’t worry, it will come together.
The whole process probably took me three minutes and that included taking pictures. I started out on low speed for a minute and then turned it up on high but everyone’s food processor is different so just use your judgement on speed and time. The longer you let it process the creamier it will get. Keep an eye on it and check it every so often to see if it’s where you want it.
Mine isn’t quite factory smooth but it’s not crunch either. I’ll call it gritty for lack of a better word. Just a little bit of texture.
All that’s left to do is put it into a jar and keep it in the fridge. I always label the jars so I know exactly when I made it and there’s no guessing how long it’s been in the fridge. I just use a black pernament marker and it washes right off when I’m done and want to reuse the jar for something else.
So that’s it for now. On with my busy day. Quick lunch, pick kids up from school, get supper, back to school for Little Miss’ play practice, off to our Woman Walk the World event with little man, pick Little Miss up, off to WI meeting. Yawn.
Have a great day and I hope you all get outside and enjoy yourselves today.
A
Ducks 'n' stuff 