If you’re anything like me, you hate to see anything with potential make its way into the trash can. I’m known for saving things like a bag of tortilla chips crumbs (the perfect salad topper!) and that last spoonful of peanut butter (a delicious sauce opportunity!). So when I came across the idea of No-Waste Homemade Mayo using the leftover oil from marinated foods, I was instantly intrigued. I happened to have a few nearly empty jars in the fridge (no surprise there) so I was able to test it right away! Here’s how I did it…

To start out I read through the ingredient labels on jars I was considering using. I was looking for oil as one of the top ingredients, especially ahead of water. The oils I ended up using were from sundried tomatoes, marinated cheese, and marinated artichokes. The artichokes did have a lot of water, but they had separated into layers in the jar so I was able to spoon out the oil and discard the water layer. Make sure you follow that step if you see any separation!

I combined the leftover oil, a couple tablespoons of whole milk, a touch of Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. There is lots of room for flavor creativity here depending on what kind of oil you’re starting with! Use an immersion blender (or this could be done in a standard blender) to blend up that mixture just until it thickens. It should be nice and creamy at this point! Adjust the salt and seasonings to your liking, and, just like that, you have homemade mayo! Use it as a dipping sauce, a spread, or even a salad dressing, the possibilities are endless!