Stop tossing your leftover oil and start turning it into fancy mayo. A chef on TikTok has shared a simple recipe for vegan mayo.
The scoop
Mensch.chef (@mensch.chef) is a vegan chef sharing his recipes and tips on TikTok. In one video, he shared how to turn the oil at the bottom of jarred food into flavorful mayo. He demonstrates using three products, artichoke, chili garlic, and sun-dried tomatoes, but says "the possibilities are endless."
@mensch.chef Zero Waste Mayos ♻️ artichoke🪻 chilli garlic 🧄🌶️ sun-dried tomatoes 🍅☀️ 📝 recipe Leftover oil 100g Plant Based Milk (I have used Cashew) 66g A Generous Pinch of Salt 1 teaspoon dijon mustard (optional) ½ teaspoon cider vinegar (optional) 😉 For an extra kick leave a little piece of the product! #zerowaste #vegan ♬ original sound - mensch.chef
To create your own vegan mayo, the recipe is quite simple. Start with a leftover oil of your choice, add some plant-based milk, a pinch of salt, and a bit of lemon or apple cider vinegar. Next, use an immersion blender to emulsify until you have a nice thick mayo.
If you'd like a more detailed recipe, the creator does give specific measurements on his page. However, the amount of leftover oil could make it tricky to get the numbers quite right.
How it's working
Hacks like this are a great way to get creative in the kitchen while saving you money and reducing waste. The average American wastes around $1,200 worth of food in a year. In our guide, you can learn how cutting that waste by just 10% can save you more than $100 a year.
One of the biggest issues with food waste is that when organic matter ends up in the landfill, it releases methane gas. The Environmental Protection Agency reports that "wasting food in the U.S. causes greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of more than 50 million gas-powered passenger vehicles."
Methane, like carbon, is a gas that is contributing to the warming of our planet. However, it's 80 times more potent over the initial 20 years, according to the Environmental Defense Fund, meaning it can make the atmosphere hot much faster than carbon.
The good news is there are lots of ways to cut back on your food waste; you can turn wilting herbs into fancy oil, or stale bread into breadcrumbs. Plus, these hacks not only reduce your food waste, but they keep more money in your pocket.
What people are saying
Commenters were excited to give this recipe a try. "I will absolutely try this," wrote one person.
Someone else said: "This is such a clever idea. I was always storing the oils from artichokes but never knew how to use it, definitely trying this."
Another person was thankful for the idea: "Wait so you can make Mayo without eggs? I MUST try this since I'm too scared to use raw eggs."
Recipes like this are an inspiring way to try something new in the kitchen, with the bonus of saving money.
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