If you think that “real” mayonnaise comes from a jar by way of the supermarket, then you’ve been missing out on one of the most luscious taste sensations around.

Real is real, and in the case of real mayonnaise, the only way to really experience it is when it’s made from scratch with eggs from pastured hens.

“Unreal” mayonnaise, and I’m referring to the insipid white stuff  from the grocery store, labels itself as “real” but is often made with genetically modified soy or canola oil, along with additives such as calcium disodium EDTA, otherwise known as ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (an ingredient that requires you to catch your breath three times before you can say it!), should probably not be ingested.

Store-bought mayo also contains eggs from factory farms, where hens are kept in crowded and unsanitary conditions, causing them undue suffering. Because of extreme overcrowding and stress, battery caged hens are prone to contracting bacterial infections, which are then treated with antibiotics and hormones. The eggs that they lay contain residues which will negatively affect your own hormonal balance. What’s more, conventional eggs cannot compare with the taste and nutritional value of 100% free-range or pastured eggs.

Karen Wang Diggs, Chief Fermentation Officer