Green Herb Camp Mayo
A jar of shelf-stable mayo turned green with dried herbs, garlic, and mustard. Built at the picnic table.
- calories
- 180
- weight
- 1.1 oz
- cal / oz
- 164
- protein
- 1 g
- serves
- 8, scales
- prep
- 10 min
- cook
- 0 min
- total time
- 10 min
- water
- 15 ml cold
- cost
- $
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Dinner
- Lunch
- No cook
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Canoe / raft
- Vegetarian
- Gluten free
- Nut free
- Eat in the bag
- Pre-mix at home
- Shelf stable
- Basic
Ingredients
| Shelf-stable mayonnaise | 1 cup | squeeze bottle or single-serve packets; no cooler needed until opened |
|---|---|---|
| Dried lovage | 2 tbsp | celery leaf or dried parsley plus a pinch of celery seed if you cannot find it |
| Garlic powder | 1 tsp | or one fresh clove, minced fine |
| Dijon mustard | 1 tsp | packets from a deli work |
| Lemon or lime juice | 1 tbsp | bottled, or one packet |
| Ground ginger | 1/4 tsp | |
| Dried habanero or cayenne | 1/8 tsp | start small, it climbs |
| Kosher salt | 1/2 tsp | |
| Cold water | 1 tbsp |
Method
- Put the dried lovage, garlic powder, ginger, pepper, and salt in a cup with the tablespoon of cold water. Leave it five minutes so the herbs rehydrate.
- Squeeze the mayonnaise into a wide-mouth jar or a quart freezer bag.
- Scrape in the wet herb paste along with the mustard and the citrus juice.
- Stir or squish the bag until the color is even green and no dry flecks remain.
- Taste. Add salt or acid, not more mayo.
- Keep it out of the sun. Use it within a day once opened, or two if nights are cold.
The original is a blender aioli: raw egg yolk, fresh lovage, oil drizzled in until it emulsifies. None of that survives a trailhead. Raw yolk is a bad idea without refrigeration, and a blender is not coming. Shelf-stable mayonnaise is already the emulsion the recipe was building, so this version starts there and adds everything else.
The dry herbs need the five-minute soak. Dropped straight into mayo they stay gritty and the color never spreads. A tablespoon of water and a short wait gets you the green and the flavor both. Mustard is not optional here the way it is in the original — it holds the mix together once you thin it with water and citrus.
Packing
Premix every dry ingredient into one small zip bag at home and label it. In camp you are adding mayo, mustard, juice, and water to one bag of powder. Fresh garlic, if you bring it, rides in the same bag as the onions.
Variations
- Dried dill or basil in place of the lovage makes a different sauce with the same method.
- Thin it with another tablespoon of water and it becomes a dressing for a cold-soak bean salad.
- Swap the mayo for a shelf-stable vegan version and the whole thing goes vegan and dairy-free.
https://foragerchef.com/lovage-recipe