Here's something most recipes don't tell you: temperature matters enormously. Pull your egg out of the refrigerator about 20 minutes before you start. Room temperature ingredients emulsify smoothly, while cold ingredients can cause the whole thing to break. I set out my wide-mouth pint mason jar, immersion blender, and all my ingredients on the counter so everything's ready to go. This five-minute prep step is the difference between silky mayo and a broken mess.

Add your room-temperature egg to the bottom of your wide-mouth pint mason jar. The wide mouth matters—you need room to maneuver your immersion blender. Pour in your lemon juice, Dijon mustard, salt, and white pepper. Don't add the oil yet. Give everything a gentle stir with a fork to combine. This base is what's going to emulsify all that oil into a creamy spread.

Here's the critical part: fully submerge your immersion blender all the way to the bottom of the jar, creating a seal that traps the egg yolk right inside the blade. Turn it on high speed. Keep it right there at the bottom for about 20-30 seconds. You'll actually see the mixture turn white at the bottom—that's your emulsion forming. This is not the time to be impatient. I set a little timer on my phone so I don't accidentally move too soon.

After those initial 20-30 seconds of blending at the bottom, you're going to slowly, gradually start lifting the immersion blender while keeping it running. As you lift, you'll begin adding your avocado oil in a thin, steady stream—almost like you're drizzling it in. If you dump the oil all at once, the emulsion will break and you'll end up with separated, broken mayo. This is the dance: lift the blender slowly, drizzle the oil slowly, keep everything moving. It should take about 45-60 seconds to add all the oil.

Once all the oil is incorporated, keep that immersion blender going for another 15-20 seconds. Your mayo should be thick, creamy, and pale. The entire blending process takes about 1½ to 2 minutes total. The mixture will thicken as you blend—that's the emulsion working beautifully. If you want it slightly thinner, you can add a teaspoon of water at the very end and blend for a few more seconds.

I always taste before storing. Dip a clean spoon into your mayo and really taste it. Does it need more salt? More lemon brightness? A pinch more mustard for tang? This is your moment to adjust. I usually add a tiny pinch more salt—about ⅛ teaspoon—because seasoning matters when you're eating this every day all week. Remember that flavors mellow slightly over time in the refrigerator, so season it just slightly bolder than you think you need.