The big Mayo question

[Tiamat]

Got to thinking about this when I was making hubby's lunch this morning, wondering how long the Mayo had been there. So how long is it appropriate to use Mayonaise after you've opened it. Mind you it's been in the frig since opening, but it just freeks me out a bit to eat it after it's been a few weeks since opening. It's the egg thing I think.

[Dis]

few weeks? bah. My jar of mayonaise lasted months.

but now I buy smaller jars, not the huge economy size ones. I just wasn't eating enough sandwhiches to justify a container that large. But it never went bad.

[Japher]

The Mayo will turn yellow if it's bad, else it's fair game. The fat in it keeps it from spoiling like you think merely beatin eggs would.

I thought the real Mayo question was Real Mayo or Miracle Whip... How ppl eat the MW is beyond me.

[Dis]

MW is the product of the devil. Real men eat mayonaise.

[Tuberski]

The "use by" date is always a good indicator.

I use Miracle Whip for Bologna sandwiches and that is it.

ACK!

[Dis]

Commercial mayonnaise, due to the addition of acids like vinegar or lemon juice, has a pH between 3.8 and 4.6, making it an acidic food. There is a misconception that foods like potato salad can make a person sick if left out in the sun, due to the mayonnaise spoiling. This is false; the pH of mayonnaise prevents harmful bacteria from growing in it. Left out of refrigeration, mayonnaise will develop an unappetizing taste and smell, due to other types of bacteria and molds that can spoil it; but will not make one sick. [6]

from wiki

[Guynemer]

Mayo is disgusting.

[Guynemer]

Also, bollocks on that wiki. Potato salad left out in the sun can absolutely allow bacteria to grow and cause food poisoning. I'm not sure if that is due to the mayo or not.

[Tiamat]

Yeah real Mayo is the way to go. I used to eat Mircle Whip thinking that it would not have so much fat but damn! I hate that taste!

[snoopy369]

Also, bollocks on that wiki. Potato salad left out in the sun can absolutely allow bacteria to grow and cause food poisoning. I'm not sure if that is due to the mayo or not.

You're certainly right, and it's DESPITE the mayo. Mayo by itself is quite acidic (as noted) and will not permit bacteria to grow (though other things cause spoilage of course; oxidation makes mayo taste bad, and IIRC some fungi can grow on it, but not commonly). However, mayo is not the only ingredient in potato salad; hence, potato salad can, and will, spoil in a dangerous manner. That's usually one of the first things covered in that part of food safety class...

[snoopy369]

To answer the OP question: Typically mayo has a shelf life of maybe three or four months, once opened, if refrigerated in a clean refrigerator with a tightly closed cap. The two main things that contribute to mayo spoilage are oxidation, and the fact that it picks up other smells reasonably well; so a refrigerator that has a lot of smells in it, for example, will cause it to go 'bad' faster. Mayo almost never turns unhealthily bad, though, so use your sense of taste

[chequita guevara]

Also, bollocks on that wiki. Potato salad left out in the sun can absolutely allow bacteria to grow and cause food poisoning. I'm not sure if that is due to the mayo or not.

It's due to the eggs (if you have eggs in your pots salad, and I don't see why you wouldn't), not the potatoes or mayo. Because the acid in the vinegar can't penetrate the chunks of protein that make up the eggs (or tuna in tuna salad), they aren't protected against bacteria.

Not only will mayo keep for quite some time, but there's no need to refrigerate it. As long as you keep it sealed (and don't have bits of food in it), your mayo will stay good for a while. If it is exposed to oxygen, the oil in mayo will eventually go rancid, which tastes horrible, but isn't dangerous. That's true for all fats, though, not just mayo.

I haven't refrigerated my mayo or mustard or pickles for years. If you go through your ketchup quickly, you don't need to refrigerate that either. It can get moldy, however, because of the high sugar content.

[SlowwHand]

Mayo is gross.

[snoopy369]

Pickles should be refrigerated if they're good quality pickles (Claussen or better). Not for safety, but for quality; refrigeration maintains the 'crisp' texture of a pickle. That's why, for example, Claussen burger slices are way better than Vlasic; the former are refrigerated from production to point-of-sale (including refrigerated trucks), while the latter are not.

I keep my mayo in the fridge, because I think it oxidizes less there (colder = less possibility of chemical reaction), but I'm not actually sure if that is for the best in the scheme of things, since it does pick up refrigerator taste.

[Tiamat]

To answer the OP question: Typically mayo has a shelf life of maybe three or four months, once opened, if refrigerated in a clean refrigerator with a tightly closed cap. The two main things that contribute to mayo spoilage are oxidation, and the fact that it picks up other smells reasonably well; so a refrigerator that has a lot of smells in it, for example, will cause it to go 'bad' faster. Mayo almost never turns unhealthily bad, though, so use your sense of taste

Quite yes frig is very clean even have paper towels down to absorbe any possible spilage and lid is tightly closed. A clean frig is very important!