The Truth About Mayonnaise

The truth is I love mayonnaise, but I have found to my utter astonishment that there are people who despise this thick, creamy dressing or condiment with a passion hotter than the sun.

There also seems to be a divide when it comes to lovers of mayonnaise versus lovers of what is commonly called "salad dressing," or in my world Miracle Whip. But I am not one of these people who discriminates, I love them both. In fact, it is not uncommon for me to use both when making sandwiches or salads.

My BFF Georgie introduced me long ago to what she lovingly referred to as the "Johnson family sandwich." This delightful creation, made with Miracle Whip on one slice of bread, peanut butter on the other and smooshed together, is utterly yummy!

My friend Jeff heard about this "abomination on bread" and claimed that this recipe was akin to "ptomaine on a bun."

Their family sandwich, a "Harkness PB&Mayo" was the only combination of peanut butter and a creamy sandwich dressing and/or condiment that a person should actually consume, while still conscious! He brought the ingredients to work one day, and made this delicious sandwich for me to prove it. Since then, it is also a favorite.

People do, however, have what has turned out to be (for the most part) an unfounded fear of leaving products made with mayonnaise or salad dressing out of the fridge for anything more than short periods of time. Food poisoning with all its nauseating characteristics foremost in peoples' minds, followed by death and disintegration of our democracy, seem to be what the majority of people think will follow, if you leave the potato salad at room temperature for too long!

The moment has come to relieve your fears and tell the truth about this maligned ingredient in some of the most delicious salad and sandwich fillings of all time! Mayonnaise (and this means store bought, not homemade) has enough acid from vinegar or lemon juice to not only kill food borne pathogens, but also prevents them from forming. The meats, tuna, or eggs you use for those sammies and salads are actually more dangerous without it!

A fragility study performed on mayonnaise back in 2000 (that is how long this info has been out there) determined that when it was injected with all kinds of pathogens, like salmonella and E.coli, the pathogens were killed by the mighty, Mighty Mayo! This does not mean you can leave mayo-based sandwiches and salads out of the fridge forever, but it does mean that a couple of hours are nothing to worry about.

So fear not thy tuna sandwich, eateth from the bowl of eggy potato salad, safe in the knowledge that it won't kill you or end life on this planet!

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Filed Under: Food