Composition of the product
What is included in the sauce known to almost everyone? Let's consider the “classic” and original version.
First of all, it includes:
- egg yolk;
- sunflower (or vegetable) oil ;
- vinegar (or lemon juice).
You can find out about the expiration dates of butter and vegetable oil here.
Various spices, salt and sugar .
Some manufacturers change the standard recipe at their discretion, but usually do not make fundamental changes, limiting themselves to various additives .
Mayonnaise without adding yolks
It’s hard to even imagine that there is a way to prepare a dressing without yolk, because it is the main ingredient in the composition, but the non-sweet lemon flavor will also please you; this type of mayonnaise is also suitable for any salads, casseroles or sandwiches. It will only take you five minutes.
Add butter to the milk, stir, either with a fork or with a blender, for 5 minutes, then add mustard and salt, continue whisking, but with a blender. Only after the mixture begins to become thick, pour in 3 tablespoons of lemon.
The shelf life of such a sauce depends entirely on the milk, so you can take ultra-pasteurized milk, it will last longer, and therefore the mayonnaise will last longer on your shelf.
Don’t forget that to increase the shelf life of homemade dressing, you can add ingredients such as mustard, horseradish or garlic; in addition, they will give the product a special piquancy and spice.
Factors that affect shelf life
First of all, the shelf life, of course, depends on whether the package is opened or not (if the mayonnaise was purchased in a store).
If stored without packaging or when mayonnaise is opened, the permissible shelf life will be significantly reduced.
Different manufacturers use different amounts of preservatives during production, which also affects the maximum shelf life of the sauce.
In addition, there are also factors such as percentage of humidity , exposure to sunlight on the product, temperature, etc.
Soy
This product is a type of protein and is obtained from a plant. It is in demand among people who do not eat food of animal origin (vegans).
The shelf life of soy milk is 8 days in sealed packaging, and up to 4 days in open packaging.
Some storage tips:
- It is advisable to purchase products in small packages so that the contents can be consumed within 24 hours after opening the package;
- Products with a strong odor should not be located near milk;
- The storage time of pasteurized products is increased by placing it in the refrigerator for 2 - 3 hours, and then pouring it into glass containers;
- store-bought products are frozen for a period not exceeding 1.5 months;
- When you are in a store, you should buy milk last. In this case, it will be exposed to high temperatures for less time, which means it will extend its shelf life.
Having an accurate understanding of how to store milk will help avoid many misunderstandings, and there will always be a fresh, nutritious drink in the house.
What do GOSTs say?
Turning to modern GOSTs, you can see that the storage conditions for mayonnaise and mayonnaise sauces are clearly stated .
Thus, according to GOST 31761-2012 “Mayonnaise and mayonnaise sauces. General technical conditions" the sauce should be stored indoors (special warehouse) or in a refrigerator with a temperature from 0 to +18 degrees .
The product should not be exposed to sunlight, and the room should be dry and well ventilated.
Also, only a product that contains at least 50% fat .
Otherwise it will be considered mayonnaise sauce.
Choosing the right container
How long homemade mayonnaise can be stored will depend on how this product is stored. The container must meet a number of requirements. It must be clean, dry and hermetically sealed. And the last criterion - it must be glass or porcelain. Of course, store-bought mayonnaise is packaged in plastic jars, but it contains preservatives, unlike yours.
Such criteria are set because open sauce quickly enters into a chemical reaction with air. As a result, oxidation of the oil base and loss of quality occurs. We already know how long homemade mayonnaise lasts in the refrigerator. Let's look further at what natural preservatives can be used.
Storage rules and periods
The manufacturer sets the expiration date according to GOST, but the shelf life depends on the tightness of the packaging and the manufacturing method.
Store closed and after opening the package
The standard shelf life for store-bought mayonnaise in sealed packaging is 90 days .
Depending on the temperature, this figure may decrease, but if the shelf life is more than 90 days, then the product probably contains too many preservatives .
After purchase, when the packaging has not yet been opened, storage outside the refrigerator is allowed, provided that the room temperature does not exceed +18 degrees.
When storing in the refrigerator, consider the following numbers:
- from 0 to +10 degrees – 20-30 days of storage;
- from +10 to +14 degrees – less than 20 days of storage;
- from +14 to +18 degrees – about a week of storage.
As mentioned earlier, once the package is opened, the shelf life of mayonnaise is greatly reduced. Here it will no longer be possible to store the product outside the refrigerator, but exclusively in the refrigerator compartment, the temperature in which should vary from 0 to +7 degrees .
At the same time, the sauce will be stored for a maximum of two weeks (14 days), after which it will no longer be suitable for food.
We increase the shelf life
If you want to unload the last few days before the holidays, you can try preparing it in advance. Now we will look at how long homemade mayonnaise can be stored, taking into account various factors. To prevent it from deteriorating, the following conditions must be met:
- temperature from -4 to +7 °C;
- humidity not more than 75%;
- the packaging is closed and clean.
As mentioned above, the standard period is 4 days. If mustard powder or mustard is added to the composition, it can be increased by a couple of days. It should be taken into account that after the next opening of the sealed container it inevitably decreases.
Terms from popular manufacturers
Consider the shelf life offered by various popular manufacturers:
- “EZhK” – 180 (from +2 to +10 degrees) or 120 (from +10 to +18 degrees) days;
- “Provencal” - 120 (from 0 to +18 degrees) days;
- “Calve” - 180 (from 0 to +10 degrees) or 90 (from +10 to +18 degrees) days;
- “Maheev” - 180 (from 0 to +14 degrees) or 90 (from +14 to +18 degrees) days;
- “Ryaba” - 45 (from +6 to +18 degrees) or 90 (from 0 to +6 degrees) days.
You can find out the storage time and shelf life of cottage cheese by reading this article.
conclusions
- On sale you can find mayonnaise and mayonnaise products of varying degrees of naturalness. Choose a product with the shortest expiration date.
- Mayonnaise can be stored for a long time due to airtight packaging and the presence of preservatives. Homemade sauce is a perishable product.
- You can increase the shelf life of a homemade product by excluding eggs from the composition and using natural preservatives - vinegar, lemon juice.
- Mayonnaise should not be kept at room temperature or frozen. Its storage location is a refrigerator.
- An expired product or dishes containing it can cause poisoning.
Store correctly and be healthy!
How long does a salad dressed with mayonnaise last?
According to SanPiN rules, the salad should be seasoned with this sauce only before serving . Otherwise, the dish may be unsuitable for consumption if the salad is already seasoned.
The shelf life also depends on what products were used in preparation. Dairy products will shorten the period to one day, eggs – to several hours .
Covered, the salad can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two days.
Using technology to make homemade mayonnaise
Previously, sauces were whisked, but with the development of technology, a mixer and blender came to the rescue. But the whisk should not be put aside. In his defense, beating this slowly allows you to keep an eye on the process. As a result of mixing too much, homemade mayonnaise may separate and become flakes.
If you use a mixer to prepare the sauce, then it is better to reduce the operating speed to minimum. Carefully monitor the process so that flakes do not form or separation begins.
Professionals choose an immersion blender; it does not beat as hard as a mixer, and less air gets into the sauce.
How to determine unsuitability?
Delamination, a large content of air bubbles or any liquid on the surface may indicate that the sauce is spoiled and unsuitable .
The shelf life of kefir in the refrigerator is described in this article.
Heterogeneity, too rich yellow color, unpleasant odor are also signs warning that it is better not .
If you saw the expiration date for mayonnaise after buying a house, and it has already expired, feel free to go back to the store , where you are required to return the money in full according to Art. 18 of the Law “On Protection of Consumer Rights”.
Cooking features
The skill of a cook can be assessed by how tasty and aromatic sauces he can prepare. This is true when it comes to sauce, the preparation technology of which is highly complex, but not when it comes to mayonnaise. Even a novice cook can prepare homemade mayonnaise; he just needs to find a recipe and take the advice of experienced chefs.
- For homemade mayonnaise, it is better to take homemade eggs, the freshness and quality of which you are one hundred percent sure of. Otherwise, there is a risk of infection with salmonellosis, because raw eggs, or rather their yolks, are used to prepare mayonnaise. In addition, the eggs of domestic chickens or laying hens raised on farms usually have bright yolks, thanks to which mayonnaise takes on an appetizing creamy hue. An additional advantage of such eggs is their higher content of vitamins and microelements.
- If you have to use store-bought eggs to make mayonnaise, you need to wash them thoroughly; this will minimize the risk of infection, since salmonella can be in chicken droppings, and therefore on the shell, but not in the yolk. If desired, you can add a pleasant shade to mayonnaise using turmeric, but you need to add it just a little bit, literally at the tip of a knife, otherwise the color will turn out to be too saturated.
- It is best if the products that need to be whipped to prepare the sauce are at the same temperature. The whipping container should also be at the same temperature, ideally room temperature. Therefore, all products included in the sauce must be removed from the refrigerator in advance.
- In order to obtain a homogeneous sauce, the products included in its composition are not mixed all at once, but gradually: first, beat the yolks. Then add lemon juice or vinegar, salt and pepper. The oil is introduced last and in small portions. If, despite following the required sequence, the sauce separates, try increasing the number of eggs. To do this, beat the yolks again, and then add in portions, whisking, the sauce obtained at the beginning.
- It will be easier to obtain a homogeneous sauce if you use a large, high-quality whisk. The use of kitchen appliances is also acceptable. If you are using a mixer, beat the ingredients at low speed first. They need to be increased only at the stage of introducing oil.
- Do not use oil with a strong smell for mayonnaise. It is better to take olive oil, but it is acceptable to use sunflower oil, as long as it is refined and deodorized.
The only drawback that homemade mayonnaise has compared to store-bought mayonnaise is its short shelf life. If you used a lot of eggs, you need to use the sauce within 24 hours. If you use a small amount of eggs, the shelf life of homemade mayonnaise in the refrigerator can be increased to two days. For this reason, you should not prepare mayonnaise for future use - make as much as you have time to eat. If the recipe contains too many ingredients, you can reduce them, but be sure to maintain the proportions.
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How to choose a quality one?
High-quality mayonnaise has a uniform, thick consistency; the color of such a product may differ slightly; a color from white to yellowish may be considered normal according to GOST 31761-2012 (clause 5.2.3., Table 1).
The presence of fine particles is acceptable if it is a product with special, special ingredients - for example, red bell peppers may show red fine particles.
The smell should be pleasant, without the feeling of aged vegetable oil with an unpleasant bitter tint. If the product is packaged in glass jars, then it is important to look to see if there is translucent serum with the contents rising up.
You should make sure that the mass is homogeneous, since GOST allows only the presence of small single air bubbles formed when beating the mixture.
It doesn’t hurt to read the ingredients carefully; it is advisable to choose the most natural product possible, with the list of chemical additives as short as possible.
In the case where the appearance and consistency do not raise suspicion, but the expiration date is at the limit or has already expired , then you cannot take such a product; you should find packages with a fresh production date.
You can learn how to choose a good mayonnaise from the video:
How to tell if mayonnaise has gone bad
The following signs indicate that the sauce has gone bad:
- Unpleasant sour or rotten smell.
- Sour or bitter taste.
- Separation into fractions (oily liquid and thick lumps).
- Mold formation.
- Jelly-like consistency.
- Bubble formation.
- Bloating of closed packaging.
Missing mayonnaise should not be eaten. Bacteria develop in it, which can lead to severe poisoning. Also, you should not use expired sealed sauce, even if there are no signs of spoilage after opening.
