How To Tell Your Mayonnaise Has Gone Bad
Whether applied as a condiment or used as an ingredient in recipes, mayonnaise provides a creaminess and a tang that can help enhance many foods. Slather it on bread to complement a turkey sandwich, or blend it with veggies, herbs, and spices to concoct a mean tuna or chicken salad. Incorporate it into your deviled eggs recipe to create a delicious finger food for your next social gathering.
Mayonnaise has range, and it has even spread its way beyond the kitchen table with a college football bowl game called the Duke's Mayo Bowl, presented by Duke's Mayonnaise, in which the winning coach is playfully doused in a slow-moving mayo bath. Depending on how you feel about mayonnaise, you might regard that as either profoundly disgusting or slightly amusing.
For true fans of mayonnaise who enjoy it on the regular, you might invest in an industrial-sized tub so that it lasts longer. But with that much mayo, or any amount for that matter, you need to watch for some signs to tell if your mayonnaise has gone bad.
Use your senses ... and a little common sense
Even if you're a major proponent of mayonnaise, eating it when it turns rancid is not the best idea. There are some telltale signs to determine if your mayonnaise has spoiled, including if it has developed mold or spores. You wouldn't touch moldy bread, so naturally, you wouldn't taint that bread with a moldy sauce (per Does it Go Bad).
Another way to gauge whether your mayonnaise has run its course is to give it the old whiff test: if you detect an acidic or putrid smell, don't put that stuff anywhere near your mouth. EHow compares the foul odor of bad mayo to cheese that has been left out in the sun.
Coloration is an indicator as well. If the mayo has transformed into a darker shade of white or a brownish-yellow, it's time to relegate it to the trash bin. Or if the oil has started to separate in the jar, it's time to toss it (via canitgobad.net). Finally, it should probably go without saying, but if it tastes off or has a different texture, don't take the risk; throw it away and start fresh. Your stomach will thank you.