Mayo 101

• Believe it or not, there's a standard of identity for mayo. Mayonnaise, as defined by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration must contain vinegar, egg or egg yolks, and at least 65% oil by weight. It may contain spices and natural seasonings except turmeric and saffron, since yellow color might suggest added egg yolk.
• Duke's regular mayonnaise is the only major mayonnaise on the market that contains no sugar. This is especially important for those with diabetes, or anyone watching their sugar intake. Duke's mayonnaise contains soybean oil, eggs, water, vinegar, salt, oleoresin paprika, natural flavors calcium disodium EDTA to protect flavor.
• Duke's offers Fat-Free, Cholesterol-Free and Light versions of its mayonnaise products.
  
  

Cooking Tips

• Add onion soup mix to mayonnaise for a savory hamburger spread.
• Mix Duke's mayonnaise with Sauer's mustard and add honey to create a restaurant-style honey mustard dipping sauce.
• Do not freeze mayonnaise or salads containing mayonnaise. However, if you use mayonnaise in place of fat in baking, that product can then be frozen.
• Add chopped capers, chopped olives, chopped gherkins, and lemon juice to Duke's mayonnaise for a wonderful seafood sauce and sandwich spread.
• Duke's regular, reduced fat and reduced calorie mayonnaises are interchangeable in most recipes, including baked goods. However, the flavors of strong seasonings - for instance, some herbs and vinegars - may be more prominent in recipes prepared with low-fat mayonnaise dressings.
  
  

Mayonnaise and Food Safety

• A common misconception about mayonnaise is that salads made with it become rancid in heat due to mayo spoiling, causing illness. The truth is that mayonnaise is highly acidic with a pH between 3.8 and 4.6 and actually prevents harmful bacteria from growing in food. Usually food-borne illnesses due to "spoiling" is caused by the item dressed by the mayonnaise.
• The eggs used in Duke's mayonnaise are pasteurized (heated but not cooked) to destroy pathogens, such as salmonella, that can cause illness.
• Most commercial brands of mayonnaise have a standard shelf-life of 9 months, while homemade mayonnaise made with unpasteurized eggs can last 3-4 days stored in a refrigerator.