Mayonnaise is perhaps one of the most popular egg-based dressings and it’s typically used as condiment, dressing, thickener and binder in cooking. Because it’s made with eggs, this dressing spoils easily even when it’s kept in the fridge. While it’s an unusual practice, you can always freeze mayonnaise to prolong its shelf life.
However, since mayo is an emulsion, there’s a good chance that freezing it will cause the ingredients to break down, separate, and appear less than appetizing. But we’ve found a trick that will help maintain its texture even after it’s been frozen solid.
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What’s the Proper Way to Freeze Mayonnaise?
The eggs, oil, and vinegar/lemon juice in plain mayonnaise are likely to speed up spoilage, more so if you’ve been double dipping in a jar of mayo. If you have to freeze mayonnaise, you have to act fast! The proper way to freeze mayonnaise is using freezer-safe sterilized glass bottles. To sterilize the glass jar, just submerge it in a pot of water and bring to a boil for 5 minutes.
Then, get a clean spoon, scoop enough of the dressing to fill the glass jar, giving an inch of space for the mayo to expand when it’s frozen. Remove as much air as you could from the jar, seal it and then stick it in the fridge.
Frozen mayonnaise should keep for about 5 to 6 days. Store-bought mayonnaise keeps longer than its homemade counterpart because the ingredients are stabilized to extend its shelf life.
What’s the Best Way to Defrost Frozen Mayonnaise?
The best way to thaw frozen mayonnaise is removing it from the freezer and letting it sit at the lowest portion of the fridge until the mayo has softened.
Although plain mayonnaise will hold its original form when it is frozen, it will break down once it is thawed. The oil is likely to separate from the emulsion so the liquid will sit on top of the dressing, giving an unappetizing appearance. If you used store-bought mayo, the separation won’t be as severe. If separation occurs, you can either get rid of the excess liquid or re-emulsify the mayo.
Image used under Creative Commons from cyclonebill
To re-emulsify the mayonnaise, pour the contents of the jar in a mixing bowl and with an electric mixer, whip the dressing to a high speed for several seconds. If the dressing did not emulsify well, try gradually adding the mayo into the bowl one tablespoon at a time.
Summary
Don’t expect mayonnaise to retain its original texture after freezing or re-emulsifying it. Once defrosted, mayonnaise will have a thinner texture but it is still safe to eat. Now that you know how to freeze mayonnaise, you can go ahead and freeze a jar or two for salads, sandwiches, and soups!
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