So, I'm ready to make a batch of my southern potato salad the other day and I looked for mayo in my mother-in-law's fridge.
"No, it's up there" said my wife, pointing to a cabinet. There, indeed, it was....a jar of mayo at room temp, probably been there for at least a couple of months.
I nearly swooned, as Florida boys often do when faced with (allegedly) rancid mayo. No, I was told, this household does not refrigerate mayonnaise. I can deal (just barely) with the milk being left out overnight, I can understand prepared mustard and brown sauce in the cabinets, but mayo?
I know that modern food prep technology makes mayo safer than it was before....eggs are pasteurized, pH levels are low, blah blah blah. I am accustomed to seeing EPIC efforts being made to prevent dishes made with mayo from rising above 1 degree C. Most Florida folks would, at a picnic, RUN from potato salad or cole slaw that was not presented on ice in a dish designed to keep the food cold.
Is this just another cultural thing, or what? Isn't there a risk of bacterial infection and growth in any raw-egg sauce? I really do want to know.