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I wanted to make a Potato Salad that was going to be exposed to fairly extreme heat during an upcoming picnic and wanted to make sure it wouldn't spoil as quickly as it does sometimes. Is there something other than Mayo that I can use to bind it together - here is the rest of the recipe:

  • 5 cups peeled and cubed potatoes
  • 1/3 cup lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons white sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons seasoning salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon ground mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup chopped green onions
  • 1/3 cup chopped celery
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
JustRightMenus
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AttilaNYC
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8 Answers8

10

Direct substitution options would include sour cream, plain yogurt, or cottage cheese pureed in your blender to do a one-to-one substitution, but I don't know that these would necessarily solve your issue of having the salad sit out with ingredients that could spoil.

This question has a whole list of substitutes. Tofu is one that might suit your needs, although it would change the flavor profile.

Consider instead a German potato salad, which does not have mayonnaise to begin with. Yes, this departs from your original recipe, but it will definitely solve your issue.

Community
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justkt
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    Agreed on the alternate non-mayo potato salads. There's plenty of great ones out there that use a vinegrette, or you can go with an Austrian potato salad, where it's the starch from the potatoes that acts as the binder and gives creaminess – Joe Sep 02 '10 at 14:45
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Another option is a commercial product called Vegenaise. You should be able to find it at any health food type store, or Whole Foods. It is really quite a good substitute; not quite as much flavor as say Best Foods / Hellman's, but close, and a near identical texture.

Michael Natkin
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6

I know this may depart from the answer you are looking for but put it in a bowl of ice. Not your potato salad the bowl your potato salad is in. A picnic in extreme heat could only last a couple of hours and as long as you check on your ice and give it a stir every once in awhile you should be gtg (good to go). Anything longer and the people at the picnic will have heat prostration and will not feel like eating anyway. :)

Varuuknahl
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4

I would suggest using a really good olive oil instead of a bland vegetable oil. The salad may also benefit from omitting the sugar, and perhaps adding some good black or green olives.

mamadalgas
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2

Yogurt gives potato salad a nice tang; if you try it, use a full-fat brand.

Iuls
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2

I grew up on mustard potato salad and prefer it to the mayonnaise variety. It usually has some mayo in it, but you could adjust the recipe and omit it.

Dennis Williamson
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Another way to prepare mayonnaise is with hard boiled egg yolk, instead of fresh eggs. The cooking will kill salmonella, so this mayo will be safer.

JustRightMenus
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BaffledCook
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  • salmonella doesn't actually exists inside the egg, it is the shells which get contaminated. also what you probably mean is soft-cooked egg yolks, as hard-boiled simply won't emulsify the same. –  Sep 02 '10 at 22:13
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    Julia Child - http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2008/05/julia-child-cooked-egg-mayonnaise-recipe.html – BaffledCook Sep 02 '10 at 23:15
  • @roux - salmonella 'could' be inside the egg. That's the whole issue. http://www.incredibleegg.org/egg-facts/egg-safety/eggs-and-food-safety – BaffledCook Sep 02 '10 at 23:18
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A nice dolop of creme fraiche can bring a 'mayo-free' potato salad together nicely - and would work well with your other ingredients. It's fairly stable in the heat too.

If you wanted to take things in a slightly different direction, a generous spoon of a wholegrain mustard can really work wonders.

Chip Phat
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