Is it still good?

October 1, 2012 4:29 PM

Can I still eat this? 2 small avocadoes, mashed juice of 1 lemon about 1/4 cup "lite" mayo salt & pepper One week ago today I made a spread for sandwiches. I actually ended up not eating any yet. Is it still good?
posted by primate moon to food & drink (15 answers total)

Weird punctuation issues. Sorry. I mashed together 2 small avocadoes, juice of 1 lemon, about 1/4 cup lite mayo, salt, and pepper. Thanks!
posted by primate moon at 4:31 PM on October 1, 2012

Has it turned brown/gross looking? Does it smell right? Has it been refrigerated?
posted by Flamingo at 4:36 PM on October 1, 2012

If it's been refrigerated continuously and doesn't look gross, I probably would. But stilltasty.com says you should eat cut-up avocadoes within 2–3 days, so caveat eator.
posted by grouse at 4:39 PM on October 1, 2012

If it looks and tastes okay, I'd definitely go for it. Mixed with lemon and mayo, the avocado shouldn't have any health issues at all, though there's some small chance the flavor will be off after that length of time.
posted by ronofthedead at 4:43 PM on October 1, 2012

My experience with Avocados is that they go bad only after you've finally decided to eat them. YMMV, of course, depending on how fresh they were when you mashed them.
posted by thanotopsis at 4:49 PM on October 1, 2012 [1 favorite]

The avocado will be fine. I'd be worried about the mayonnaise, if it has egg in it. If no egg, then go ahead.
posted by lollusc at 4:53 PM on October 1, 2012

the mayo is fine if it's in the fridge, and the avocado should be ok with the lemon juice. if it's not brown and slimy/smelly, go for it. the avocado very well might have turned by now though.
posted by windykites at 5:26 PM on October 1, 2012

Avocado is likelly to taste awful after that long in fridge safety aside.
posted by leslies at 5:41 PM on October 1, 2012 [7 favorites]

Mayo with egg doesn't spontaneously go bad in the fridge - after all, you can keep a jar for months in the fridge.

The texture of the avocado might not be great, but nothing in there's going to make you sick after a week in the fridge. Try some, and if it's gross, stop eating it.
posted by Kololo at 5:51 PM on October 1, 2012

I'd say safe to eat-- between acid and refrigeration, you're good. But avocados have a lot of fat, as does the mayo, so between the two your spread could be picking up fat-soluble flavors (i.e. smells, really) which tend to be the more rank in one's fridge. I'm not bagging on fat-- fat is great stuff, but you've got to isolate it in the fridge. In any case, taste should be your only guide. And watch out for lemon seeds.
posted by Sunburnt at 7:01 PM on October 1, 2012

imo that's a stomachache waiting to happen
posted by facetious at 7:13 PM on October 1, 2012 [1 favorite]

It will not make you sick except insofar as it will taste absolutely disgusting. Even that ready-made guacamole loaded with preservatives doesn't last more than 24 hours once opened.
posted by palliser at 8:15 PM on October 1, 2012

I am trying to imagine something that will grow in all that acid, fat, and salt and not really coming up with anything. If it hasn't oxidized (turned brown) I would try a taste and then probably eat it.
posted by oneirodynia at 8:57 PM on October 1, 2012

Has the spread broken? Is it separating and mealy looking? Safe to eat sure, but even after remixing will probably have a bad mouth feel.
posted by Max Power at 6:31 AM on October 2, 2012

The spread was sealed in a plastic container in the fridge. It looked, smelled, and tasted fine. Exactly the way I made it. Yum. Thanks, all!
posted by primate moon at 2:12 PM on October 2, 2012 [1 favorite]