Mayonnaise is one of those foods that people either love or hate. For me, no BLT, tuna salad, or ranch dressing would be complete without it. I’ve always reached for a jar of Duke’s or Hellmann’s (known as Best Foods on my side of the Rockies), but after giving a store-brand mayo a shot, I’m not sure the classics stand a chance when it comes to flavor.
Target Good & Gather Organic Mayonnaise
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Price: $4.49 for a 15-ounce jar
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Why I Love It: This affordable store-brand mayo has a punch of tanginess from mustard seed and lemon juice that makes it great for salads and dressings.
Credit: Simply Recipes / Target
Why I Fell For Target’s Good & Gather Organic Mayonnaise
I have this quirk that stops me from buying certain foods in bulk, including mayonnaise. My brain thinks a jar that’s been sitting in the fridge for too long after it’s been opened is subpar. While it’s not always the most budget-friendly way to buy condiments, I like to stick with the smaller jars. That’s exactly how Target’s Good & Gather Organic Mayonnaise ended up in my cart; the smaller jars of my go-to brands were sold out.
Admittedly, I was a bit disappointed the first time I went for a scoop of Good & Gather mayonnaise—I was hoping it would be custardy, like Duke’s. I’ve tried a handful of other store-brand mayos, so when I noticed that Good & Gather’s was made with just egg yolks with no egg whites (just like Duke’s) I figured it would have the same rich texture. But after a side-by-side taste test of the two, I immediately noticed a big difference not only in texture, but in flavor—and it actually gave Good & Gather’s mayo a big advantage over Duke’s.
Good & Gather’s mayo features mustard seed and lemon juice, giving it tons of flavor and a punch of tang that outshines Duke’s. And not to be the food police, but although Duke’s lists paprika as an ingredient, a closer look reveals that it’s a concentrated version called oleoresin paprika that pales in comparison to the aromatic quality of ground paprika. In other words, you can’t really taste the paprika in Duke’s. As for Hellmann’s, I find it to land somewhere in the middle of the two, offering a decently rich texture and tang.
In the end, I think choosing between Duke’s, Hellmann’s, and Good & Gather mayonnaise mostly comes down to how I plan to use it. If I’m making BLTs, I’m reaching for one of the classics because I want that creamy mouth texture and mild flavor that won’t compete with the simple sandwich ingredients. But if I’m making tuna salad or ranch dressing, you can bet I’m going with Good & Gather because it packs loads of flavor in every spoonful.
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