# What Are Some Everyday Foods That Consumers Generally Don't Make For Themselves (and instead buy professionally-made product) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [July 18, 2022, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-everyday-foods-that-consumers-generally-dont-make-for-themselves-and-instead-buy-professionally-made-product/968158 "2022-07-18T17:58:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2022, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-everyday-foods-that-consumers-generally-dont-make-for-themselves-and-instead-buy-professionally-made-product/968158/161 "2022-07-27T01:31:10Z")
> [@Jeff\_Lichtman](#): > > I have made mayo many times in amounts as large as a quart, and have never had a problem with it spoiling I’d be leery about keeping a raw egg product around that long, myself. There’s not enough acid in homemade mayo to preserve it. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2022, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-everyday-foods-that-consumers-generally-dont-make-for-themselves-and-instead-buy-professionally-made-product/968158/162 "2022-07-27T01:34:38Z")
Falafel! ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2022, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-everyday-foods-that-consumers-generally-dont-make-for-themselves-and-instead-buy-professionally-made-product/968158/163 "2022-07-27T01:40:00Z")
Mayonnaise takes about 60 seconds to make [with an immersion blender.](https://www.seriouseats.com/two-minute-mayonnaise) I literally don’t remember the last time I bought commercial mayo (I’m not a fan of mayo, generally). But on the extremely rare occasions that I want to make a tuna salad or something, I always have the ingredients in the house. Bonus: I can control the salt level, add herbs, use fresh-squeezed lemon juice, more garlic, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2022, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-everyday-foods-that-consumers-generally-dont-make-for-themselves-and-instead-buy-professionally-made-product/968158/164 "2022-07-27T03:46:12Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > There’s not enough acid in homemade mayo to preserve it. Commercial mayonnaise has a pH of around 4, which is acidic enough to keep it from spoiling, especially under refrigeration. The home made mayo I’ve made is considerably more tart than commercial mayo, which suggests is more acidic than that. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2022, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-everyday-foods-that-consumers-generally-dont-make-for-themselves-and-instead-buy-professionally-made-product/968158/165 "2022-07-27T05:01:29Z")
> [@Jeff\_Lichtman](#): > > Commercial mayonnaise has a pH of around 4, which is acidic enough to keep it from spoiling, especially under refrigeration. The home made mayo I’ve made is considerably more tart than commercial mayo, which suggests is more acidic than that Commercial mayonnaise has been pasteurized. Yours has not. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2022, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-everyday-foods-that-consumers-generally-dont-make-for-themselves-and-instead-buy-professionally-made-product/968158/166 "2022-07-27T07:29:01Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > Commercial mayonnaise has been pasteurized. Yours has not. Right. That’s why commercial mayonnaise can be stored without refrigeration until you open the jar, at which point it’s exposed to bacteria. There’s a small risk of salmonella or other food poisoning from home made mayo, especially if you use unpasteurized eggs. But if it doesn’t have dangerous levels of bacteria when it’s freshly made, it will last just as long as commercial mayo without spoiling, because mayo has a low enough pH to prevent bacterial growth. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2022, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-everyday-foods-that-consumers-generally-dont-make-for-themselves-and-instead-buy-professionally-made-product/968158/167 "2022-07-27T14:35:47Z")
Probably really dependent on where you live. For us(Dallas area), it’s pretty trivial to if nothing else, hit a Mexican grocery specifically for tortillas. It’s not uncommon for me to go to my local Fiesta Mart or La Michoacana and get corn tortillas that are still warm from being cooked. I don’t go hunt down local tortillerias though; they’re usually far enough out of the way and single-item that it’s not worth it. > [@SmartAleq](#): > > You know what I find mind boggling? AT the tienda, where they make fresh tortillas daily, they also sell the whole slate of commercial tortillas as well. There is no price advantage to buying the Don Pancho or Mission or whatever brand, there are better, fresher tortillas right next to them on the shelf made every day right there and yet somebody is buying the inferior ones. I dungeddit. I see what you do too- the local Mexican places have scratch-made tortillas, and yet still sell Mission and Guerrero tortillas by the dozens. Never have figured that one out. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2022, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-everyday-foods-that-consumers-generally-dont-make-for-themselves-and-instead-buy-professionally-made-product/968158/168 "2022-07-27T14:59:34Z")
I don’t get it either - but Its not any different than people buying Wonder/Pepperidge Farm/Arnold bread at a supermarket with an in-store bakery. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2022, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-everyday-foods-that-consumers-generally-dont-make-for-themselves-and-instead-buy-professionally-made-product/968158/169 "2022-07-27T15:05:43Z")
As to that, in my experience, the bread from supermarket bakeries is different from the typical Wonder/Pepperidge Farm/Arnold breads. The supermarket stuff is typically baguettes, rolls and such and not sliced sandwich bread. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2022, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-everyday-foods-that-consumers-generally-dont-make-for-themselves-and-instead-buy-professionally-made-product/968158/170 "2022-07-27T15:27:18Z")
I guess it depends on the supermarket - I see baguettes, rolls and so on in supermarket bakeries , but also sliced sandwich bread and hamburger buns. Sure , the fresh-baked supermarket versions are not exactly the same as the Wonder/Pepperidge Farm/Arnold versions - but apparently apparently the freshly made tortillas are not exactly the same as Mission and Guerrero versions. ---
**Author:** ![tofor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tofor/32/13727_2.png) [@tofor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tofor)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2022, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-everyday-foods-that-consumers-generally-dont-make-for-themselves-and-instead-buy-professionally-made-product/968158/171 "2022-07-27T15:34:42Z")
> [@SmartAleq](#): > > there are better, fresher tortillas right next to them on the shelf made every day right there and yet somebody is buying the inferior ones. I dungeddit. I imagine the fresh-made tortillas are good for a day or two, while the commercial tortillas will last for weeks. If I’m not using them today, I need the commercial ones. This is also regional, as I can’t remember ever in my life seeing fresh made tortillas for sale. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2022, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-everyday-foods-that-consumers-generally-dont-make-for-themselves-and-instead-buy-professionally-made-product/968158/172 "2022-07-27T15:57:30Z")
From what I gather (and this is more or less hearsay), the typical Hispanic family approach is more old-world, buying tortillas fresh and frequently. I mean, the stores make a point of their own tortillas’ freshness. One even keeps some in a warmer device near the checkout. So it’s perplexing why anyone would go into one of those stores, see all that, and think “Nah, I think I want those rubbery old Mission yellow corn tortillas today.” And the fresh store-bought ones do last a good while as well. What really confuses me is that it’s often like $2.50 for the 100 pack of the Mission ones, and $2.50 for twice the number of the fresher, store-baked ones. The mass market ones are not even cheaper! ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2022, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-everyday-foods-that-consumers-generally-dont-make-for-themselves-and-instead-buy-professionally-made-product/968158/173 "2022-07-27T17:20:54Z")
> [@doreen](#): > > I guess it depends on the supermarket - I see baguettes, rolls and so on in supermarket bakeries , but also sliced sandwich bread and hamburger buns. It depends on the grocery store, but many have quite good bakeries, including (in my experience) Publix, Fresh Market and Wholefoods. If I want good sourdough, rye, or artisan bread, I pick out a nice un-sliced loaf and ask the bakery department to slice it for me. They are happy to slice and re-bag their bread loafs. I figure having bread sliced last minute keeps it fresher longer (no air gaps causing staleness). ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2022, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-everyday-foods-that-consumers-generally-dont-make-for-themselves-and-instead-buy-professionally-made-product/968158/174 "2022-07-27T20:20:46Z")
Baking soda is sodium hydrogen carbonate. Bake it, and it turns into sodium carbonate (washing soda). ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2022, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-everyday-foods-that-consumers-generally-dont-make-for-themselves-and-instead-buy-professionally-made-product/968158/175 "2022-07-28T02:38:17Z")
For some reason I’m reminded of some cheese maker whose commercial consisted of bragging that their cheese was already cut into cubes, saving you from an impossibly difficult process. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@salinqmind1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind1)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2022, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-everyday-foods-that-consumers-generally-dont-make-for-themselves-and-instead-buy-professionally-made-product/968158/176 "2022-07-28T17:04:14Z")
I’ve never seen ‘fresh’ tortillas here in any store. Only packaged ‘Mission’ or whatever, in the refrigerated section near the tubes of crescent rolls. One time, I was out of flour tortillas and I looked up a recipe and made my own. By hand, with a rolling pin. They were still too thick, but there was a definite improvement in taste, even my clumsy first attempt proved that. ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2022, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-everyday-foods-that-consumers-generally-dont-make-for-themselves-and-instead-buy-professionally-made-product/968158/177 "2022-07-29T02:35:59Z")
I agree with you, though french fries are easily my favorite (though messiest and most time consuming) potatoes to make at home. I usually end up doing something like boiling, baking, or par-cooking potatoes in bulk and then making some version of home fries or dressed up baked potatoes, though. If I really want to do something fun I will do au gratin with cream and fancy cheeses. But both of those things are rare. ---
**Author:** ![sinjin1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@sinjin1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sinjin1)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2022, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-everyday-foods-that-consumers-generally-dont-make-for-themselves-and-instead-buy-professionally-made-product/968158/178 "2022-08-01T04:00:51Z")
We bought a camp chef pizza oven years ago. We haven’t bought a store pizza since. It’s also great for making apple pies at campgrounds. ---
**Author:** ![kitap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2022, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-everyday-foods-that-consumers-generally-dont-make-for-themselves-and-instead-buy-professionally-made-product/968158/179 "2022-08-04T06:34:23Z")
> [@bump](#): > > If you’ve got a proper tortilla press and a cast iron skillet, tortillas are actually pretty easy. > > Tamales though… we made some for this last Christmas, and while they’re all surprisingly delicious, the amount of effort, prep, and stuff involved was colossal. I firmly believe that we’re buying them from now on out after that 3 day effort-a-thon Someone on some message board, maybe reddit, confidently told a poster who was lamenting how much they missed their family’s tamales as they’d moved states to make their own because making tamales is easy and not at all labor intensive. Whoops. Boy, did they get corrected. How about applesauce? My mother used to make it. So much better than store bought. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-everyday-foods-that-consumers-generally-dont-make-for-themselves-and-instead-buy-professionally-made-product/968158.md?page=8)