Dressings, Sauces, & Condiments

Salad Dressings

I love homemade salad dressings. About the only time I buy a salad dressing any more is when I am on vacation. Otherwise, I make my own.  Homemade is healthier, tastier, fresher, and minus a lot of the additives that keep store-bought “fresh” longer.

Homemade vs. Storebought Lifespan

Because homemade dressings don’t have those ingredients to “preserve freshness.” (Notice the quotes…these things don’t preserve freshness as much as they retard spoilage…and there is a difference!) So, it is important to put a date on your dressings and use them within a few days or a few weeks depending on the ingredients.

A good rule of thumb is to keep in mind how long the ingredients in a dressing would keep in the fridge had they not been combined. For example, a ranch dressing made with dried herbs can be kept in the fridge for 2-3 weeks (because that is how long you could keep a freshly opened carton of sour cream and mayonnaise). But if you use fresh herbs, you’ll want to eat it within a week because fresh herbs spoil. A Thousand Island made with mayo, pickle relish, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and vinegar will keep for weeks. Add eggs, and we’re talking a couple of days. So, use your head. For more on food safety, see this post.

Storage Containers for Homemade Dressings

Consider, also, how your will store your dressings. I use pint and half-pint canning jars to store almost all of my dressings, as I always favor storing food in glass over plastic. Vinaigrettes and other oil and vinegar dressings can be stored in bottles. You can buy bottles like these or you can reuse small vinegar bottles.

Get a Blender!

If you have an immersion blender or a stand blender, making salad dressing is super easy. If you don’t have a blender consider getting one. I’ll not live without my Vitamix!