We make salad dressing at home, sometimes from a mix, and sometimes from scratch. My olive oil and vinegar sits out on the counter and is not refrigerated. Neither are my garlic or spices. Why should they need to be refrigerated when mixed?

I do refrigerate lemon juice, so I can maybe see that being an issue if an ingredient.

I've got a bottle of Wishbone Italian and it says "refrigerate after opening", yet I see no ingredient that requires refrigeration. Although I can see once you mix a little sugar with other stuff it can grow stuff.

But my homemade dressing? Any reason to refrigerate?

Sounds like time for science!

Do some experiments with time intervals at 30 days 90 days 180 days and 365 days.

Log your gastrointestinal discomfort index.

Range/aa report when you’re done.

Putting things into oil can set up anaerobic conditions favorable to botulism production. Depending on what ingredients go in your dressing it could be a huge concern. Dried garlic and herbs in oil are to be refrigerated and used within 4 days. Source

Any dressing made with milk/sour cream/ mayonnaise would also pose food safety concerns if unrefrigerated, although it would be other bacteria you're worried about there.

quote:

Originally posted by Perception:
Putting things into oil can set up anaerobic conditions favorable to botulism production. Depending on what ingredients go in your dressing it could be a huge concern. Dried garlic and herbs in oil are to be refrigerated and used within 4 days. Source

Any dressing made with milk/sour cream/ mayonnaise would also pose food safety concerns if unrefrigerated, although it would be other bacteria you're worried about there.

Thank you. The paper you linked hit the spot!

Do yourself a favor and quit buying Wishbone dressing.

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
Do yourself a favor and quit buying Wishbone dressing.

Rarely if ever use it in a salad- not sure why the wife buys it, other than to have as an emergency backup. Although I will occasionally use it on fish as a coating for a rub when broiling or grilling. But what’s the big deal?

I use Lighthouse Bacon Blue Cheese and a few other Lighthouse products. They are refrigerated at the grocery store so I refrigerate them at home.

quote:

Originally posted by mcrimm:

I use Lighthouse Bacon Blue Cheese and a few other Lighthouse products. They are refrigerated at the grocery store so I refrigerate them at home.

Blue cheese? Yeah, you need to refrigerate it or else it will get mold.

quote:

Originally posted by honestlou:

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
Do yourself a favor and quit buying Wishbone dressing.

Rarely if ever use it in a salad- not sure why the wife buys it, other than to have as an emergency backup. Although I will occasionally use it on fish as a coating for a rub when broiling or grilling. But what’s the big deal?

Well, it isn't a big deal, but it is pretty terrible, and a decent salad dressing is super easy to make.

You need to refrigerate after opening to prevent spoilage and preserve quality.

Dressings are acidified foods (pH <4.1) and are lethal to organisms that can make you sick or kill you (salmonella, e-coli, listeria, etc.) but the are some microorganisms that can grow in dressings. APRY (acid and preservative resistant yeast) and some lactobacilli can grow in dressings at room temp in the presence of oxygen. They won't kill you, but they will change the flavor of your dressing as they produce alcohol or lactic acid.

Refrigeration also helps keep the oil in the dressing from oxidizing and going rancid and developing off flavors.


And cheap Italian Dressing from Wishbone or other brands make a great marinade for cheap steaks or chicken. Let the meat soak in it for at least an hour before cooking. Give it a try.