Are your refrigerator door and pantry shelves stocked with bottles of various salad dressings? It is so simple to make your own fresh salad dressing each day using your pantry's basic ingredients.
When mixing your own dressing follow this simple rule: one part acid to three parts oil. Get creative by using flavored vinegars, citrus juices and different varieties of oil. Then add flavorings such as garlic/onion and various herbs/spices. Finish with salt/soy sauce/worchestershire sauce and your favorite pepper.
I like to mix my salad dressing in the bottom of my big salad bowl or put the ingredients into a small jar to shake. You can store any leftover dressing in the jar in the refrigerator. Remember this is fresh, without preservatives, so it must be refrigerated.
Dress the salad just before serving to keep the greens crunchy. If you do wanted a wilted lettuce salad heat the dressing before adding to the greens. Wilted salad is traditionally made with bacon and bacon grease in place of the oil.
There is another, very serious, reason for making homemade dressing. Some bottled dressings have Propylene glycol alginate added as a thickener. Propylene glycol is the main ingredient in anti-freeze and is considered to be a toxin. So, if you must buy dressing, read the label carefully or, better yet, buy organic.
God bless,
Pam
Wow, I did not know that about the thickener. Gross! Thanks for the heads up -- I usually do make my own though.
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