# Should I Refrigerate Salad Dressing?



## txoldshirley

I made a salad dressing with Olive Oil, Vinegar, Lime Juice, juice of one small orange, green onion, garlic and cilantro.  Should I refrigerate this?  I didn't really think there was anything that could go bad in it.  I'm using it to pour over my tomato and avocado salad.
Thanks for any advice I can get.


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## Andy M.

Absolutely refrigetrate it.


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## ironchef

txoldshirley said:
			
		

> I made a salad dressing with Olive Oil, Vinegar, Lime Juice, juice of one small orange, green onion, garlic and cilantro. Should I refrigerate this? I didn't really think there was anything that could go bad in it. I'm using it to pour over my tomato and avocado salad.
> Thanks for any advice I can get.


 
Most of your ingredients in that dressing are subject to spoilage at room temperature once exposed and introduced to other ingredients: the garlic, cilantro, scallion, and citrus juices. 

Like Andy said, refrigerate it.


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## SNPiccolo5

Definitely... just let it sit a little bit before you serve it so that the flavor is fine...

-Tim


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## Horab

Ya, in agreeance with the other posters, refridgerate until an hour before use. Can't tell where you live, but I live pretty far north, and the temperature's cracked 95 for four days in a row.


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## txoldshirley

Horab said:
			
		

> Ya, in agreeance with the other posters, refridgerate until an hour before use. Can't tell where you live, but I live pretty far north, and the temperature's cracked 95 for four days in a row.


 
I live in the South Texas heat--although in my home it's a cool 75 deg.

Thanks for the advice all.  I will refrigerate it.  It has sat out overnight, but the house is cool so I think I'm okay.
Thanks again.


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## GB

Also to go one step further, use it up within about 10 days or so. You do not want to keep something like that around too long.


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## Constance

The tomato and avacado salad sure sounds good! Do you put anything else in it?


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## amber

ironchef said:
			
		

> Most of your ingredients in that dressing are subject to spoilage at room temperature once exposed and introduced to other ingredients: the garlic, cilantro, scallion, and citrus juices.
> 
> Like Andy said, refrigerate it.


 
I agree, and also oil can spoil too.


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## txoldshirley

Constance said:
			
		

> The tomato and avacado salad sure sounds good! Do you put anything else in it?


 
That avocado and tomato salad are great--I just put my mixture of lime juice, green onion, cilantro, garlic, vinegar and olive oil over the tomato and avocado.  I add salt & pepper.  Sometimes I add the juice of an orange (as I did in this case) as well.

And thanks again all for the advice.  Glad I asked.


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## Claire

The only salad dressing I leave out is my basic oil & vinegar (some herbs, but nothing else) and THAT is only if I know it will be eaten quickly (day or two) AND it is cool (that cabinet is very cold through three seasons).  Olive oil-based dressings especially need to be set out an hour or two before serving.


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## txoldshirley

I did end up refrigerating because of the advice I got here.  I love this board.  Great place to find info.


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## Banana Brain

Well I've never seen a salad dressing bottle that didn't say "refridgerate after opening", so I'll agree with everyone else.


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## Chef Mike

txoldshirley said:
			
		

> I made a salad dressing with Olive Oil, Vinegar, Lime Juice, juice of one small orange, green onion, garlic and cilantro. Should I refrigerate this? I didn't really think there was anything that could go bad in it. I'm using it to pour over my tomato and avocado salad.
> Thanks for any advice I can get.


 
Yes you need to keep your dressing in the frig, if you were having a party and needed to keep it out for guess to use, you can do so safely for about 3 hours, after that you must decard it.
To prolong this period, you could keep the dressing in an ice bath.


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## Aunt Lisa's Kitchen

May I add another bit to this question.  I also make a dressing with evoo, vinegar, Braggs, and sesame oil.  I have not refrigerated it (yikes?!)  The reason is that I hate to have to wait for the oil to liquify at room temp.  

Is there a way to remedy this?
thanks everyone,
Lisa


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## Andy M.

Considering all the preservatives the salad dressing manufacturers have at their disposal and that they ALWAYS say refrigerate after opening, I wouldn't consider anything else.


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## Aunt Lisa's Kitchen

Thanks Andy,
 I am new to this forum and am still learning how to use it, sorry I missed the second page on this thread. So, one more new-bee question, would it be exceedingly wrong then to (dare I say it) to _microwave _the dressing for just a bit when it comes out of the fridge?  
thanks again, and sorry if this horrifies anyone,
Lisa


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## Andy M.

That could cause a problem if the oil overheats and spatters or "erupts".

Put it into a pan or bowl of hot tap water and it will liquify in no time.

There's no limit on questions here.  Ask all you want!


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## FryBoy

Aunt Lisa's Kitchen said:
			
		

> Thanks Andy,
> I am new to this forum and am still learning how to use it, sorry I missed the second page on this thread. So, one more new-bee question, would it be exceedingly wrong then to (dare I say it) to _microwave _the dressing for just a bit when it comes out of the fridge?
> thanks again, and sorry if this horrifies anyone,
> Lisa


 
Not at all! I frequently use the microwave to warm many things, from melting butter without getting it hot to softening ice cream to thawing frozen meat and even frozen wine (leftover wine keeps quite well that way). Because of the way a microwave works -- by agitating the molecules throughout the item being heated rather than by applying high heat to the surface of the item -- you can safely use it to accelerate the warning process without damaging the food itself -- if you're careful! Always microwave the item to a point that's less than what you want, and then let it sit for a minute or two to complete the warming. It should work extremely well with salad dressing.


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## Aunt Lisa's Kitchen

Ahhh, hadn't thought of that.  Thought I might have to give up salads there for a minute.  - I know, lazy right?, but I could never remember to set out dressing an hour before I'm ready to eat my lunch. 
I will use the hot water trick and thanks again for the patience.
Lisa


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## Chopstix

Aunt Lisa, maybe you can try other salad dressing recipes that won't solidify in the fridge? 

My dressing is usually evoo, vingegar, honey, S&P (sometimes with touch of Dijon). I've never had problems with it becoming solid in the fridge. It always stays liquid and very pourable. Plus the refrigeration gives it a desirable viscosity.


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## Claire

Olive oil will always solidify in the fridge.  And I don't have a problem with microwaving it to room temp.  It takes only a few seconds, though (a full minute is too much) AND you don't want it covered.  It's easier if you just remember to take it out of the fridge an hour or so before dinner.  It is funny how many things my mom never refridgerated (margarine, oil & vinegar type dressings, etc) and we somehow survived.


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## Aunt Lisa's Kitchen

Thanks again, everyone, for the salad dressing tips.  
YOu really are a great bunch!
-Lisa


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## txoldshirley

What I've started doing is putting my jar of homemade dressing in a pan of warm water to get it into liquid form.  It only takes a minute or 2.


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## goboenomo

It might keep the dressing thicker, so it's not watery.


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## maccalicious

You may think I'm dumb but I have seen cilantro pop up sevaral times now and have just never heard of it, can anyone tell me what it is? I think I see it mostly in American recipes so could it be an American thing and as I am from Europe now living 'Down Under', have never been exposed to it?


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## kitchenelf

Cilantro is also known as coriander.  Does that help?  It's used in a lot of Mexican cooking (it's the green leafy stuff in salsa) and it's also used in a lot of Vietnamese cooking.  Here is a picture:





The picture came from here and they also offer other suggestions for its use.

Also if you do a google search for "cilantro recipes" you will come up with a lot of good stuff!

Does this help?


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## maccalicious

Hey, you again, haha! Ooooh it's coriander! I know that, in fact I grow it in my herb pots on the balcony. I would never have guessed, goes to show you learn something every day!


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## kitchenelf

lol - yea, it's me again 'cause I'm dumb enough to be up this late!  And on that note I am going to bed - it's 3:17 AM here - don't ask why I'm up - it's a long, long story but this is the end for me!  

Hope your salad turns out great - I love rocket!  I will have to give your salad a try myself - thanks for your recipe!


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