Homemade Salad Dressing Question
How do you keep homemade salad dressing from coagulating in the fridge? I made a batch of Colin Cowie's Vinaigrette and the next day when I took it out of the fridge to use it was a lumpy mess. Is homemade salad dressing supposed to be used right away and is not meant to be stored?
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13 Comments:
you can't............just shake shake shake
Kim Nyland at 4:12PM on 10/03/07
It's the olive oil solidifying- it does that at cold temps. Just take the vinaigrette out of the fridge about 30 minutes or so before you need to to bring it back up to temperature.
Other oils like canola oil don't solidify, so if you're looking for a vinaigrette to use straight from the fridge, switch up your oil preference.
ErikaWaz at 4:23PM on 10/03/07
As long as you don't put garlic in it (garlic and olive oil is a high-risk food), you don't need to refrigerate most vinaigrettes.
thepictsie at 4:47PM on 10/03/07
Yes, shake, shake, shake; or wait, wait, wait. Or, put the bottle in a bowl of hot water, it should liquify in a matter of minutes.
Dee at 4:52PM on 10/03/07
Just re-mix it.
DevlChef at 5:11PM on 10/03/07
If you make the vinaigrette in a blender or food processor, the resulting emulsion should keep the olive oil from separating and coagulating, although I don't like the texture as much. Also, some olive oils are more prone to coagulate at higher temperatures than others. You might try setting your refrigerator to 39 or 40 degrees and keeping the dressing as far away from the cold air intake as possible.
zapatista at 5:12PM on 10/03/07
I make homemade vinaigrette all the time. I find if I use an emulsifier, like Dijon mustard, it will stay better. Always mix the vinegar(acid) with the emulsifier. I use a whisk. Then add the oil in a stream, and keep on blending. Hope this works for you.
Mich23 at 5:30PM on 10/03/07
Thanks folks! This is all very helpful!
K at 5:53PM on 10/03/07
I microwave them for about 10 seconds then shake it up. Fats solidify especially good fats. Bottled dressings do not because they have emulsifiers in them.
JerzeeTomato at 7:13PM on 10/03/07
I just make it up fresh everytime. If I do make too much and know I'll be using with in a day or so, I leave it out and it is fine.
malenky at 11:26PM on 10/03/07
As a rule, I make salad dressing, serving by serving, in the bowl where the salad is to be served. Place the bowl in the fridge, then add greens and veggies and toss the salad at the last minute. When I had a restaurant in Colorado, I'd make a blender full for use over about 2 days. When an emulsified vinaigrette is made with ample mustard and/or egg yolks, it really shouldn't break.
If the dressing is not emulsified, the olive oil can coagulate in the fridge and nothing short of setting it out on the counter for a while before serving ever worked for me. I think coagulation of an unemulsified vinaigrette has more to do with the temp of your fridge than any technique you might employ.
chiff0nade at 12:37PM on 10/04/07
I'm in the serving by serving camp. Or give it a few minutes to come to room temp.
LizNYC at 2:42PM on 10/04/07
My BF favors dressing that's just oil, vinegar, S&P and flavorings. I'm more the "emulsified" type. I feel like I'm missing a step when I do raspberry vinaigrette for him because there's no mustard or egg yolk or steady whisking!
therealchiffonade at 7:36AM on 10/08/07