What Is Kraft Doing to My Salad Dressing?
I'm not sure if anyone else has addressed this topic here as of yet. If so, sorry I could not find it.
Had a salad tonight that should have been delicious, but it was ruined by the "new fresh taste" recipe of Krafts buttermilk ranch dressing. It was so horrible I thought it was spoiled, and then I noticed the words "new fresh taste" on the label. I realized that I had not been poisioned merely ripped of again by some cost cutiing idiot in the food industry. First the shady downsizing in packaging that they referred to as their "new look" or the like, when what they were really doing was giving us less product for the same price. Now they have changed the recipes on some, if not all of their dressings.
I got online after dumping my salad in the trash, and found many unhappy comments about The buttermilk ranch, the catalina french, the miracle whip, the thousand island. I am sure there are more.
What are they thinking? The stuff was edible before and I favored their ranch dressing over many others. Now it tastes like some nasty cheap mayo from school cafeteria days. I have seen on the internet where they have lost many lifelong customers over this recipe change. People are really upset about it as am I.
I am later than most in discovering this change, because my wife is a bargain shopper and had me stocked up with the old recipe ranch through the summer and winter. I did however email Kraft foods about the change as soon as I tossed my salad.
I don't think Kraft plans on doing anything about the complaints besides sending coupons for free dressing to the people who called the 1-800 number and complained. Why do they think the people calling would want a coupon for another flavor of their now crappy dressing? Why don't they apologize for selling them the slop in the first place and send them a check.
I think I will make my own buttermilk ranch dressing from now on. Any recipe suggestions?
Add a comment:
Previewing your comment:
HTML Hints
Some HTML is OK: <a href="URL">link</a>, <strong>strong</strong>, <em>em</em>
Comment Guidelines
Post whatever you want, just keep it seriously about eats, seriously. We reserve the right to delete off-topic or inflammatory comments. Learn more at our Comment Policy page.
If you see something not so nice, please, report an inappropriate comment.
Start Talking!
Need a question answered? Have advice to share? Start a Talk topic now!
Sign up to get your questions answered and share advice.
25 Comments:
Well, I'm a die hard vinaigrette kind of gal. However, my husband who takes a green salad with some sort of grilled meat loves the creamy stuff. He hasn't complained yet about the Light Done Right T.I. (Thousand Island) or Ranch dressings--his favorites. My suggestion would to be to head over to epicurious.com for some luscious green goddess dressing. And well in a pinch, my quick version of T.I. is mayo, ketchup, pickle relish, both dill and sweet, and a few capers. Proportions are all up to your preferences.
dhorst at 10:07PM on 01/15/09
Joy of cooking has the only buutermilk ranch recipe I ever use.
I cannot stand any other buttermilk ranch. It just tastes funky to me.
I only serve it with a salad with some fajita chicken and salsa. Also add roasted corn, tomatoes, black beans, olives and some cheese. This is so good. The ranch on it is refreshing. In any other salad it is a no go for me.
JerzeeTomato at 10:28PM on 01/15/09
That happened to me with Hellmans Italian dressing. It was a delicious alternative to my own home made dressing. Best Foods bought Hellmans and suddenly it's Best Foods Italian with the same look as Hellmans only missing the superior taste of Hellmans. I e-mailed and was told that Best Foods would be the one they market and oh thank you for your comment here's a coupon for our new crappy dressing. Now I never see it anymore, not that I ever bought it again. It's like having a favorite TV show and some dumbass decides to cancel it, even though it's unique, liked by critics and has a very decent sized audience. It's replaced by a typical non-imaginitive, non-funny show which in turn gets canceled.
yankeesgal at 11:13PM on 01/15/09
I was going to day how much I like the "light done right" ranch by them but can't find it ANYWHERE! So annoying. I figured maybe they'd pulled the line of products.
I'm personally addicted to Uncle Dan's ranch dressing mix. It was called original southern but they've also repackaged that into packs that make a minimum of 32oz so I only make it before a party.
Can't wait for a good recipe but hope it's easily scalable since I'm the only one here who'd eat it!
MaresyDotes at 11:18PM on 01/15/09
It's a good thing you're breaking free. Have fun with it, this is an opportunity. That stuff is garbage.
simon at 11:32PM on 01/15/09
Who do they taste test this crap on before putting it on the market?
pjracz10 at 1:28AM on 01/16/09
Who has a fabulous ranch dressing recipe? Would it be the same as a blue cheese dressing without the cheese? We need to show these people that homemade is easy, much cheaper and way, way, way more delicious.
PerkyMac at 1:34AM on 01/16/09
make your own dressing.... you'll always be satisfied. Just think of it as your own little way of "Sticking it to the man".....man.......
Pavlov at 6:58AM on 01/16/09
All the more reason to make your own. I do the vinaigrette-mixed-right-in-the-salad-bowl kind of thing but you can make your own ranch in larger batches and use it for a week. Get off the bottle. There's no way they can add "freshness" to the taste of something that's processed to within an inch of its life. Reminds me of Shamdra Lee explaining "if you want to get that 'packaged' taste out of Kool Whip, add a teaspoon of vanilla!" Ewwwwwww.
therealchiffonade at 7:59AM on 01/16/09
I keep an extensive supply of bottled dressings on hand for frequent company, but normally gravitate towards vinagrettes myself. However, the other night, I decided I was in the mood for Ranch and pulled out the bottle of Kraft Cucumber Ranch. I thought it was just me that it was off- but now the light bulb goes on. It seriously tasted like someone had added milk and pepper to Miracle Whip and called it dressing. It really was nasty, and I'll confess that when it comes to salad dressing, I'll eat just about anything.
It really is a shame, because they do have a fantastic variety, and they're familiar. When company is visiting they can always feel good about having their favorite dressings on hand. I guess it's time to find a new brand to be loyal to. Wishbone comes to mind...
ErikaWaz at 8:55AM on 01/16/09
The Newman's Own line is fairly decent, too.
But really, any bottled dressing is not going to fully satisfy like fresh-made will. Which is why it's called convenience food.( convenience, not quality.)
moibec at 9:35AM on 01/16/09
Only Annie's for me. The day I discovered their Goddess dressing, I never looked back. I won't eat anything else out of a bottle. Yum. I'll eat that stuff on anything.
Elizabelle at 9:40AM on 01/16/09
I have never liked Kraft's ranch dressing. The taste is bland, but even worse is the texture on the reduced (not low) fat version, it's gummy.
I stick with reduced (not low) fat Hidden Valley for ranch. And I've got no problem making a vinaigrette, but ranch comes out of a bottle for me, just like ketchup does.
Haven't tried Newman's Own, but on recs from this board, i did try his Italian dressing. maybe it's a personal taste, but I found it entirely too oily and bland. I drained off almost half of the oil and thought it was tasty that way. It's not that I have a thing about fat in dressing, but I like to really feel the sharp, bright vinegar in a vinaigrette.
renzata at 10:16AM on 01/16/09
bottled dressing = ewwwwww.
I hate plastic food and for me bottled dressing (and cool whip) are the penultimate.
I have killer recipies for blue cheese and honey mustard and unlimited variations of vinagrettes. I really must learn a good ranch. I will have to look up the joy of cooking one, thanks Jerzee!
nightmoon at 11:04AM on 01/16/09
Bottled salad dressing is one of those things that I just can't see the sense in paying for, considering that the components are cheap and making it is easy.
At its most basic, I just drizzle vinegar and oil on my salad. I like it tart, but if the vinegar is waaaayyy acidic, I might add a sweet component.
When I'm feeling more creative in terms of salad dressing, I just root around in the spice cabinet and add what I want at that moment. Since I'm usually the only one who eats salads in my house, I'm the only one I need to please.
If I want a creamy dressing as opposed to plain vinegar and oil, there's always mayo and yogurt I can add, and sometimes there's buttermilk or sour cream.
For a more organized way of making consistent dressings, Penzey's has spice mixes specifically for making salads, including a Buttermilk Ranch that's pretty good.
dbcurrie at 2:38PM on 01/16/09
You should thank Kraft, they've done you a huge favor, make your own dressings!
I read the ingredient list on several bottles of dressings a couple years ago, haven't bought a bottle since. No one needs to eat that junk when most of us have dressing ingredients on hand.
I love all the Cooks Illustrated and Joy of Cooking dressings I've tried. Buttermilk ranch, blue cheese, ranch, poppyseed, parm. vinagrette, peppercorn ranch, honey dijon, there are hundreds of recipes out there that take about 5 min. to throw together, please try them!
bobcatsteph3 at 3:43PM on 01/16/09
I usually make my own vinaigrettes, but Trader Joe's makes a fantastic Cilantro Dressing that I love. It looks like Green Goddess, but it is extra thick with flecks of cilantro and little chunks of cotija cheese. Even better, it doesn't have any of the usual crap (i.e. HFC) in other bottled dressings. As usual, the Trader comes through!
nosillak at 8:01PM on 01/16/09
ZOMG dude i know, the new buttermilk tastes like they left the milk out for a month and decided to throw up in it
HonkMyTawts at 3:41PM on 01/17/09
Thank you everyone. I will try the Joy of Cooking recipe the next time, I'm sure I have been missing out in all these years of pouring it out of a bottle.
whatseatingme at 6:41PM on 01/17/09
They're doing the same thing Bryers did to my ice cream. Ruined it :-(
WickedGoodDinner at 11:42PM on 01/17/09
I'm adicted to ranch dressing. I use it on most foods for added flavor. I used to buy Kraft, but stopped when they changed it because it has a very mayonaissey taste to it now. Kinda like Burger King's ranch dip. Yuck! I buy a lot of store brand ranch and like it just fine. I really like Newman's ranch too.
merin at 10:11PM on 04/13/09
Try the buttermilk ranch dressing base from The Spice House (http://www.thespicehouse.com)
Buttermilk + some mayo + the base (just dried herbs/spices/salt) = a quick, tasty, and easy ranch dressing
dvchurch at 11:43PM on 04/13/09
Yes, if it says New & Improved . . . beware!
gourmetgal at 1:28AM on 04/14/09
I wouldn't know. Ranch dressing is nasty anyway, and real mayonnaise is better than that crap Miracle Whip.
ngresonance2027 at 1:22PM on 07/26/09
The kids had this and only this at their house when I went there for dinner... talk about crap! ( in their defense, it was inexpensive)
I made them a batch of ranch, honey mustard and 1000 island dressing before I left.
rlwycoff at 1:49PM on 07/26/09