salad dressings

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  • mjbnj0001
    mjbnj0001 Posts: 1,110 Member
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    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    How long do these keep for?

    I like to kid folks that, "hey, yogurt, it's ALREADY spoiled!" LOL.

    Seriously, they keep for a few days in your fridge. It's not so much that they go bad, per se, but the whey/liquid continues to separate from the yogurt milk solids, making the stuff a bit unpalatable. Re-stirring the stuff if kept separate in a container prolongs its life a little, but if you've dispersed the dressing into a food, the clock starts ticking as soon as you do that. For instance, I've used yogurt dressing to sub for mayo in macaroni salad (summer BBQ season), and got about 3 days out of it, even though there was more salad left (we typically don't have greens salads leftovers left over for more than an extra day).

    This is one application where full-fat, or sometimes, low-fat yogurt (greek or regular) is much better than non-fat.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,785 Member
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    fascha wrote: »
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    You can make your own yogurt-based dressings, too. Basic idea is plain yogurt + salt + seasonings of choice. What's good? Finely minced garlic; fresh ground pepper; herbs such as oregano, thyme, sage, and/or basil; alternatively to the green herbs, things like turmeric, cumin, or chili powder are also good. Fresh-grated parmesan is excellent in yogurt dressing, but one has to watch the calorie side (but note that there's some protein).

    Thin with water or even balsamic vinegar as needed. I don't like to buy dressings, since I like variety, and it takes too long to go through a bottle of commercial dressing. Usually, home-made has fewer calories & better nutrition, too. Vinegar-based or yogurt-based are main choices, but thinned tahini or pureed veggies are also options for a dressing base.

    How long do these keep for?

    I usually just make one meal's worth at a time (I'm easily bored by repetition). I think the answer would depend on what one puts in the yogurt - I wouldn't necessarily use the yogurt's expiration as a guide, but with most add-ins in reasonable amounts, it shouldn't be lots shorter. (For example, minced garlic will get mushy in the fridge. I assume the acidity of the yogurt might retard that a little, but not indefinitely.)

    Same general concept for non-yogurt bases: How long with the individual ingredients keep? (Noting that lots of vinegar or lots of salt (!) may delay spoilage a little.)

  • lapesadilla
    lapesadilla Posts: 67 Member
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    i cut salad dressings with lemon juice - toss the salad in dressing, squeeze a quarter or half lemon over it, toss again. it works great with both vinaigrette and mayo/aioli-based dressings. a little coarse salt and fresh cracked pepper does a lot for a salad too.
  • lilawolf
    lilawolf Posts: 1,690 Member
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    I use yogurt dressing too like bolthouse farms ranch or Marzetti simply dressed creamy balsamic vinaigrette.. Also really like guacamole (really just avocado, lime, spices) and salsa/pico de gallo. I like adding fresh or dried herbs, smoked salt, chipotle powder, citrus etc. My salads are never boring.

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