The Chef-Approved Temperature Trick For Silkier Dressing
When strolling down the dressing and condiment aisle at your local grocery store, it's hard not to be enticed to buy one of the pre-made dressings. With only so many hours in the day, buying pre-made salad dressings at home can save you time from having to get the ingredients and blend it all together at home. The data points to this, with a $3.3 billion market in salad dressing production in the United States in 2022 (via IBIS World).
Still though, if you find yourself allocating a couple of extra minutes to make dressing at home, it's always worth it. While those pre-made dressings are easy, they're often packed with a host of preservatives and not-easy-to-pronounce ingredients that make them not as great. Plus, making your own dressing can be fun, knowing you're making homemade Caesar dressing, vinaigrette, ranch, and more from scratch. Whether you're just starting your homemade dressing journey or have been doing it for years, we know a secret trick that will ensure you always come out with silkier dressing.
Ice is the essential ingredient
No one likes a bad, chunky salad dressing. Even if you spent time making the perfect salad full of fresh, organic vegetables and leafy greens, it could all be ruined with the slight pour of a bad salad dressing. If you've started trying any of our amazing homemade dressing recipes, there's actually a sure-in trick you can use to make them that much silkier. What's the trick you may ask?
According to Chef Hernan Melendez in an interview with People, incorporating some ice cubes into your recipe can help result in thicker, silkier dressings. As the executive chef at Valley Kitchen at Carmel Valley Ranch, Melendez stated that he adds a couple of ice cubes to the blender. As a result, the sudden cold temperature allows the mixture to bind better, resulting in a thicker, silkier dressing.
Taking it further, shaking an ice cube in a blended vinaigrette will help it emulsify better (via Cuisine At Home). Whether blended or shaken, try it at home to upgrade your dressing to a much more silky consistency.