Homemade Ranch Dressing - Recipe Diaries (2024)

FAQs

How long will homemade ranch last? ›

How Long Does Homemade Ranch Last? Stored in a well-sealed container in the fridge (assuming you began with fresh sour cream and buttermilk) your buttermilk ranch dressing should keep for up to two weeks.

Directions. In a medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, sour cream, and mayonnaise until smooth. Whisk in thyme, garlic, and cayenne pepper. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Whisk mayonnaise, sour cream, chives, parsley, dill, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl until well-combined. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.

If you want to thicken up your homemade ranch dressing, add more mayo, yogurt, or sour cream, and use less milk. For a more drizzle-able dressing, add more milk (or water) to thin it out. Chill in the Fridge. Transfer your creamy ranch dressing into a sealed jar or bottle for storage.

Ranch normally has a pleasant smell, so if it develops any kind of foul odor, it's likely past its prime. If you can't determine its quality from its texture or smell, you can also taste the dressing to see if it still tastes high quality.

Scratch ranch relies on fresh herbs and aromatics, which bring bite and those pops of grassy flavor that dried or powdered versions never can, so you get an eating experience that is elevated. Usually, ranch recipes will contain fresh buttermilk, and sometimes sour cream as well, for a tang that is really balanced.

Who Invented Ranch? Around 1950, Steve Henson unknowingly made history when he whipped up a unique mixture of dry herbs and buttermilk. Originally a plumber, Steve came up with the concoction while working briefly in Anchorage as a construction worker and part-time cook for his crew.

“But the particular flavor of traditional ranch can only be achieved with the dry versions of all those aromatics: garlic and onion powder, dried herbs, powdered pepper and buttermilk.” That's because fresh ingredients were rare in Alaska at the time.

And the buttermilk, or the regular milk, acts as a thinning agent, bringing your ranch dressing to the proper consistency. Buttermilk will be thicker and tangier; milk will almost be a non-flavor…but will thin it quite a bit more. So if you like a highly pourable dressing, regular milk would be best.

Ranch dressing is a savory, creamy American salad dressing usually made from buttermilk, salt, garlic, onion, mustard, herbs (commonly chives, parsley and dill), and spices (commonly pepper, paprika and ground mustard seed) mixed into a sauce based on mayonnaise or another oil emulsion.

Is there a difference between ranch sauce and ranch dressing? ›

Consistency: Ranch dressing has a pourable, liquid consistency, making it suitable for drizzling over salads or mixing into dishes. Ranch dip, on the other hand, is much thicker and is intended for dipping, spreading, or dolloping onto foods.

Ranch dressing, along with most other salad dressings, is delicious. Ranch goes with everything and is a staple in the American diet. Some are afraid the dressing contains raw or undercooked eggs and stay away from it (2). However, if you check the label for egg content, you'll find that it does not contain eggs.

Lemon Juice or Vinegar: A splash of fresh lemon juice or white wine vinegar brightens the dressing in a way that store-bought bottles can't compete with. It makes this dressing taste homemade. Fresh Herbs: I love fresh dill, parsley, and chives for a classic ranch flavor, but dried herbs will work in a pinch.

This homemade ranch dressing recipe is pretty thick. So, to thin it out, you can simply add a little bit of water, whole milk, or canola oil to the mixture. Keep in mind though that anything you add to the dressing will alter the flavor a bit.

Store. Store the dry ranch dressing mix in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 6 months. Be sure to make a note of the expiration dates on the herbs and spices used in the recipe and use on or before those dates. Store the ranch dressing made with the mix in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Cover and refrigerate. Chill 30 minutes to thicken. Stir before serving. Stays fresh 3 to 4 weeks.

One of the best qualities of ranch is its long shelf life, but it doesn't last forever. The USDA states that creamy salad dressings should be used within three months of opening, and commercial dressings are also given a lifespan of three months max.

This vegan ranch dressing stores well in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to 12 days!