Oil based salad dressing

(Cancer Fighting Ketovore :)) #1

So, I want to make an oil-based salad dressing, but when the pill is put into the fridge it solidifies. I’m planning putting some MCT oil, Olive oil, ACV, and basil pesto in it. What can I do to keep it “pourable”?

(Full Metal KETO AF) #2

Does that mixture solidify? I wouldn’t think it would.

(Cancer Fighting Ketovore :)) #3

I’ve had olive oil and pesto solidify before… not sure if the MCT would change it

(Bob M) #4

I’d guess that MCT does change it, though by how much, I do not know. I know olive oil will solidify in the fridge, so I usually take it out early or run through warm water.

(Jane) #5

Why would an oil, vinegar and herb dressing need to be refrigerated?

Also I make mine with just MCT oil but haven’t stuck it in the fridge yet to see if MCT solidifies. I don’t think it does but haven’t tried it to see.

(Cancer Fighting Ketovore :)) #6

The pesto is store-bought and says to refrigerate after opening

(Jane) #7

Oh, ok. I know you have to be extra-careful with that.

Lots of stuff I don’t refrigerate that the package tells you to like butter and ketchup, but I understand why you can’t take any chances.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #8

Olive oil and vinegar don’t need to be refrigerated, so I’m not sure why a dressing made from them would need to be refrigerated. What’s in the pesto that needs refrigerating?

I haven’t refrigerated butter or ketchup in decades, and never had a problem. Home-made mayonnaise, however, with its uncooked egg yolk, would be a liability if unrefrigerated. On the other hand, my sister puts many things in the fridge that don’t really need it, including maple syrup.

In London, my ex and I received milk and butter at the doorstep, that we never refrigerated. Of course we used it fast enough, and the English climate is moderate enough, that you wouldn’t really expect a problem.

Here in the U.S., back in the days when milk was still delivered, the milk was put into a milk-box, which was either a free-standing, insulated box, or a pass-through built into the wall of the house. (I remember having to squeeze through the milk-box once, when I was six or so, because we had locked ourselves out of the house. Certainly no grown-up could have done it!)

(Robert C) #9

There’s a little more about refrigeration that should be kept in mind - one is contamination.

For example, ketchup in a squeeze bottle that has not been exposed to significant heat (i.e. left outside at a BBQ or something) and only squeezed and quickly sealed again is probably fine unrefrigerated.

But, ketchup in a classic screw-top bottle that little Johnny has been sticking his just licked clean knife into (to get the ketchup to come out faster) - that one should be refrigerated (because you don’t necessarily know it is happening).

Refrigeration is like a secondary safety - for the borderline foods, it is best to refrigerate (if you have the space) to mitigate the corner cases (like contamination) or the chance that while you were away on vacation, your place was really hot for a while (doesn’t matter for things in the fridge unless the power goes out).

Finally, (in my opinion anyway) items carefully sealed and stored in the refrigerator seem to hold their flavor better.

(Jane) #10

I hear ya. We put our butter up in the fridge when we go on vacation. Our ketchup is a squeeze bottle so no knives to contaminate nor small children to worry about.

Having suffered from food poisoning from a restaurant (never from food prepared at home) I am cognizant of the dangers. I also can my own food and always follow the guidelines to a “T”. If in doubt… I throw out!

(Cancer Fighting Ketovore :)) #11

The pesto in question:

IMG_20190810_190734649
IMG_20190810_190734649.jpg2138×2851 1.78 MB

(Todd Allen) #12

I’d refrigerate it due to the sunflower seed oil which is high in PUFA and prone to oxidation with heat and light. As others have said just set your bottle of dressing into a pan of warm water when you start preparing your meal.

(Bob M) #13

We’ve put our butter out and also in the fridge, and we usually leave it in the fridge. One reason is that it doesn’t need to be room temperature (it’s not as if we’re putting it on bread :grinning:), and it tends to stay better in the fridge.

I also tend not to use dressings that often, so that’s why I put it in the fridge. Any oil will have PUFAs, which will oxidize. I even put fats like tallow, which is very low in PUFAs, in the fridge. They just keep longer and fresher.