Homemade Ranch Dressing - Recipe Diaries (2024)

FAQs

How was the original ranch dressing made? ›

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.

To be honest, a lot of restaurants just mix a TON of mayonnaise with some buttermilk and the Hidden Valley ranch dressing mix and call it a day. It's delicious, don't get me wrong!

If you don't have time or inclination to make your dressing from scratch, but you want that elevated restaurant-style ranch, think about zhuzhing up the bottled version with things like finely chopped shallot or scallion, a clove of minced fresh garlic, a splash of buttermilk or dollop of sour cream if you have them ...

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. Help it stay fresh by not dipping anything directly into the container that you're storing it in—for example, a half-bitten carrot.

Ranch dressing is usually based with mayonnaise, with sufficient water added that it will pour to cover the salad. Ranch dip is usually based with sour cream, or sometimes yogurt, and is not thinned so that it will stick to chips or vegetable slices.

Ranch Dressing Ingredients

Sour cream and mayonnaise: The base for this creamy ranch recipe is a mixture of sour cream and mayonnaise. Seasonings: This flavorful ranch dressing is seasoned with dried chives, dried parsley, dried dill weed, dried garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and ground black pepper.

The secret that many restaurants have up their sleeves is seasoning mix. Well-known brands make dry counterparts to their bottled ranch that encapsulate all the flavors, including powdered buttermilk, with none of the additives and oils.

The difference is dairy

The key difference between bottled ranch and ranch that's been mixed from a packet — which is what's usually served in restaurants — is that ranch made from a mix usually contains real dairy ingredients. The store-bought varieties don't.

A: I found flavor is pretty much the same but the new original container I just got has more salt: homestyle 45 mg vs original 60 mg. I can taste the difference. Great product for either version. Thank you for your feedback!

The ranch packet has a fresher taste, because you add your own mayo and milk. Even though all the herbs and spices in the mix are dried, they rehydrate quickly and leave you with a product that feels homemade. This version of Hidden Valley Ranch is more flavorful than the bottled version and much, much thicker.

Why is my homemade ranch tangy? ›

There is no right or wrong combination; you just have to play and figure out what makes your skirt fly up. But here's how I approach it: the mayonnaise gives the dressing the solid, creamy, tangy base. I use more of it. The sour cream brings a thickness and a body to the dressing…but it's light and mild in flavor.

How do you thicken store-bought ranch dressing? Add more mayonnaise. Ranch dressing = mayonnaise + buttermilk + garlic + herbs (usually dill). Adding more mayo will thicken it without introducing flavors that aren't already there.

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.

To Freeze: Freezing homemade ranch isn't recommended since the taste and texture tends to change once it's thawed. I always prefer to whip up a fresh batch.

Steven Henson, the Nebraska native who created ranch dressing, invented the now-ubiquitous condiment after moving to Anchorage in 1949 and taking a job as a plumbing contractor in the Alaskan bush, according to a biography of Henson published in the Santa Barbara Independent.

by a black Nebrask and cowboy named Steve Henson. Steve named his company after his ranch, Hidden Valley, and he came up with it. while trying to find a new recipe to feed his workers. he eventually sold this company to Clorox in 1972.

Clorox reformulated the Hidden Valley Ranch dressing several times to make it more convenient for consumers, including adding buttermilk flavoring to the seasoning, allowing the dressing to be made using much less expensive regular milk.

History tells us ranch dressing was created in 1949 by a plumber-turned-cowboy in Alaska. Steve Henson is the man behind this dressing perfection. In fact, Henson moved to California and purchased a ranch he called Hidden Valley Ranch, which made the now famous dressing a staple.