Italian Salad Dressing
This is the salad dressing I grew up with that my mom created. As a child, I didn't realize there were any alternatives.
This is the salad dressing I grew up with that my mom created. As a child, I didn't realize there were any alternatives.
- Carbohydrate 32.151222876607 g
- Cholesterol 0.9166666652 mg
- Fat 109.614523332856 g
- Fiber 2.51336249732971 g
- Protein 1.592948749359 g
- Saturated Fat 8.30137338896165 g
- Serving Size 1 1 recipe (182g)
- Sodium 21.9187916411833 mg
- Sugar 29.6378603792773 g
- Trans Fat 1.36207588262063 g
- Calories 1097 calories
Step-by-step
- Combine all ingredients in a bottle.
- Shake to blend.
- Allow flavors to blend about an hour or so, Will even be more flavorful the following day. Be sure to refrigerate any leftovers.
- Makes about 1 cup.
Vigorous mechanical agitation is the only reliable method for temporarily suspending oil droplets within an acidic aqueous solution when preparing a classic vinaigrette without an industrial blender. Vegetable oil and cider vinegar possess vastly different densities and surface tensions, meaning they naturally resist homogenization unless forced together through kinetic energy applied inside a sealed vessel. Shaking the mixture vigorously for at least thirty seconds creates a temporary emulsion by shearing the oil phase into microscopic droplets dispersed throughout the vinegar, water, and dissolved solids. While this suspension will inevitably separate over time into distinct upper oil and lower water layers due to gravitational settling, the initial mechanical disruption ensures that the salt, sugar, and minced garlic dissolve uniformly into the liquid phase rather than settling at the bottom of the container.
Allowing the blended mixture to rest undisturbed at ambient temperature for sixty minutes permits the acid from the cider vinegar to gently break down the raw cellular walls of the minced garlic, diffusing aromatic compounds throughout the oil medium while the sugar softens the sharp acetic bite. Sugar acts as a crucial balance modifier in these proportions, tempering the high acidity of the vinegar without introducing unwanted viscosity, whereas the grated parmesan cheese contributes micro-particles that physically interfere with the rapid coalescence of oil droplets, slightly stabilizing the emulsion. Storing the dressing in a glass bottle with a tight-fitting lid in the refrigerator for up to seven days enhances the flavor profile significantly as fat-soluble aromatics fully integrate into the continuous oil phase, though chilling will cause the vegetable oil to increase in viscosity and the parmesan to settle firmly, requiring a thorough reheating to room temperature and another vigorous shake before serving.
