Apple Cider Vinaigrette Recipe - The Recipe Critic (2024)

FAQs

What are some common mistakes to avoid when making vinaigrette? ›

Mixed with other good-for-you ingredients like lemon juice or olive oil, ACV can be a potent booster for your daily routine.

Mixing a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar with a cup of water, a squeeze of lemon juice and a teaspoon of honey creates a tasty, sweet drink. You could even add a pinch of cinnamon for extra flavour or add more honey to make it sweeter! (Make it a teaspoon of Manuka honey, and it'll be even better!)

Red wine vinegar

It has a sharp tang and a relatively strong flavor profile, making it a good choice for more robust salads as well as meat marinades. This vinegar will also impart a pink hue to other ingredients, which you may or may not want, so keep that in mind when cooking with it.

Sweetness balances out acidity, spice, and bitterness. A salad composed of bitter greens may benefit from a sweeter dressing. But sweetness can come from sources other than one-note white sugar; consider honey, pureed dates, maple syrup, jam, or molasses as sweeteners that also add flavor and mouth-feel.

Citrus fruits like lemon, lime, or orange can work wonders in cutting the taste of apple cider vinegar. Squeeze the juice of a citrus fruit into your vinegar mixture to add a refreshing and zesty twist to it. The citrusy flavors complement the tanginess of apple cider vinegar, making it much more enjoyable.

Baking soda mixed with apple cider vinegar

Combining apple cider vinegar with an alkaline compound, such as baking soda, may help neutralize some of its acidity.

Like other vinegars, it has a distinct, extremely sour, unpleasant taste. ACV is also highly acidic, so it's best to dilute before consuming. How can you do that? Just add honey to balance out the sourness and overall taste.

The French have decided that the perfect ratio for a vinaigrette is 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar. For my personal taste, that's a little too oily — but it's totally up to you. My simple system is: In a small screw-top jar, place vinegar and a pinch of salt; cover and shake (this helps to dissolve the salt).

Mayo is a magic emulsifier. Its thickness and high fat content make it the perfect stabilizer for a vinaigrette. A scant ½ teaspoon makes the dressing glossy, not heavy.

What to avoid in salad dressing? ›

How Long Does Homemade Vinaigrette Last? Traditional vinaigrettes, like the balsamic version listed below, will last longer—sometimes up to a few weeks. However, anything with fresh garlic should be consumed within a few days, as the combination of garlic and oil can form harmful bacteria over time.

Luckily, quality is something you can taste. If you encounter a bottle of expired dressing in your parents' fridge (or even in your own), you can use your senses to make sure the dressing doesn't smell rancid, and toss anything that doesn't taste like the salad topping you know and love.

As mentioned, moisture tends to make salads go soggier even faster. That said, it's even quicker when the dressing is made up of acidic ingredients like vinegar or citrus—which, in most cases, they are. The acid in these ingredients can break down the cell structure of tender greens leading to their demise even faster.