Easy Salad Dressing & Another Use for Your Mason Jars

I had to chuckle this past Sunday evening, when i heard Lynne Rossetto Kasper on The Splendid Table speaking with Isaac Mizrahi about making salad dressing in canning jars. I swear, Lynne has great things to say but sometimes she comes across as completely clueless. Both Lynne and Isaac seemed to think that using a mason jar to emulsify a vinaigrette was some amazing new trick: that i have been using for years! I was even more surprised at their seemingly clueless lack of knowledge of mason jar products. Isaac mentioned buying up small mayo jars in order to get a perfect sized jar with a plastic lid, vs using a mason jar with the two piece ring/seal lid. Hey guys: they sell plastic storage lids for mason jars. Cheap.

Anyway, dissing aside: this really is a great method for making salad dressing. It’s easy to emulsify the dressing by shaking up the jar, vs whisking and making a mess in an extra bowl AND you can then store the rest of the dressing in the fridge: it’s already in a little jar!

Isaac made a classic vinaigrette for Lynne during this episode, but my hands down favorite salad dressing (other than just drizzling oil then balsamic directly on the salad) is honey mustard. This is my recipe:

Honey Mustard Dressing

• 1 measure honey (about half a tablespoon – i use our soup spoons vs a baking measuring spoon)
• 2 measures mustard (a full spoonfull)
• 2 measures tasty olive oil
• Apple Cider Vinegar (if using a half pint, i generally half fill it)
• Additional herbs spices of your preference: cayenne, basil, thyme
• Salt/Pepper

The amount of vinegar is use is basically personal preference, depending on how vinegary you like. To mix the dressing: measure out the honey, mustard and olive oil and mix well with a spoon. Add other herbs and seasonings and the apple cider vinegar, put the lid on the jar and shake shake shake! If it ends up too tangy, add a bit more honey and olive oil, not tangy enough add more vinegar. That’s it!

Note: when choosing honey for your dressing, try and find a local source to get the added benefit of allergy suppression. If you can’t get local honey, be sure you choose a sustainable brand and try not to pick something overly generic. I once saw a ‘bear’ of honey in the grocery store that had two labels on it, one covering another. When i lifted the top label, i found a “made in Vietnam” sticker underneath… I’m pretty sure i don’t want Vietnamese honey. In my cupboard right now is a delicious jar of honey from my Aunt-in-law’s farm. It is sage honey and is perfect for dressing! Not too sweet, subtle herby flavor, and sustainably harvested to boot. If you live in California and are interested in keeping bees, consider checking out their upcoming beekeeping course. I wish i could!

Do you make your own salad dressing, or do you buy it ready made from the store?