Temporary Emulsions

Appears in
Professional Cooking
Professional Cooking

By Wayne Gisslen

Published 2014

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A simple oil-and-vinegar dressing is called a temporary emulsion because the two liquids always separate after being shaken or beaten together. In a standard vinaigrette, the vinegar is broken into tiny droplets. These droplets are mixed evenly, or suspended, throughout the oil.

The harder the mixture is beaten or shaken, the longer it takes for it to separate. This is because the vinegar is broken into smaller droplets, so the droplets take longer to recombine with each other and separate from the oil. When a mixture of oil and vinegar is mixed in a blender, the resulting mixture stays in emulsion considerably longer.