Quality Factors

Appears in
Professional Cooking: 10th Edition
Professional Cooking

By Wayne Gisslen

Published 2025

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All-purpose oils for dressings should have a mild, sweet flavor. Strongly flavored oils can make excellent salad dressings but are not appropriate with every food.

Winterized oil should be used with dressings that are to be refrigerated. These oils have been treated so they remain a clear liquid when chilled.
Rancidity is a serious problem with oils because even a hint of a rancid flavor can ruin an entire batch of dressing. A thin film of oil, such as might be left on containers through careless washing, becomes rancid very quickly. Clean all dressing containers thoroughly, and never pour a fresh batch into a jar containing older dressing.