A Brief History of Ranch Dressing - Jillian Fae Chef Services (2024)

FAQs

What is the history of ranch dressing? ›

Ranch dressing was created in 1949 by a plumber-turned-cowboy. While working as a contract plumber in Alaska, Steve Henson started cooking for his coworkers and perfecting his buttermilk dressing recipe.

HIDDEN VALLEY RANCH STARTED IN 1954

That's when Steve Henson and his wife, Gayle, purchased 120 acres of sprawling land nestled in the mountains outside of Santa Barbara, California, and started a dude ranch.

These twists on the original are all from Hidden Valley Ranch, the nation's biggest brand of ranch dressing. And they are part of a strategy by the brand's parent company, Clorox, to dominate the condiments aisle.

Not to state the obvious here, but ranch is and always will be a salad dressing. The hearty texture is perfect for a crisp wedge salad, but other ways to use the dressing include serving it with buffalo chicken, using it as a dip for roasted vegetables, and as a topping for burgers.

No other country in the world can guarantee it on shelves (though it's somewhat popular in Germany) like we do in the states. More than being uniquely American, ranch dressing has become the iconic condiment of the Midwest.

Therefore, yes, you can eat ranch dressing while pregnant. However, always look for pasteurized dressing and keep it refrigerated at all times when not in use. Do not leave it out on the countertop, even for a few hours. Also, keep in mind that ranch dressing contains a lot of fat, and not the healthy kind.

When properly stored in the refrigerator, creamy salad dressings like ranch can last about two months. Of course, proper storage is crucial. Ranch should be refrigerated after opening because it contains perishable ingredients like buttermilk, which has a high moisture content and is prone to spoilage.

Ranch dressing mix, when unopened, can typically remain fresh and tasty up to 2 years past the printed date on the package - this is a best-by date, not an expiration date. Once the package has been opened, the mix should be used within 3 months for optimal flavor and quality.

Despite its pretty mainstream popularity, though, it only ranked number one in one state: Iowa. What the hell? Are people not eating enough chicken wings or something? Or are they dipping those in Ranch now, too?

Uncle Dan's turned Idaho into the Ranch Dressing and Dip Capital of the World! Our iconic northwest brand has been making the best salad dressings, dips, and seasonings for over fifty years.

What was the most popular dressing before ranch? ›

Ranch has been the best-selling salad dressing in the United States since 1992, when it overtook Italian dressing. It is also popular in the United States and Canada as a dip, and as a flavoring for potato chips and other foods.

Ranch was created by a plumber, Steve Henson and his wife, Gayle. In 1954, they purchased a ranch right above Santa Barbara, California and named it Hidden Valley Ranch. They opened a steakhouse there that became popular for its salad dressing.

Steven Henson, the Nebraska native who created ranch dressing, invented the now-ubiquitous condiment after moving to Anchorage in 1949 and taking a job as a plumbing contractor in the Alaskan bush, according to a biography of Henson published in the Santa Barbara Independent.

On October 30, 1972, The Clorox Company bought a small mail-order dressing business called Hidden Valley® Ranch.

Yes, leafy greens are yummier when they're covered in creamy goodness, but ranch's power doesn't stop there. The unique flavor goes with just about anything, including chips, mozzarella sticks, fried chicken, pork chops, arancini, crispy potatoes, sausages, and more.

What makes ranch ranch? It's a combination of creaminess (from buttermilk, sour cream, sometimes mayonnaise) and herbaceousness (often parsley, thyme, dill), plus a long pull of allium (onion and garlic) and a shot of black pepper.