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Steve Henson (1918-2007) created ranch dressing to compliment the dishes he was serving to his work crews while working as a plumber in Alaska. Upon retirement, Henson and his wife Gayle bought the large 120-acre Sweet Water Ranch in Santa Barbara, California, in 1954. They soon changed the name to Hidden Valley Ranch. Henson brought his recipe, now called “ranch dressing,” to California.
He would serve the tangy blend for guests visiting his ranch. They loved it and often requested bottles to take home. He introduced the recipe to some local businesses near his farm, and it literally flew off the shelves. Soon, Henson sent packets of the dressing around the country, launching a thriving mail-order business. Thus, Hidden Valley Ranch dressing was born! The original seasoning packet required customers to add buttermilk and mayonnaise.
In a way, it’s amazing that ranch dressing even took off in the first place. Steve Henson’s mail-order seasoning packet business required customers to have buttermilk and mayonnaise in the fridge ready to go. The popularity of ranch dressing has continued to rise over the years! In 1972 Henson sold the business to Clorox for 8 million dollars. Clorox expanded the recipe into several new flavors. The dressing is used in many ways, from fast food to fine dining. Henson died in 2007 in Reno, Nevada. He was 89.
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FAQs
Where we bring you Black History, Special Delivery. Steve Henson (1918-2007) created ranch dressing to compliment the dishes he was serving to his work crews while working as a plumber in Alaska.
Who created the original 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.
Did Steve Henson invent ranch? ›
Ranch dressing was invented in the early 1950s by Steven Henson (1918–2007), a Thayer, Nebraska native working as a plumbing contractor in the Anchorage, Alaska area, while cooking to feed his work crews.
Who invented dipping pizza in ranch? ›
No one knows exactly where it started. Most believe college students, after a night of partying, tried dipping their pizza in their salad dressing on a dare.
Who invented the ranch? ›
Who Invented Ranch? Around 1950, Steve Henson unknowingly made history when he whipped up a unique mixture of dry herbs and buttermilk. Originally a plumber, Steve came up with the concoction while working briefly in Anchorage as a construction worker and part-time cook for his crew.
What is the black in ranch? ›
Traditionally the blackened ranch dip is made by combining ranch dressing (made with mayonnaise and sour cream) with onion, garlic, black pepper, white pepper, and blackening seasoning. This lightened-up version replaces most of the mayonnaise with Greek yogurt.
What did Jim Henson invent? ›
James Maury “Jim” Henson was an American puppeteer. He was one of the most widely known puppeteers in history and was the creator of The Muppets.
Who invented salad dressing? ›
The Babylonians used oil and vinegar for dressing greens nearly 2,000 years ago. Egyptians favored a salad dressed with oil, vinegar and Asian spices. Mayonnaise is said to have made its debut at a French Nobleman's table over 200 years ago.
Who invented thousand island dressing? ›
Who invented Thousand Island dressing? Tour guides will tell you it was the chef of billionaire George Boldt and his wife. But Alan Benas has uncovered a different origin story. He now bottles and sells a version based on a recipe discovered in the safe of a century-plus-old restaurant.
Is Pizza Ranch owned by Christians? ›
Pizza Ranch's specialties are pizza and chicken. Their headquarters, formerly located in Hull, Iowa, have moved to Orange City, Iowa. Pizza Ranch is a Christian-based company. The Pizza Ranch vision is "To glorify God by positively impacting the world we live in [through pizza]."
While pizza gets topped with almost anything these days, it's traditionally covered in cheese and tomatoes. Ranch dressing is full of fat and acidic tang — complementing the cheese and tomato — and works as a palate cleanser, cutting through grease and preparing you for the next bite.
What state puts ranch on pizza? ›
The ranch and pizza combination is known to be most popular in the Midwest, but people have been known to dip pizza in the good stuff everywhere from Texas to California.
Are there any black owned dude ranches? ›
The history of Murray's Dude Ranch dates back to when Nolie Murray, a Black businessman from Los Angeles, and his wife, Lela, decided to buy the property for $100 in 1926. The property was a former working cattle ranch near Apple Valley at the intersection of Waalew and Bell Mountain Roads.
Who invented the first salad dressing? ›
The Babylonians used oil and vinegar for dressing greens nearly 2,000 years ago. Egyptians favored a salad dressed with oil, vinegar and Asian spices. Mayonnaise is said to have made its debut at a French Nobleman's table over 200 years ago. Salads were favorites in the great courts of European Monarchs.
Who started the Hidden Valley Ranch? ›
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.
Which ranch came first? ›
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.
