# Can you eat old salad dressing?



## judejude (Jul 15, 2005)

OK, I'm talkin' 6 months here or a bit more.

I have a lot of Annie's salad dressings in my fridge but I keep buying more because I am scared to eat them even though they smell and taste fine. I have eaten them before when they've been in there a long time, but it's just worrying me.

Does it matter if some don't have vinegar? Do you think the ones with vinegar are better and will last a super long time?

Would you eat them?


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## saratc (May 13, 2006)

I would eat them if they smell and taste fine. The vinegar and oil ones are just that with some spices added, and the ingredients themselves last a long time without refrigeration. The non-vinegar based ones usually have preservatives added so they usually last well past the expiration in the fridge. A good way to use up really old salad dressing is use them to marinade meat or veggies. Chicken breast marinaded in just about any dressing is really good baked, grilled, or in the crockpot. Veggies such as red onions, mushrooms, tomatoes and squash are really good marinated and grilled.


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## judejude (Jul 15, 2005)

Would you stick to that story if they were 9 months to a year old but still smelling and tasting OK?? Just wondering since I really have no idea, for sure, how old they are.


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## dlm194 (Mar 23, 2005)

Salad dressing dating is typically a "best by" date for freshness. As they long as they smell and taste okay, they should be safe to eat. The longer you go passed the date, the more likely it is that the oil may get a little rancid or the flavors may mellow. Not harmful though.


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## Heffernhyphen (May 3, 2005)

6 months? That's practically new around here. We've got stuff from the Clinton administration. Seriously.


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