To refrigerate or not to refrigerate, seems to be the question of the day for many people since there are conflicting thoughts. This is especially true since most dressings you purchase are not refrigerated. So, can you eat dressing left out overnight?
Eating dressing that has been left out overnight can be done with some dressings but is not recommended with others. While it is always best to refrigerate dressings after opening, the best rule of thumb is to find out if the dressing contains ingredients that must be refrigerated, such as mayonnaise and eggs.
Knowing whether or not you can eat dressing left out overnight depends entirely on the ingredients it contains. Read on below to learn about the various factors that should determine whether you can eat dressing that has been left out or not.
How Long Can Dressing Sit at Room Temperature?
When it comes to dressing, letting it sit out at room temperature should not be done regularly for many reasons. For the most part, dressings have ingredients that can begin to deteriorate when they are left at room temperature for extended periods.
The most important thing to remember is that determining how long your dressing can be left out at room temperature depends on what type it is and how it was manufactured.
For example, store-bought dressings come with a “best by” date, whereas homemade dressings you have to either remember or label when they were made.
Here are some best practices when it comes to determining how long dressing can sit out:
- Opened Store-bought dressings: These dressings come with either a “best by” or “sell by” label that lets you know when they may start to break down. Keep in mind that these dates are used as a benchmark based on when they were made. This means that if you have refrigerated the dressing, it may last longer than the date suggested.
- Unopened Store-bought dressings: Although all dressings come with labels to let you know when they are best if you have not opened them, they tend to last longer. This is because they have not yet been exposed to the air which may invite in bacteria and other toxins.
- Homemade dressings: While making your dressings is great for knowing what ingredients are being used, it may not be the best for determining how long it can sit out at room temperature. With homemade dressings, you will have to do a trial and error experiment to help you since it depends entirely on what you put in it.
How Does Dressing Go Bad?
Dressing, like other foods, can go bad once they are exposed to air that may be contaminated with bacteria and other toxins.
Since most foods, and especially dressings, are not prepared to last indefinitely, they fall under the category of perishable foods.
Most dressings you purchase are not refrigerated at the store since they are manufactured and sealed to keep them protected from toxins. As with any perishable food, when you change the environment, you change the makeup of the item.
Once you open the dressing to use for your meal, the overall quality of the product becomes less viable. This is because there are bacteria and other microorganisms that are in the air that tends to make their way into your food.
How Can You Tell If Dressing Has Gone Bad?
There are several ways to tell if your dressing has gone bad before you serve it to yourself or other family members. In most cases, this can easily be detected using a few of your five senses including sight, taste, and smell.
Like with other food products, you should be able to determine whether or not your dressing has gone bad by looking at it. Doing this can reveal if there is any mold, or if the dressing is milk-based if it is curdled.
Another way to determine whether or not your dressing has gone bad is the smell. Most dressings that are no good give off a particular odor depending on what kind of dressing it is. For the most part, if it smells bad, you should stay away from it.
Finally, if you cannot determine whether your dressing is bad based on smell and sight, you only have the option of tasting it.
While this may not be the most pleasant way to test it, it is extremely effective. If the dressing has a rancid or just bad taste, it most likely has gone bad.
What Can Happen If You Eat Bad Dressing?
When it comes to eating dressing that has gone bad, you will most likely experience unpleasant side effects just as you would from eating other foods that have gone bad. This means that you may experience digestive discomforts such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, cramping, and other issues.
For the most part, eating dressing that has gone bad can cause a variety of unpleasant side effects depending on the type of ingredients that were used to prepare it. This is especially true if your dressing contained any egg or other dairy products.
Dressings that are oil or vinegar-based can also result in digestive problems when eaten after it has gone bad. The side effects could cause any number of food poisoning side effects or in some people, may not cause any trouble at all.
Keep in mind that when you eat any foods that have gone bad, you run the risk of contracting food-borne illnesses. In some cases, the symptoms may not show up for several hours after ingesting the expired food but can last for several days.
How Should Dressing Be Stored?
Storing your dressing can be relatively simple if you follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully. Doing this can help you to avoid any opportunity for bacterial and other contamination from occurring with your dressing.
Follow these guidelines to determine how your dressing should be stored:
- Opened Store-bought: When you purchase dressing at the store and open it, you should always store it within two hours in the fridge. This is true whether the dressing is dairy-based or otherwise. Keeping it refrigerated can reduce the number of bacteria and other toxins that can grow in the bottle.
- Unopened Store-bought: If you purchase your dressing in advance of using it, and have not opened it, most can be stored on the shelf in your cabinet or pantry. This is especially true if it was on the shelf at the store. If the dressing was kept in a refrigerated section of the grocery store, then you also need to keep it stored in the fridge.
- Homemade dressing: The best rule of thumb when it comes to dressing that you made yourself, is to store it in the refrigerator. Even though you likely used fresh ingredients it is best to keep it cold to avoid any contamination.
How Long Can Dressing Be Stored?
Depending on the type of dressing you have and whether it was purchased in the store or homemade, you can store it for various amounts of time. In addition, depending on whether you opened the dressing is also a factor.
For all dressings that have been purchased in a grocery store, it is highly recommended that you keep them stored in their original container. This can help you to avoid the contents being exposed to bacteria.
Here are some guidelines on how long dressing can be stored based on the type:
- Opened Store-bought: Dressing that has been purchased in the grocery store and opened can be stored for about three months. This will depend entirely on the ingredients used to create it, however, three months is the norm.
- Unopened Store-bought: If you purchased your dressing but have not opened it, then it can be stored in the pantry or cabinet for about four months or longer. This, of course, depends on the type of dressing and the “best by” label. In most cases, the dressing can be stored, if left unopened, in the cabinet for up to two months past the expiration date.
- Homemade dressing: When you make your dressing from scratch, it may be more difficult to determine the shelf or refrigerator shelf life. This is because you most likely do not use the preservatives that are often added to store-bought to make them last longer. As a common rule, your homemade dressing should last for about a week or two in the refrigerator before it needs to be tossed.
Overall, dressing that has been left out overnight can be eaten depending on the ingredients that are in it. If it is dairy-based, you are better off tossing it and buying a new bottle.
However, if your dressing is not dairy-based, you may be okay. Keep in mind that eating any food item that has been left out overnight puts you at risk of contracting food poisoning.