The Tip To Keep Avocado Dressing From Turning Brown

Green goddess dressing has everything you want in a salad topper. It's bright, creamy, tangy, and full of fresh herbs. While the creaminess can come from Greek yogurt, it's typically derived from avocado instead, which imparts a buttery flavor in addition to a silky texture. But as anyone who has made guacamole knows, recipes that contain avocado can fall prey to one annoying problem: Any leftovers will start turning brown within just a few hours. Green goddess dressing is no exception, and all those pretty, herby hues can look a little less appetizing when they become tinged with brown. This happens when the enzymes in the fruits react to oxygen in the open air, as they then produce a dark pigment called melanin.

Luckily, it's possible to slow this reaction down. After you've had your fill of avocado-based dressing (either on a salad or as a dip for pita chips), simply douse the leftovers with a layer of lemon juice, wrap the bowl tightly with plastic wrap, and store it in the fridge. Lemon juice contains citric and ascorbic acids, which slow down the enzyme and oxygen reaction. And by coating the bowl with plastic wrap, you're preventing more air from coming into contact with the dressing.

Since lemon juice is already an ingredient in most green goddess dressings, you shouldn't have any flavor issues if you go with this option to keep your sauce green. However, it's not the only fruit juice that can slow down the enzymatic reaction. Lime juice is also full of ascorbic acid, so if you don't mind adding an extra flavor into the mix, you can drizzle some of this liquid on top of your bowl too before covering it in plastic wrap. Whichever option you choose, coat your dressing with just a thin layer of juice so that you don't end up making it too watery. (If you really don't want the extra liquid, you can always pour the excess off when you go to unwrap the bowl.) When you add the plastic wrap, lightly press it down onto the surface of the dressing so that no more oxygen can get to your food.

If you'd rather go in the creamy direction instead of tart, you can forgo extra ascorbic acid altogether. Remember that Greek yogurt we mentioned earlier? It can also be used to cover avocado dressing before you incorporate the plastic wrap, as it contains lactic acid, which also inhibits the oxygen reaction. Similar to the citrus juice, you can either scrape it off the top when it's time to eat, or stir it in for extra smoothness.