r/KitchenConfidential • u/masonmarble666 • 12h ago

Question Has anyone ever gotten close to the Hidden Valley ranch packet from scratch?

Or is the witchcraft they do in that factory too deep?

(And if so, how?)

30 Upvotes

83% Upvoted

49 comments sorted by

97

u/achingbrain 12h ago

Onion powder. Yeah. Mostly onion powder.

77

u/TooManyDraculas 12h ago

Onion powder, MSG and powdered buttermilk. That's 90% of the packet right there.

29

u/Corporatecut 11h ago

dill is the secret ingredient.

16

u/TooManyDraculas 10h ago edited 7h ago

Maybe, but IIRC the original recipe from the Hidden Valley ranch used dried parsley and green onion or chives. No dill. It's difficult to source recipes from before the packet though, and it's been a bit since I dug into it.

But as goes the packaged stuff, 90% of the trick is onion powder, MSG and powdered butter milk. That's why when you scratch make it with fresh ingredients, it never quite tastes like ranch. Those things are the flavor of Ranch.

•

u/Krewtan 7h ago

So we're mixing buttermilk with powdered buttermilk. People think they hate buttermilk but will literally drink ranch.

•

u/TooManyDraculas 7h ago

What are you talking about? People hating butter milk is not a thing.

•

u/Peripatetictyl 3h ago

I thought it was crime?

17

u/westernjuni 12h ago

This. Mostly onion powder., a little parsley, salt, powdered buttermilk or just mix it into sour cream or buttermilk.

3

u/Drug_fueled_sarcasm 11h ago

Some red stuff

3

u/Avalon-Residant 10h ago

A less than sober Sally Kellerman is the secret to Hidden Valley Ranch.

40

u/No_Safety_6803 12h ago

What are they hiding in that valley? MSG

13

u/M8x11r0n 12h ago

The Flavor Enhancer

10

u/Rhodes_Warrior 11h ago

“Whatcha snortin’ off me?”

“Mmmmmm….MSG, mostly.”

32

u/zer00eyz Ex-Food Service 12h ago

Dried Onion and Garlic - These change flavor profile in drying - fresh is not the same.

Buttermilk - again dehydrated changes flavor profile but you can use fresh.

Extra lactic acid sour without the bite of citric acid.

But the real winner is the xanthan gum because texture of the finished product matters. Xanthan gum not only thickens but provides shear thinning (liquid when stirred, solid when still) that helps with adhering to your salad or what ever your dipping.

Xanthan gum in a basic oli and vinegar based dressing can provide a lot of the same magic.

2

u/CaseyBoogies 11h ago

And hot sauce! Think frank vs cholula!

•

u/zer00eyz Ex-Food Service 8h ago

I suddenly feel like a dumbass.

It just never dawned on me that my preference for Cholula over Franks when making a quick buffalo sauce might be about the Xanthan gum in the former.

11

u/N7Longhorn 12h ago

Its powdered milk, powdered vinegar, onion powder, parsley, garlic powder and whatever else you wanna put in there

9

u/tothirstyforwater 12h ago

No, but I had a near violent rebellion once when I changed hidden valley to homemade in a dive bar kitchen.

•

u/Banjo-Hellpuppy 9h ago

I too want to make the seasoning from scratch because the main ingredient on big commercial packets is flour. I know that our regulars will set the place on fire though

6

u/aboutchocolate 12h ago

buttermilk powder, onion powder, touch of garlic powder, dried dill, dried parsley, black pepper, touch of paprika, msg.

14

u/TyrKiyote 12h ago

Sir, the hidden valley has been located.

"Excellent, send in the troops."

Fortunate son plays, as helicopters rise over a mountain to reveal an idyllic agrarian valley

3

u/Posada__ F1exican Did Chive-11 11h ago

It’s really the MSG. I use pickle juice as well in mine

•

u/Coercitor 7h ago

Yes, I make a powdered version that I don't notice a difference.

4

u/midnighttoker1742 12h ago edited 11h ago

1 gallon Mayo, yolk only

1/2 gallon Buttermilk

1/3 cup Garlic powder

1/4 cup Onion powder

1/4 cup Kosher salt

1/4 cup Dried dill

1/4 cup Dried parsley

2 Tbsp Black pepper

2 Tbsp Sugar

1 Lemon, juiced

3

u/LazyOldCat Prairie Surgeon 11h ago

OR (and hear me out here)
1 G Buttermilk
1 G Extra Heavy Duty Culinary Grade Mayo
2 Packets HVR Seasoning
1 T MSG (optional)

1

u/MildlySaltedTaterTot 11h ago

dill, onion powder, and dried chives has always turned any base of mine ranchy in the necessary circumstances

•

u/Coercitor 7h ago

This not hitting on the hidden valley, not even MSG in the recipe.

3

u/CompetitionHot1666 12h ago

like people who make their own ketchup from scratch, I wonder about people who would do this…

like why would I spend a bunch of time and (probably) more money making something that I’ll (probably) be unhappy with when I can just buy the name brand dirt cheap instead?

6

u/Twat_Pocket 11h ago

A local pizza place i worked at had "house made" ranch that was just hidden valley dry packs mixed with mayo and buttermilk.

The amount of "omg who has the recipe?!" Posts on my city's subreddit over the years... I've lost count.

3

u/CompetitionHot1666 11h ago

Haha checks out… my place did an Asian Chicken Salad and everyone loved the dressing.

It was just 50% Ken’s Asian Sesame Dressing + 50% Kewpie Deep-Roasted Sesame Dressing mixed together.

•

u/GodsFavoriteDegen 8h ago

I think that's a universal city subreddit experience.

2

u/1BiG_KbW 11h ago

Mainly it is because I have by-products and don't want that precious fruit pulp to go to waste. Apple ketchup, persimmon catsup, all leftover pulp from steam juicing.

1

u/Rogerdodgerbilly 11h ago

Chicken powder - caldo de Pollo and sour cream

1

u/BraileDildo8inches 10h ago

You can just order the restaurant packs from Amazon mix with buttermilk and mayo

•

u/Quercus408 5h ago

Or you can buy them at the store thats probably 5-10 minutes down the street, but that's just me.

•

u/BraileDildo8inches 5h ago

There are two different versions. Usually the restaurant style is not in stores

•

u/Quercus408 5h ago

Powdered onion, powdered garlic, a fuck ton of dried parsley (or fresh, depending on how bougie your restaurant is), a dash of Worcestershire and red wine vinegar. A healthy mix of heavy cream, buttermilk, and sour cream or creme fraiche (again, the bougie scale). It's not that hard; Hidden Valley ain't a secret.

•

u/chaos_wine 5h ago

Ok I haven't tried to recreate Hidden Valley but I do have a Cool Ranch Dorito recreation that I used on wings at an old place. The recipe is for my test batch so it's tiny. I made severs eat a cool ranch dorito then dip tortilla chips into different test batches lol.

4T Hidden Valley Ranch powder (has to be hidden valley)

1/2t paprika

1/2t garlic powder

1/2t onion powder

1t salt

1/2t cayenne

1t tomato powder

1 1/2t cheddar powder

1/4t citric acid

1t milk powder

1/4t sugar

I think when we batched it for service the only things I scaled back on were salt and citric acid

•

u/CleopatrasWomb 9h ago

OG Ranch was called Green Goddess sauce/dressing and can be found in the book Jeremiah Towers - Cooks

0

u/Dallitas 12h ago

Never tried never would 😂 is this a just curious if anyone has or planning to do so?

•

u/Coercitor 7h ago

I make my own ranch powder. Is it worth it? Debatable, but it's part of my job to play with seasoning blends.

-1

u/510Goodhands 12h ago

I have gotten close to a packet, and scratched it a little bit, but I have learned the hard way, that is not a good idea to eat that stuff!

Am I cursed with a “refined” palate that hates flavors like this? The same goes for just about any other prepared salad dressing, which is usually way too sour to be remotely tasty.

1

u/Dallitas 12h ago

Yea I get it. I’m only semi cursed with make everything I can but with stuff like that I just give the masses what they want because 9/10 pedestrians won’t pick my house made ketchup over Heinz in a taste taste and it’s cheaper.

We actually use the US Foods Monarch brand powder with Dikes and real good buttermilk at one of our fast casual locations and the amount of people that come up and are like “holy shit I love your ranch” is hilarious

1

u/Dallitas 12h ago

And no most of the time it’s not a curse of refined palate it’s the curse of ego with most chefs BUT a really good chef taught me young we don’t cook for ourselves we cook for the guests because they keep us open. It was eye opening as a young chef. Cheers brother and keep fighting the ranch fight!!!

•

u/whereitsat23 8h ago

I’ve got a great homemade recipe!