Coleslaw looks simple, but don't be sloppy with it. From the salt to the
sweet to the timing of it all, your picnic depends on you getting these things right.
Who doesn't like to munch on fresh, crunchy carrots?
Adding them to your tasty coleslaw amps up the texture and flavor profile of the
salad. But you can't just chop them up and toss them in a salad. Nope,
carrots require being carefully shredded and then gently tossed with the other ingredients.
It is recommended to add shredded carrots for the perfect consistency of a restaurant-quality
coleslaw — a dish that deserves to be the sidekick to almost any food.
Cutting your carrots into circles or chunks is a big mistake.
Big chunks of carrots are too hard and crunchy to blend with the rest of the dish.
Shredding them in a proper size is a valuable technique for making delicious coleslaw.
You can use either a food processor or a regular kitchen grater to do the job.
That will make the carrot pieces harmonize with the shredded cabbage and other vegetables.
A good rule of thumb is that you want all the different components of your
coleslaw to be basically the same shape and size.
Alright, alright, stop crying! We're here to save your coleslaw from becoming too watery and sad to
be eaten. Imagine digging into your coleslaw only to find it soggy and limp. Off-putting, isn't it?
"Indeed it is."
Coleslaw should be adequately seasoned with dressing and served fresh. One of the ways
you can make sure it has the perfect texture is to add salt to the cabbage.
Cabbage is mainly made of water; once it is cut, the water starts leaking out.
That water will dilute your dressing and make your vegetables swim in an
unappetizing pool of bland liquid. Salting your cabbage allows water to be drained from
the coleslaw to save your tasty side dish from becoming a disastrous soup.
It is recommended you salt your cabbage in a few simple steps.
First, put your shredded cabbages with a teaspoon of salt in a colander and toss.
Let it sit for one to four hours, following that drain out as much liquid as you can,
then pat it dry with a paper towel for good measure. Now your cabbage is ready to be
tossed with other ingredients like mayo and carrots to make delicious coleslaw.
After you've prepared your vegetables, the logical thing to do next is to dress your
salad. But it is imperative to note that coleslaw should never be dressed
too early or too late, especially when you want one that is both tasty and crunchy.
You should always add dressing to the coleslaw gradually and slowly. You can
start by putting in little amounts of dressing and gently tossing or mixing it up each time.
It's safe to mix in your dressing 20 minutes before serving.
If you wait any longer the vegetables will start to lose their crispness, and the perfect crunch
factor you want in your coleslaw. Any sooner, and your dressing won't be appropriately marinated.
If you're making your coleslaw early or preparing it for the next day,
store both your vegetables and the dressing separately in an airtight
container in the fridge. Do not add the dressing; otherwise, the next day,
you'll be opening your fridge to a watery coleslaw that tastes as disappointing as it looks.
As you take a bite of your delicious coleslaw,
you can mentally give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done.
"Mmmmm…coleslaw never tasted so good!"
Well, whatever floats your boat! But in order to reap the benefits to the fullest,
don't make the mistake of improperly storing your fresh slaw. Not only will it save you from
heartache, but it will save your favorite snack from developing some undesirable characteristics.
"It…makes my teeth sting."
Whether you've whipped it up yourself or got yourself a store-bought coleslaw,
it's common sense that this salad is never meant to be kept too long.
Coleslaw salad goes bad after a few days. It will not last for more than three to four days,
kept in an airtight container. The four days maximum lifespan is a rule of thumb,
but it does depend a lot on your ingredients. If you're using mayonnaise,
then, of course, it's bound to spoil sooner than the vinaigrette version.
Looking for the quickest way to whip up a fresh bowl of coleslaw? Well,
not washing your vegetables is certainly not the way to go.
"Dang it!"
Sorry to disappoint, but all fresh produce needs to be washed
thoroughly. Cabbages especially need a thorough treatment under running water,
and pulling off the first few layers isn't going to do much for you. Cabbage is a naked fruit.
While you can remove the first two outer layers of cabbages,
they don't have any hard outer covering or shell that will naturally protect them from dirt and
bacteria. So that means there isn't much to stop worms and insects from finding their way inside.
The best method of washing cabbages is by first removing the two outer coverings.
Next, dip the cabbage leaves in water mixed with vinegar and let them sit for a couple of minutes.
You can then rinse them under running water, and your cabbages are safe to be consumed.
Any classic coleslaw recipe will include a splash of vinegar; whether you use cider,
rice, or white vinegar is up to you. But you must remember that white vinegar has
a stronger taste than the other three and has a far more acidic bitter flavor. Sometimes we tend
to go overboard with it to get more flavor and tang, which results in a strong, pungent taste.
Since we don't have a time machine, we can't go back and slap the bottle of vinegar out
of our hands before going hog-wild and ruining our coleslaw. But what
you can do is follow some simple hacks to rectify the situation.
One thing you can do is add sugar or salt to your coleslaw to counter the sourness of vinegar.
Adding more yogurt and mayonnaise or shredding a few more vegetables and
tossing them in the coleslaw can also help to even out the vinegary taste.
If you're trying to limit your sugar intake, you can add shredded apples instead of sugar in order
to counterbalance the flavors. If all else fails, you can add more cream to the coleslaw, which will
not only knock out the taste of vinegar but will make your coleslaw more creamy and delicious.
Adding too much salt is a mistake everyone makes once in a while.
Whether you attribute the reason to forgetfulness or an error of estimation,
the result is the same — salty, bitter food that makes you go…
"Yuck!" Go on,
rinse your mouth, but don't throw your food away. This classic mistake can be fixed quite
easily. You can add more vegetables to your coleslaw to dilute the strong salty flavor.
Shred more cabbage and add more dressing to it until you reach the desired flavor.
Or you can make another batch but do not put salt in it and combine the two coleslaws.
You can also add cream or sugar to tone it down. If neither of the two is a good option for you,
then you can try splashing your salty coleslaw with a drizzle of vinegar. The
tartness and acidity will counteract the salty taste of the food, giving you a fresher flavor.
We know you love sugar, but adding too much of anything, regardless of how much you like it,
is likely to result in a culinary disappointment.
Most of the time, recipes call for adding sweetener to balance
the acidity and the tang of both the vinegar and lemon in coleslaw dressing.
You can add sweeteners in the form of sugar, but honey and maple syrup are also great options.
You should avoid adding too much sugar, which yields an overly sweet coleslaw.
Sweet coleslaw can overpower the flavor of the other ingredients,
so make sure to use proper quantities of sweetener every time.
But, if you've already added too much, don't worry. The first thing to do is add vinegar
to your dish. The bite of the vinegar should take out the sugary aspect of your coleslaw.
You can use white vinegar or apple cider vinegar, whichever you prefer.
You can also add a squeeze of lemon juice or non-dairy yogurt
so that the tang can help moderate the sweetness.
You can also drizzle in some olive oil or avocado oil so the sweetness is reduced.
While there are many dishes and recipes that you can make in advance,
salads like coleslaw are a resounding no! It's culinary common sense that leafy greens
will lose their crunch and freshness if they sit in dressing for too long.
When you shred your cabbage, the plant's cell walls are destroyed,
resulting in its natural oils becoming separated from sugar molecules that are part of the cabbage
leaves. This causes the leaves to release a bitter compound, throwing off their taste.
Moreover, the ingredients in the coleslaw will start to become soggy and release water as they
begin to lose their freshness. You can make coleslaw up to eight hours before serving.
Make sure to keep the ingredients separate from one another until you are ready to serve them.
Plus, it's best if you use the freshest of fresh vegetables to serve them at their prime.
It's a simple rule in the kitchen that too many ingredients can ruin your dish.
The truth is, the more you complicate things, the worse your food will taste.
This is because food is all about balance. The goal is to achieve
perfect harmony between every element by creating just the right texture, consistency, and flavor.
When adding too many ingredients to coleslaw, chances are you'll end up ruining the dish.
A typical coleslaw recipe calls for shredded cabbages and carrots,
mayonnaise, vinegar, and lemon juice or sugar. The more you add to the dressing,
the more difficult it will become to get all the ingredients to complement one another.
Wondering what to do with the leftover coleslaw,
or thinking of a way to store coleslaw as summertime approaches? Well,
we have the most straightforward, and easiest trick of all: freeze it.
Yup, this easy peasy hack is all you need to save your coleslaw from spoiling,
developing mold, or producing a foul odor that promises to make you retch.
Coleslaw is best enjoyed during the summer because salads are a refreshing treat to beat the heat.
You can freeze it, but this only applies to coleslaws that contain vinaigrette or lemon juice.
Freezing mayonnaise-based coleslaw is not recommended as it tends to turn watery,
and its ingredients lose their flavor when thawed.
The best part is that you can freeze it for up to 6 months if you have leftover coleslaw.
However, you'll want to hurry up and freeze it,
because if left outside or in the heat for too long, it'll not taste right when thawed later.
If you're planning on making a batch and freezing it, it is suggested that you freeze the shredded
vegetables and add the other ingredients when you want to eat them. But if you're going to freeze
the finished product, make sure that you store it in a tightly-closed container, glass jar,
or zip lock bag. Make sure to leave some headspace as the coleslaw will expand after freezing.
Lastly, don't forget to label the container so you know the exact expiration date.