Coleslaw Recipes | Taste of Home (2024)

FAQs

What can I add to store-bought coleslaw to make it taste better? ›

<br/><br/>Adding horse radish or onion or celery seeds or bacon bits or some other tasty flavors to make it your own is a really good idea.

For every 2 cups of sliced cabbage, mix it with about a teaspoon of salt. Kenji Lopez- Alt also found it was beneficial to add a teaspoon of sugar too. Both salt and sugar promote osmosis, which draws out any water from the cabbage. And the sugar can balance out some of the bitterness in the cabbage.

Salting the cabbage should be step one of any coleslaw recipe. With the shredded cabbage in a colander, mix in a tablespoon of salt per head of cabbage till it's evenly distributed. The salt will draw out excess water from cabbage while helping preserve the crispiness.

Salting the cabbage, carrot, and onion purges excess moisture that would otherwise turn the slaw into a soupy mess. Including sugar (another osmosis-inducing ingredient) balances the flavor. Limiting the purge to five minutes keeps the cabbage crunchy.

Minced red bell pepper, minced dill pickle or cornichon, minced parsley, some sour cream, white balsamic and a little lemon juice to cut through the often way-too-sweet storebought stuff.

What Is Coleslaw Dressing Made Of? This creamy, mayo-based dressing uses ingredients you likely have on hand: sugar, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, pepper, and of course, mayonnaise. The resulting dressing is just the right balance of sweet, tangy, creamy, and peppery!

Cabbage. The outer layer isn't going to be eaten—the leaves are tougher and undesirable to many—so why wash cabbage? There's a good reason: Worms or other insects could be inside the cabbage, so to be safe, follow these steps for cleaning and washing it.

Like the cabbage, these veggie add-ins can also become breeding grounds for bacteria when left unrefrigerated. Coleslaw dressing often includes vinegar that acidulates the mixture, making it a less hospitable environment for those pesky bacteria. But unfortunately, it's not enough to halt bacterial growth completely.

Crisp it up: Shredded cabbage stays perky if it's soaked in cold water. This also helps cut the pungent edge. Drain well before combining with other ingredients.

What is traditional coleslaw made of? Traditional coleslaw is little more than shredded cabbage and a creamy dressing. This recipe adds a bit more flavor with shredded carrots and onion. The creamy dressing is made with mayonnaise, sugar, cider vinegar, salt, and pepper, for a just right tangy-sweet flavor.

Why do you put baking soda in cabbage? ›

Baking soda does help green vegetables retain color, but it causes undesirable color changes in red cabbage—it turned blue. The science can be distilled to this: Adding baking soda to cooking water makes it slightly alkaline, which stabilizes the green color of chlorophyll.

The salting process does leave the cabbage a bit too salty, but a quick rinse washes away the excess salt. After rinsing, just pat it dry with paper towels and refrigerate it until ready to dress.

Neglecting to add enough spices or seasoning

Perhaps the recipe you followed is just inherently bland. If your dressing is already applied, you only have one choice left to turn your coleslaw around. You've got to add some seasoning or spice. Start by adding salt and pepper to taste.

When stored properly, coleslaw will stay fresh in the fridge for up to five days. Store it in an airtight container and keep it in the coldest part of the refrigerator, preferably pressed toward the very back. If you see signs of spoilage such as a sour or off smell or visible mold, discard the mixture immediately.

Ingredients: Cabbage, Mayonnaise (Canola Oil, Distilled Vinegar, Egg Yolk, Salt, Spices, Oleoresin Paprika), Carrots, Sugar, Rice Vinegar, Celery Seeds, Salt.

Refrigeration Guidelines

The shelf life of coleslaw in the fridge is typically 3 to 5 days. Homemade coleslaw: Consume within 3-4 days. Unopened store-bought coleslaw: Use by 2-3 days past the printed date. Opened store-bought coleslaw: Eat within 3-4 days.