Creamy Cilantro Lime Coleslaw Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why does my homemade coleslaw go watery? ›

Cabbage contains lots of water. Alton Brown suggests salting the cabbage and letting the water drain for two hours, then rinsing the cabbage and spinning it dry before dressing it. That purges the excess water out of the cabbage before it is dressed, so it doesn't get watery.

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.

Assuming that you're storing your coleslaw in the refrigerator — and haven't taken it out for a stretch of time and put it back in — coleslaw can safely last up to five days. However, it's important to remember that this is the maximum amount of time it should be kept.

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.

Why is my coleslaw watery? As it sits, the salt in the dressing will draw out the water in your coleslaw. This is perfectly normal and to be expected! If you don't care for watery coleslaw, try eating it soon after preparing (within a day or so).

Keep it bright: Red cabbage retains that vivid purplish color when you slice it with a stainless steel knife (rather than carbon steel), use a nonreactive pan (rather than cast iron or aluminum), and add an acid, like vinegar or lemon juice. Crisp it up: Shredded cabbage stays perky if it's soaked in cold water.

You can thicken coleslaw dressing by adding cornflour.

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.

Listeria is a foodborne illness caused by bacteria that is able to grow at refrigeration temperatures. Outbreaks in recent years have been linked to contaminated coleslaw, milk, and cheese. Listeria is caused by bacteria frequently found in soil, water and plant matter.

What makes coleslaw go bad? ›

Presence of Bacteria and Spoilage

Bacterial presence is an inevitable aspect of food spoilage. Coleslaw, especially when made with mayonnaise, provides a medium for bacteria to thrive. Proper storage conditions, such as keeping the salad refrigerated and airtight, can help prevent the growth of harmful bacteria.

Only freeze coleslaw with vinegar and oil-based dressing. If you want to freeze coleslaw and still have a mayonnaise dressing, freeze the veggies and add the dressing after it's thawed. This is because mayonnaise and other creamy dressing used for coleslaw tend to separate and are not pleasant when thawed.

Of course, slivering or dicing cabbage to make coleslaw also ruptures plant cell walls, so the same reaction is triggered. At first, any bitterness may seem pleasantly tangy as the salad's dressing mellows cabbage flavors. After a while, however, the released mustard oils definitely become more noticeable and pungent.

<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.

Spices mask bitter flavors, so don't be shy. Add some spicy peppers or powders to your cooking, or sprinkle some onto your dishes for a little bit of extra heat. Black pepper in particular has compounds that counteract bitterness. Some other great spices include cayenne, red pepper, paprika, and chili powder.

Xanthan gum is a niche ingredient known to many gluten-free bakers for its thickening qualities. This is why we recommend using the powder as a thickening agent in a coleslaw recipe.

The longer it sits, either on a picnic table or in the refrigerator overnight, the more liquid is released from the shredded cabbage, which can make the salad soggy.

Also, cabbage releases its own water during the smothering process. You really don't need to add any extra. I add a little bit just to get the party started, you know? I don't use chicken stock or broth.