Coleslaw is one of the favorite side dishes of many families, but it’s also the most often leftover salad after each meal. So, can you freeze coleslaw to not waste this delicious and healthy dish? The following answer will certainly satisfy you. Let’s find out what it is.
Can You Freeze Coleslaw?
Coleslaw is a kind of salad made from cabbage, carrot, or some other veggies depending on the taste of each family. This salad is usually mixed with vinegar, salt and mayonnaise.
Coleslaw provides many nutritious vitamins and minerals. This dish is often leftover or thrown after every meal. Thus, “Can you freeze coleslaw?” is the question that bothers many housewives aiming to save the leftover food.
Here is the answer: YES, we can freeze coleslaw, as long as it isn’t mixed with mayonnaise.
How To Freeze Coleslaw?
The good news for you all is that we can freeze coleslaw without any hassle. You only need to put it in a food plastic bag, or a clean food container, then cover it and note the label with the date you start freezing coleslaw.
Here’s a note, the coleslaw after placed in the freezer can maintain the freshness up to 1 month only, so you’d better eat it as soon as possible so that the salad will not change its flavour and texture.
Also, you can freeze coleslaw that is already soaked in vinegar and salt. Storage steps are like the above.
FAQs
Should I shred cabbage to prepare for coleslaw?
Most leafy vegetables wither when put in the freezer, and cabbage is one of them. However, if you want to save up coleslaw processing time, you can shred cabbage and place it in the freezer, but remember to use the cabbage as soon as possible.
In order not to make the cabbage wilt, you can blanch it with boiling water before putting it in the freezer. But this method will lose the cabbage’s crunch, so freezing fresh cabbage is still the best way.
Before placing cabbage in the refrigerator, soak it in a clean solution of salt water for about 15 minutes to prevent cabbage from wilting and discoloring after shredding.
After 15 minutes, drain cabbage and let it dry for a few minutes, then store it in a clean food plastic bag. Remember to squeeze out any excess air before tying the bag.
Can you freeze coleslaw without dressing?
Yes, you can. In fact, this way even keeps veggies fresh after freezing and defrosting longer. Classic creams dressing are very sensitive to temperature, so they can cause coleslaw to spoil after defrosting.
Can you freeze coleslaw containing mayonnaise?
This is not the recommended way to go, as I mentioned above, blended creamy salads, of course including mayonnaise, are very sensitive to temperature, so your coleslaw may be damaged if it is frozen when containing mayonnaise.
Besides, freezing dishes with mayonnaise or eggs also increases the risk of food poisoning. Nonetheless, if you have too much leftover coleslaw and do not want to throw them away, freezing is the last resort.
What is the right way to melt coleslaw?
Putting coleslaw in a cool compartment for 12 hours is the best way to thaw it. Do not thaw your salad by setting it in the microwave or soaking in water, as this can activate bacteria growth.
Only eat coleslaw within 3 days after thawing if you do not want to face the risk of food poisoning.
Conclusion
Freezing coleslaw is not the best way to keep the absolute freshness of this salad, but it will be an effective method to help housewives save leftover food. Hopefully, the answer to the question: “Can you freeze coleslaw?” will let you know how to save leftovers economically and wisely.