I put mine up in ½ pints so my husband and I can share a jar with a meal with no leftovers. It also freezes well in freezer bags flat, but I put them in a pan until they are frozen to prevent any liquid seeping out into my freezer. The 8 cups of cabbage is about 1 nice-sized head. After you cut out the core, about 2 pounds will shred into 8 cups. I use my food processor to speed this up and save my knuckles. I also rinse off the salt and let the cabbage drain again before adding the dressing, otherwise it is too salty for us. When you are using white vinegar in this kind of recipe, check the label for “natural” vinegar. It’s worth the extra expense.
Cole Slaw to Freeze
8 cups cabbage – shredded
1 each carrot – grated (I use 2)
2 tablespoons salt
2 cups sugar
1 cup vinegar
¼ cup water
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon mustard seed -- optional
Mix cabbage, carrot and salt. Let set 1 hour, and then drain well. (I rinse and drain mine.) Combine remaining ingredients and bring to boil. Boil 1 minute. Cool. Stir into cabbage.
Let set 1/2 hour. Mix well then put into freezer containers. I leave about ½” headspace for expansion.
"8 half pints or 4 pints or 2 quarts"
I have a huge head of cabbage I have been dreading doing something with until now! Thanks for sharing this. I will give it a try.
ReplyDeleteI have always wanted to know how to do this! We love coleslaw in our house.
ReplyDeleteI just made this recipe with a cabbage we grew in our garden and it was really good!! I froze most and had a little left over to have with dinner tonight.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the recipe!
With diabetics in the family I was wondering if the sugar could be 1 cup instead of the 2 cups the recipe calls for and would I still get a great slaw from the freezer and would it keep just as well. Thanks
ReplyDeleteDon't see why not? You may want to try a small amount to see if you like it that way.
DeleteI'm not sure that Splenda for cooking wouldn't work in place of the sugar.
For a smaller sample amount, try:
2 cups cabbage, 1/2 carrot, 1 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup vinegar, 1 tablespoon water, 1/4 teaspoon each celery seed and mustard seed. (The 1/2 cup sugar is the way the recipe is written.)
Good Luck - this is a good recipe.
When you mix the cabbage, carrots, and salt do you let them soak in water or just mixed together in bowl? Sorry the beginning confused me a little.
ReplyDeleteYou need to salt your vegetables; it removes some of the moisture...there is no water with the salt and vegetables.. I usually rinse off the salt after it sets for the hour; then drain, although the original recipe does not call for that, I think it is too salty without rinsing it off some. Drain well. Then I continue with the recipe.
DeleteCan I just freeze the fresh slaw?
ReplyDeleteThis recipe is for freezing...I just use jars to have them not leak brine, as freezer bags might.
DeleteThis is really the only type of slaw recipe that freezes well; mayonnaise-type slaws separate and get watery.
The plain vegetables without the brine does not give a very satisfactory product; frozen plain cabbage is suitable for use only as a cooked vegetable;
after shredding into medium or coarse shreds or thin wedges, or leaves, blanch in water for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes; cool immediately in cold water, drain, package and freeze for plain cabbage.
Should I use white vinegar or apple cider vinegar or does it matter?
ReplyDeleteThe recipe calls for white vinegar; I don't think it matters.
DeleteCan you freeze cole slaw with mayonnaise dressing?
ReplyDeleteIt isn't usually recommended. Mayonnaise has a tendency to separate after being frozen. Coleslaw with a mayonnaise-based dressing tends to get watery and loses its “crunch.” If you want to use a mayonnaise-based dressing with your coleslaw, you can prepare this coleslaw mix and freeze it, drain off the vinegar dressing after the mixture has been thawed and then add the mayonnaise dressing, or freeze your coleslaw mix undressed and add the mayonnaise dressing later.
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