# (slightly) watery cole slaw??



## thatchairlady (Feb 15, 2012)

I'm satisfied with flavor of my dressing... a little sweet and tangy.  How cabbage is cut... shredded or grated... doesn't matter to me.  Almost always include carrots.  For me, CS needs to sit in fridge for a while... don't like to eat immediately after putting together.  Problem is, it seems to always get a little watery... not SWIMMING, but not a thick and creamy as when first prepared.  Is there a "trick" I need to know about??  Maybe salting/draining for a while?


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## ishbel (Jan 5, 2007)

I don't like coleslaw that 'sits' for a while.  I make it and serve it within half an hour.  I HATE that sour-ish, watery 'stuff' that it leeches into the mayonnaise!


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

Salting and draining is the standard solution, then make the slaw.


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## chefross (May 5, 2010)

Adding salt and/or onions can make the coleslaw watery. At work I'll add the smallest amount of mayonnaise I can get away with, mix and allow to sit for an hour....go back and add more if needed. I rarely have a watery slaw that way.


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

I dress cole slaw right before serving, I definitely don't want slaw that's been sitting for a while.  The only thing you can do in your case then since you want to dress it ahead of time is to eliminate the salt from the dressing and salt it just before serving.

Another you can do is dress it as you like and put it in a sieve placed in a bowl in the fridge.  As it sits it drains.


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

Commercially slaw is treated with a form of thickening agent like guava gum starch, locust bean  or modified food starch. This makes the dressing adhere to the mix much better. If you dont have these items.  Liquid  Pectin(Certo) will work .

    Or after making slaw let sit in fridge a while then plac in a bowl with a plate inverted in it so the watery excess falls downward away from mix. Try making just enough for 1 days production or 1 meal.

I use vinegar, sugar, Hellmans Mayo, drop salt pepper, shredded carrots and very important celery seed.


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

chefedb said:


> ...and very important celery seed.


It ain't cole slaw without the celery seed. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/wink.gif


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

As a generalization, I think it takes some time for the slaw and dressing flavors to marry, a few hours in the fridge. Of course this leads to the watery progblem unless you salt and drain the slaw before dressing. I do think this leads to a superior slaw.

There are two slaws I do in that manner, differing only in their dressings:



 mayo, rice vinegar, dijon mustard, cumin, celery seed
 a southern style boiled dressing instead of the mayo, rice vinegar and dijon. no cumin this time either.

I also do freshly dressed slaw in two styles:

 light soy sauce, black vinegar, ginger, garlic chile sauce sugar, perhaps a bit of toasted sesame oil Nuoc Cham is a good switch up as well.
 rice vinegar with sugar, turmeric, S&P boiled toghether like a simple syrup, then cooled. Flourescent yellow but works well on slaw.

Lots of good ways to slaw. I've enjoyed a number of buttermilk based slaws, but they tend to be on the watery side and need some improvement.


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## zoebisch (Apr 9, 2012)

Koukouvagia said:


> It ain't cole slaw without the celery seed. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/wink.gif


I like Dill Seed better


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