Coleslaw is a salad made from cabbage and other suitable vegetables with sour cream, mayonnaise, and buttermilk dressing. It is a cold salad usually served in summer and can be homemade or store-bought with different storage protocols.
You may have a doubt as to how long you can keep having the coleslaw and consume it. We must be clear that coleslaw contains many perishable ingredients and would hold its sanctity in the fridge and not at room temperature.
Coleslaw lasts in the fridge for 3 to 4 days max. Store-bought coleslaw can keep its quality for 2 or 3 days more than the printed best-by date. You can keep it for 3 or 4 days in a closed container in the fridge without any spoilage.
Coleslaw is supposed to be consumed when it is extensively fresh. Consuming coleslaw when it has lost its quality is as bad as just spoiling your health. Keeping its quality deems important, which can be done with effective storage procedures.
This article will be a guideline to understand how long does coleslaw last and how you store it to gain full use of it.
How Long Does Coleslaw Last?
As mentioned before, coleslaw is expected to be preserved in the fridge as it is a cold salad with a lot of moisture. It cannot go on for long since there is inherent moisture in the food item, which makes it vulnerable to a large extent.
It can keep its quality in the fridge for 3 or 4 days when stored intact and properly in a closed airtight container. It can also prolong 2 or 3 days past the specified printed date without any problem.
If you whip up coleslaw with vinegar rather than mayonnaise, then there is a high chance it retains its shelf life more than intended.
Sometimes even the vinegar dressing might start wearing off as days pass by. You should be prepared for that as that would be the end of coleslaw by all means. It actually depends on how long the dressing lasts, which will dictate the durability of the coleslaw.
When it comes to store-bought coleslaw, you have to follow the printed date, and keeping it past the specified timeline might expose you to risks of spoilage.
Salads are generally perishable and store-bought ones could be more vulnerable unless there is a preserving agent in the mix. You can extend the shelf life for 3 or 4 days more in the fridge; nothing more than that would be advisable.
There is also a possibility that the salad loses its quality and gets diluted when kept longer. It may not be that appealing for you to keep consuming longer.
Shelf Life Of Coleslaw
The table below would be more precise to give you an idea of how long you can preserve the coleslaw.
| Opened (in Fridge) | Unopened (In Fridge) | Shelf life | |
| Store-bought | 3 to 4 days | 1 or 2 days after the use-by date | 5 days |
| Homemade | – | – | 3 to 4 days in the fridge |
The above table is just a rough estimate and is subject to changes according to the condition of the coleslaw and storage procedures.
The general store-bought coleslaw will keep up to 5 days on the whole in the fridge. In the fridge, homemade coleslaw will retain its shelf life for 3 to 4 days.
How To Tell If Coleslaw Is Bad?
Signs of spoiled coleslaw include,
1. Molds
Molds on the coleslaw will indicate that it is getting spoiled. The surface will show that it has turned bad.
2. Discoloration
Discoloration on the coleslaw will show that the item is not worth consumption. It has to be discarded and cannot be consumed.
3. Smell
If the smell is rancid or foul, then there is a high chance that the coleslaw has turned bad. If the smell is repulsive, discarding the salad as fast as possible is better.
4. Taste
The taste is another tangible indication to check the condition of the salad. If everything else looks fine and the taste is bad, the only possible explanation is that it has turned bad and lost its quality.
5. Storage
If you have stored the coleslaw indefinitely for longer, you would not have to second-guess its condition. It has to be tossed out immediately.
6. Texture
If the salad’s texture goes down, the vegetables will have lost their crispness, and it is done for. The salad will water down, and it will be diluted to a level it will taste bad.
Watery coleslaw is not exactly spoiled, but it will not taste good if the purpose of eating the item is defeated.
How To Store Coleslaw?
Coleslaw should be preserved in an airtight container in the fridge. This can happen if it is kept in an airtight container in the fridge.
It can retain the quality for 3 to 4 days. 1 or 2 days past the printed date is another option to be considered.
The leftover coleslaw can be wrapped in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Even if you scoop the coleslaw and keep it in the container, you must ensure it is clean enough.
You cannot leave it at room temperature for a long time. You have to immediately shove it in the fridge.
Tips To Avoid Spoilage
- Shredded cabbage can last for 5 days in the fridge. They must be prepared beforehand and mixed with dressing when you need to consume them.
- Wilt all the veggies before you can use them. Allow the cabbage to split away all the water and make it dry using a salad spinner. The cabbage won’t spin away so much water this way, and the salad will not become watery later.
Can You Freeze Coleslaw?
Coleslaw can be frozen without any problem. However, if the dressing subsumes mayonnaise or dairy-infused product, freezing it will not serve the purpose.
Thawing will eventually separate the dressing from the vegetables. This will water down the salad and make the vegetable soggy and weak.
Frozen coleslaw will look pretty much disgusting and worn out that you may not want to try it at all. If you have a recipe in mind where a watered-down coleslaw will help, it might be useful.
If the coleslaw is topped with the vinegar-based product, then freezing the salad would not damage its constituency much. The veggies might still get softened up in that case as well.
Freezing should be done in an airtight container and sealed tightly without any air intrusion. Defrosting the salad will entail keeping it in the fridge overnight to become eligible for consumption.
Conclusion
Coleslaw is a vulnerable item that requires careful storage procedure. It has to be preserved in such a way that the moisture it already has does not damage the food item.
The aforementioned procedure for storing the salad will be helpful in retaining its shelf life. Even though you can store it intact, finishing it within the timelines specified will be more reasonable and safe.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How long does coleslaw last?
It can keep its quality in the fridge for 3 or 4 days when stored intact and properly in a closed airtight container. It can also prolong 2 or 3 days past the specified printed date without any problem.
How to tell if coleslaw is bad?
Molds on the coleslaw will indicate that it is getting spoiled. The surface will show that it has turned bad. Discoloration and smell are also indication to prove that coleslaw has turned bad.
How to store coleslaw?
Coleslaw should be preserved in an airtight container in the fridge. This can happen if it is kept in an airtight container in the fridge. It can retain the quality for 3 to 4 days. 1 or 2 days past the printed date is another option to be considered.
Can you freeze coleslaw?
Coleslaw can be frozen without any problem. However, if the dressing subsumes mayonnaise or dairy-infused product, freezing it will not serve the purpose. Thawing will eventually separate the dressing from the vegetables. This will water down the salad and make the vegetable soggy and weak.
