Tough coleslaw question

"Wayne Jones" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I've tried to make coleslaw a few times and it always is very tough to

chew.

Quoted message said:

Is there a secret to having it more tender? Thanks Wayne

Cabbage that is past its prime will make tough coleslaw. Be sure the cabbage is the freshest you can
buy. A leaf broken off will snap off very easily, with a crisp sound. Old cabbage leaves are rubbery
and resist breaking off, and the sound when a leaf is broken off is duller.

I don't think there's any way to tenderize tough coleslaw, unfortunately.

Karen

Wayne Jones said:

I've tried to make coleslaw a few times and it always is very tough to chew. Is there a secret to
having it more tender? Thanks Wayne

smaller pieces? letting it marinate in the dressing a bit? what exactly *are* you doing that
produces "tough" coleslaw??

Wayne Jones said:

I've tried to make coleslaw a few times and it always is very tough to chew. Is there a secret to
having it more tender?

Trim off the outer leaves and shred/chop it thinner?

I've never heard of tough coleslaw.

-sw

Wayne Jones said:

I've tried to make coleslaw a few times and it always is very tough to chew. Is there a secret to
having it more tender?

I've never had the problem myself personally so these are untried suggestions based on a
general knowledge of what makes vegetables tough. Before adding the other ingredients, try this
with the leaves:

1. Heat. Parboil the leaves a little.
2. Chop. Use a food processor to mince the leaves rather than a knife to chop them.
3. Salt. This works on zucchini to draw out the moisture. Chop. Salt. Rinse. Squeeze.
4. Freeze. Chop the cabbage. Throw it in the freezer. The water in the cabbage freezes and expands
which breaks down the cell wall.
5. Shop. Shop for younger, more tender cabbage, that is.

I'd go with the 5th and 2nd suggestions myself.

--Lia

Find the nicest young cabbage at your farmers market. Shred it in your Cuisenart on the finest
shred. Let it rest on two tea towels in the fridge for several hours. Remove and then dress with
your favourite recipe. We use sour cream, creame fraiche, pure apple cider (unfiltered and
unpasturized) two tsp of raw sugar or honey. Fresh crushed pineapple at least a cup and freshly
roasted peanuts or pecans. (I have listed sour cream and cream fraiche but we use soft silken Tofu.)
I also do one other which adds 1 finely chopped green pepper, a little red and yellow a bit of green
onion, celery seed, 1/2 cup of apple cider and 1/4 cup of olive oil. It must sit for at least an
hour. Matt

Wayne Jones said:

I've tried to make coleslaw a few times and it always is very tough to chew. Is there a secret to
having it more tender? Thanks Wayne

Wayne Jones said:

I've tried to make coleslaw a few times and it always is very tough to chew. Is there a secret to
having it more tender? Thanks Wayne

Peel off a couple of the outside layers if leaves before you chop the head if they look tough.

gloria p

"Wayne Jones" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I've tried to make coleslaw a few times and it always is very tough to

chew.

Quoted message said:

Is there a secret to having it more tender? Thanks Wayne

The "secret" to good cole slaw is fresh cabbage. All too often the supermarket stuff is old, stale,
and tough. If you use farmer's market cabbage, picked yesterday rather than last month, your results
will be a lot better. But the supermarket sometimes has decent cabbage and you just need to learn
how to recognize it. I do not have any tips to give you, however. It's a matter of experience and
learning how it feels when it is fresh and tender.

--
Peter Aitken

Remove the [censored] from my email address before using.