Home Canned Coleslaw

Each year I look for a few new home canned products to add to the pantry. These products tend to start out as test batches. For one reason or another they catch my attention. These tend to be specialty products. A test batch is simply 3 or 4 jars of a product that will not sit on the pantry shelf long. In most cases a jar will be opened after the 24 hour waiting period to ensure the seal. It is then taste tested by my most discriminating critics aka my family. Once I get their input I start tweaking the recipe or in some cases decided not to make that product again.

I visited the blog of a member on one of the forums I read. She had pictures of the coleslaw she had canned. After asking a few questions I decided this was something I had to try. Cabbage is so cheap right now that even if we decided we didn't like it I would be out about $1.20 total assuming the product would not be useable for something else which is highly unlikely.

I printed off the recipe then immediately started tweaking. Our favourite coleslaw recipe is creamy coleslaw so I decided to tweak towards that but leave the carrots in to give a slightly different product.

Prep work for coleslaw is minimal when using the KitchenAid^® stand mixer slicer/shredder attachment. I cut the cabbage and carrots into chunks small enough to fit in the hopper and hand diced the onions (1). Shredding took only a few minutes using the coarse shredder cone on setting 4 (2). One complaint I read about this attachment was "it is messy". I did not find it to be messy at all. Sure there were a few escaped shredded pieces but when gathered up they amounted to less than a teaspoon full so that really isn't bad. After the shredding the onions were mixed in along with the salt (3). The vegetables were then left for 45 minutes.

Home Canned Coleslaw

Pictured are four test jars of home canned coleslaw. Essentially this is a pickled cabbage. When opened the coleslaw can be used as is or mixed with mayonnaise/MiracleWhip^® or mixed with an oil based dressing such as Italian dressing. For that reason I eliminated a couple of ingredients and reduced the sugar. A taste test before ladling into the jars said I was on the right track. So far this looks like a two thumbs up. Don't expect this coleslaw to be identical to fresh made but it is a good substitute.

If you do not have a KitchenAid^® stand mixer with shedder/slicer attachment use a food processor to make quick work of the shredding.

Home Canned Coleslaw

1.4 kg (3 lb) cabbage
2 large carrots
1 medium onion
1 tsp pickling salt
2 c white vinegar
1½ c granulated sugar
2 tsp celery seed

Cut the cabbage into quarters and remove core. Wash carrots. Cut cabbage and carrots into chunks that will fit into the hopper for shredding. Shred cabbage and carrots. Fine dice the onion. Mix the onions into the shredded cabbage and carrrots. Mix in the pickling salt. Mix well, cover and let sit at room temperature for 45 minutes.

Mix the vinegar, sugar and celery seed in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil. Boil 1 minute. Cool slightly. Pour into vegetables and mix well. Ladle the coleslaw mixture into hot, sterilized jars. Adjust two piece lids. Process 15 minutes in boiling water bath canner.

To serve: Use as is or drain then stir in salad dressing of your choice or mayonnaise.