Creamy coleslaw keeps three to five days; a vinegar-based one up to a week.
But those numbers are rarely what ends a bowl of coleslaw. What ends it is water:
cabbage keeps releasing liquid, and by day three the dressing is a puddle
and the shreds are limp.
Which means the useful question is not how long it keeps but how to stop it going soupy.
The answer is to take the water out before the dressing goes in. Shred the cabbage,
toss it with a teaspoon of salt per 500 g, leave it in a colander for
thirty to sixty minutes, then rinse briefly and squeeze it dry in a clean
cloth. The cabbage stays crisp for days instead of hours, and the dressing stays a dressing.
It is the single technique that separates good coleslaw from the version that dissolves
overnight.
Beyond that, the dressing decides the shelf life. An acidic vinegar dressing is a hostile
environment, so that slaw not only lasts longer but often improves for a day or two as the
flavours settle. Creamy slaw is at its best on day one, and with homemade mayonnaise
it is a one to two day proposition rather than five.
The same trick that works for
potato
salad works here too: shredded cabbage and carrot keep five days undressed in a sealed
box, so dress only what will be eaten and you get fresh coleslaw twice rather than tired
coleslaw once.
Freezing is not worth it for the creamy version — mayonnaise splits and the cabbage goes
limp. A vinegar-based slaw survives two months in the freezer if you must, though it will
never be crisp again.
And the warning sign here is specific: cabbage tends to ferment rather than rot,
so the first thing you notice is a smell like sauerkraut where none was intended,
along with slimy strands and liquid with bubbles in it.
Elsewhere in the guide:
How long does salad last in the fridge ·
Can you freeze cabbage ·
How long do cut vegetables last in the fridge ·
Why cabbage tastes bitter