How To Pack a Perfect Picnic & Picnic Perfect Cole Slaw

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  Learn how to pack a picnic perfectly and get a delicious, simple, picnic-perfect Oil & Vinegar Cole Slaw recipe. No worries about mayo sitting out!
The countdown to summer has begun and there’s no better way to celebrate the mercury rising than sharing a picnic with the special people in your life. This picnic perfect coleslaw is more than special enough for your special peeps and its oil and vinegar base means you don’t have to worry about it getting funky on the picnic table.
Mayo vs Olive Oil 
Coleslaw is traditionally made with a mayonnaise base making it tough to keep safe when you’re outdoors. Mayonnaise is highly perishable and needs to be refrigerated to keep it safe and stable. Using an olive oil base takes the worry out of your picnic. (This doesn’t mean you should leave this slaw sitting in the hot sun for hours. It just means you have a larger window of time before you have to start worrying about the time temperature danger zone.

Packing the right picnic gear is almost as important as bringing along the right foods. And speaking of good, give my Oil & Vinegar Cole Slaw a try! It’s flavorful, a cinch to mix together and picnic-safe!

How to Pack a Perfect Picnic

1. Basket or backpack?
Everyone loves a traditional picnic basket, but if you’re planning to picnic during a bike ride or a trip to the zoo, packing your meal in a backpack will be a more convenient option.

2. Don’t forget the essentials
Remember to bring along bottle openers and cork screws to pop the tops on your beverages.  There’s nothing worse than staring at a delicious, unopened bottle of wine while you dine.

3. Keep it clean
Hand sanitizer and moist towelettes are a must for dirty hands when eating outdoors. Don’t forget to bring a small disposable bag to collect any trash.

4. Pack carefully
Make sure liquids are stored in leak-proof containers and pack them tightly so they’ll stay upright. Bring along reusable plastic plates. They’re usually heavier than paper and the extra weight will make it a little harder for them to blow away. Pack crushable items like potato chips in ziptop plastic baggies. Make sure there’s enough air in the bag when you zip it to cushion the chips and protect them from being crushed.

Planning a picnic menu can be tricky. Many of your favorite foods may not be easily transported or safe to eat after a few hours in a picnic basket. Fortunately, you have lots of picnic-friendly foods to pack.

5. Think about it
Before you plan your menu, think about the time of day you’re planning to picnic. You’ll likely want to pack heartier fare for a picnic closer to dinner time.

6. Temperature matters
It’s always a good idea to choose foods that are best served either chilled or at room temperature. If you can’t live without your sushi or other foods that need to remain cold, tuck a small ice pack in your basket to keep them cold.

7. Hold the mayo
Even though store-bought mayonnaise is made from pasteurized eggs, which are far less likely to make you sick, keep food poisoning fears at bay by replacing the mayo in your salads with oil and vinegar dressings or pesto.

8. Shaken not stirred
You don’t have to forfeit your favorite mixed drink on a picnic. Premix your martinis or mojitos at home. Pour them into a thermos and you’ve got a drink carrier and built-in shaker all in one.

TIPS:
Save time by buying a bag of preshredded coleslaw mix.

Make this ahead so the cabbage has time to absorb the flavor of  the vinaigrette. The longer it sits, the softer the cabbage will get and the more flavorful it will be.

TOOLS:
Large Bowl

Whisk

Tongs

The tools section may contain affiliate links to products we know and love.

TECHNIQUES:
Making a Vinaigrette

 Pack a Picnic

 Learn how to pack a picnic perfectly and get a delicious, simple, picnic-perfect Oil & Vinegar Cole Slaw recipe. No worries about mayo sitting out!

2 Comments

  1. Where is the recipe for Oil and Vinegar Cole Slaw? I’ve searched the cookingclarified.com site and cannot find any ingredient amounts or “complete recipe” as specified in the video.

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