A Bowl of Cole

• You can make coleslaw up to three days in advance if you use commercial mayonnaise with a dash of vinegar or mustard. The vinegar in a classic coleslaw helps the mixture stay edible for longer. When leaving in the refrigerator, make sure it's set to under 40 degrees F. The coleslaw will stay relatively fresh and crunchy if stored in a sealed and clean container.

Hurry the Homemade Slaw

• Homemade mayonnaise presents a few problems. First, the FDA recommends avoiding any product containing raw eggs. Some homemade mayonnaise recipes suggest using raw egg whites. Try to find treated shell eggs, which have been pasteurized to destroy salmonella. Even in this case, try to eat your coleslaw the same day you prepare it to minimize the risk of food poisoning. Even using treated eggs, homemade mayonnaise tends to turn rancid faster than the stuff from commercial jars.

Lunching on Leftovers

• Coleslaw often sits right in the middle of the dining table for a family feast. However, that means that sometimes people reach in with contaminated forks or accidentally drop in meat and food crumbs. And all the while the coleslaw sits, exposed to bacteria and other pathogens in the air. The official advice from the USDA is that any perishable left exposed for more than two hours at temperatures between 40 and 90 degrees F should be discarded. If the temperature outside is 90 F or more, get rid of the coleslaw after an hour to be safe.

Keeping Coleslaw for Longer

• If you really need your coleslaw to stay fresher for longer, try shredding the cabbage and vegetables first and then sprinkling salt over the mix. This draws out moisture. Rinse and dry after around an hour of curing. A good splash of lemon, lime and white wine vinegar will also help to keep it fresh, due to the acidic content. However, this does make an extra tangy coleslaw, something that's not to everyone's tastes.