Crispy Picnic Slaw

This recipe is courtesy of The Runaway Spoon blog. The author writes, "Because of the vinegar dressing, this slaw holds very well in a cooler or on a picnic table. The salt water soak keeps the vegetables crispy and mellows the bite of the onions and the dressing is sweet-tart with the tang of vinegar and mustard seeds."

Crispy Picnic Slaw
Serves 8

Ingredients
1 head green cabbage
2 bell peppers
1 medium onion
2 tablespoons salt
1½ cups apple cider vinegar
1½ cups organic evaporated cane sugar
½ tablespoon mustard seeds
½ tablespoon dill seed

Directions
1. Remove the outer leaves of the cabbage, cut it in half and remove the core. Cut the halves in two, then shred the cabbage. Remove the seeds and thick ribs from the peppers, cut into quarters, and slice thinly like the cabbage. Peel and quarter the onion and finely slice like the cabbage and peppers. Toss everything together in a very big bowl.
2. Dissolve the 2 tablespoons of salt in 8 cups of water. Pour the salted water over the vegetables in the bowl and stir to distribute everything. Soak the vegetables for 3 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally. Leave the bowl on the counter while doing this.
3. Meanwhile, stir the vinegar, evaporated cane sugar, and seeds together in a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for two minutes, then set aside to cool.
4. Drain the vegetables, shaking out as much water as possible. Transfer the mix to a clean tea towel, roll it up and ring out as much water as possible from the cabbage. Rinse and dry the big bowl, then return the cabbage mix, separating it and fluffing it up with your hands. Pour over the vinegar dressing and toss to coat all the vegetables. It may look like a lot of dressing, but that’s fine. Cover the slaw with plastic wrap and refrigerate. The slaw can be eaten as soon as it is cold, but will stay crispy in the fridge for several days. Serve with a slotted spoon to drain off excess dressing.