Both pickles and pickle relish can be bought as dill or sweet. I make the coleslaw in our house and I've known about the pickles/pickle juice for years. I have to watch my sugar intake, so I only use non sweet dill pickles or non sweet dill relish. I prefer to use kosher dill pickles and some of the brine. I chop the cabbage, onions, carrots and pickles in a food processor. I usually add a jalapeno, but I have never tried bell peppers as Dolly does. If you like a sweeter flavor in the coleslaw, by all means use sweet dill relish or sweet/bread & butter pickles. I add a pinch of stevia for sweetness.
Coleslaw Recipe (tastes like KFC)
Ingredients:
• 8 c. cabbage, finely chopped (or you can use a couple bags of the pre-chopped cabbage-carrot mixture to equal 8 cups)
• 1/4 c. shredded carrot
• 1/3 c. sugar
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 2 tablespoons grated onion
• 1/8 tsp. white pepper
• 1 1/4 c. milk
• 1/2 c. mayonnaise
• 1/4 c. buttermilk
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. white vinegar
• 2 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. mustard (optional, but adds a nice flavor)
Note: This recipe does not call for pickle ingredients.
Instructions:
• Chop up the cabbage and carrots into fine pieces.
• In a large bowl, combine sugar, salt, grated onion, pepper, milk, mayonnaise, buttermilk, vinegar, lemon juice and mustard, and whisk until smooth. Add the cabbage and carrots. Mix well.
• Cover and refrigerate overnight. Drain excess liquid and stir well before serving.
Note: One pound of cabbage gives 4 cups of shredded . A typical head of cabbage should be two pounds, which is enough for the eight cups needed in this recipe.