There are many ways to store celery, but there is only one best way to store celery. Keeping celery at peak freshness is something that most folks don’t think about until that moment when they go to grab a few stalks from the refrigerator to spread with fresh peanut butter.
You can also SAVE celery and turn it crispy again, once it’s gone limp. Seriously!
Celery is an awesome snack – it’s a perfect side when you’re trying to come up with ideas for dinner, and it’s super simple to prepare when you’re learning how to cook. This time of year it seems like everyone has a bunch in their crisper drawer.
Celery is also part of a mirepoix, the French flavor foundation for countless savory dishes. (You’ve probably made mirepoix without realizing it!)
Celery is an awesome snack – it’s a perfect side when you’re trying to come up with ideas for dinner, and it’s super simple to prepare when you’re learning how to cook. This time of year it seems like everyone has a bunch in their crisper drawer.
Celery is also part of a mirepoix, the French flavor foundation for countless savory dishes. (You’ve probably made mirepoix without realizing it!)
There are many ways to store celery, but there is only one best way to store celery. Keeping celery at peak freshness is something that most folks don’t think about until that moment when they go to grab a few stalks from the refrigerator to spread with fresh peanut butter.
Once they peer into their crisper and find a wimpy, flacid lump where their crisp celery stalks should be, they think, “Drat! Why does this always happen?” And, I used to have the same experience with carrots.
No one likes wimpy vegetables. Ew. I mean, who wants to eat celery that’s about as crispy as an old shoelace? Not me.
Eating celery raw, when it’s crunchy and firm, is my favorite way to enjoy this light veggie, so learning the best way to store celery so that it retains its crunch was of the utmost importance around here! Plus it gives me more time to think about the important things, like what to cook for dinner tonight.
Keeping celery fresh in the refrigerator is so easy (a lot like freezing vegetables, which is also really simple if you know the proper way to do it). You don’t need pricey bio-bags involved, and you won’t have to to buy any weird humidifying devices for your refrigerator. In fact you only need three things — one of which, incidentally, is celery itself.
The best way to store celery is…
… in water. You only need a few things:
- 1 bunch of celery
- A large glass bowl or sealed plastic container
- Water
- Remove celery stalks from the base, remove the leaves, and cut them in half so they are half as long.
- Arrange the celery in the receptacle so that there is at least 1-inch of headroom between the top of the celery and the rim of the bowl.
- Fill the bowl with clean (ideally filtered) water. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or its sealable lid and place in the refrigerator.
- Change out water once a day, or at least every other day, for optimal freshness. Celery will keep fresh and amazingly crunchy for up to a week this way.
- You can keep any root vegetable fresh and crispy this way — try it with parsnips, beets, etc.
Now it’s your turn.
I think this is the best way to store celery so it’s ready for dinner tonight, but there are other ways, too. Do you have a favorite way of keeping your celery or other vegetables fresh and crispy? What’s your favorite method? And, how do you prepare celery for your home cooked meals? Leave a comment and let me know how you do it.
Best Way to Store Celery
Equipment
- A sharp knife
- 1 paper towel
- 1 large zip-top bag
Ingredients
- 1 bunch celery
Instructions
- Separate the celery stalks and give them a good rinse. Use a sharp knife to remove the root end and leaves. Cut stalks into roughly 6-inch lengths.
- Take a paper towel and run it under the tap. Wring out as much water as you can from the paper towel. You do not want it to be super wet. Unwrinkle the paper towel so it's flat.
- Place the celery stalks in the zip-top bag, then slide the paper towel into the bag, on top of the celery. Seal the bag and leave a little corner of the bag unsealed to allow airflow.
- Your celery should keep this way for up to two weeks. If you notice your celery changing color, like developing pink or black spots, it's past its prime and should be tossed.
Video
Nutrition
How to Save Limp Celery
Equipment
- A sharp knife
- 1 large plastic container, with lid
Ingredients
- 1 bunch celery
Instructions
- Separate the celery stalks and give them a good rinse. Use a sharp knife to remove the root end and leaves. Cut stalks into roughly 6-inch lengths, or whatever size you need to fit in your plastic container.
- Place the celery in the plastic container and fill it most of the way with ice-cold water. Cool tap water will work if you don't have ice water, though it will take longer for the celery to crisp up. Make sure the celery is completely submerged.
- Place the lid on the container to seal it completely and prevent spills. Place the container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours. Test your celery by taking a bite. If it's not crisp yet, let it sit overnight.
- You can use the celery immediately or keep it submerged in the water for a day or two, but it will eventually become waterlogged and the celery will split. If you want to keep the celery longer than a couple more days: once the celery is nice and crispy, pour all the water out of the container and place a dry paper towel on top of the celery. Give the container a good shake. Seal the container except for one corner to allow airflow. Your celery will keep for up to a week this way. If you notice the celery changing color, like developing pink or black spots, it's time to toss it.
Video
Nutrition
This content was originally posted on FearlessFresh.com.