Proper storage keeps celery crisp and guards against wilting. Celery tastes much better when it is crunchy and firm, and with a few easy tips, it will keep much longer!
Before freezing your celery, make sure to wash it thoroughly and slice it into the desired size. You should also cook celery before freezing since otherwise, it will break when separated. You can use parchment paper to separate each stalk. Be sure not to stack celery on one another, as this will make it harder to freeze evenly. Alternatively, you can use several baking sheets at a time to ensure that all stalks freeze evenly. Once frozen, you can store the celery in your refrigerator or freezer for up to a year.
Describe Celery.
Celery is a fresh biennial plant that has been raised for ages in a variety of ways. Although it was first cultivated for its alleged medicinal benefits, it has since spread around the world and is now a staple of many people’s diets. The herb is a member of the Apiaceae family, which also includes dill, carrots, fennel, and parsley. The domesticated and widely cultivated plant’s scientific name is Apium graveolens. Celery produces a mass of stalks covered with green leaves and white blooms during the blossoming season.
How to Store Cut Celery?
Water for Keeping the Celery
Gather your resources. To store celery in water, not many things are required. However, as soon as you can, refrigerate the celery.
Find a sizable glass bowl or a plastic container that is tightly sealed. Both methods will keep the celery fresh. Plastic wrap is required to seal a container if it lacks a lid. Utilizing a plastic bag that you’ve filled with water is another option, though it’s not as simple.
A supply of fresh water is necessary.
If you have access to filtered water, it’s recommended to utilize it instead of unclean water.
Even celery that has begun to wilt can be revived by submerging it in water.
Pick celery with rigid, straight stems. The leaves ought to be new. You don’t want celery that is limp or smells bad.
Take the celery apart. You should cut the stalks from the celery’s base in order to keep it fresh. Remove the stalks’ bases by slicing them.
Next, remove the celery stalks’ leaves. This job can be completed using a kitchen knife. Anytime you use cutting tools, use caution.
Cut the stalks in half next. They should be around half the length they were at the base.
Now, place the celery that has been sliced into a plastic or glass container. The celery should have a space of about an inch between it and the bowl’s rim.
Water should be added to the bowl. Fill your container with new, clean water, preferably filtered.
If the container doesn’t have a lid, wrap plastic wrap around the top and seal it. Celery does not keep as well when placed in an airtight container without water. It’s conceivable that the celery will become dried out.
Make careful to change the water frequently, ideally daily. The freshest celery will remain as a result.
Simply take the celery out of the water, give it a quick rinse, and then consume it. If there are any leftover celery stalks, replace the lid and plastic wrap.
Drink some water. Another water approach involves hacking the bunch of celery off before putting the stalks in a glass of water. Celery kept in this way can keep for 1-2 weeks in the fridge.
Place the entire bunch of celery inside the refrigerator in a glass of water. For this, you will require a large glass, such as a memento glass (or a pitcher).
Celery freezes rapidly, so avoid placing it in the coldest parts of your refrigerator while keeping it.
The celery will absorb the water in the glass, so you will need to change the water at least every few days, but this should keep it crisp. Other root vegetables like beets or parsnips can be prepared using the same technique.
Making a Celery Sleeve
The celery should be wrapped in foil. Aluminum foil is a common item in kitchens. It will keep celery crisp for weeks if you store it in it.
Simply, tightly wrap the celery in aluminum foil, whether it is sliced or whole. Before you wrap the celery in foil, you might want to lay it on a paper towel that is just a little bit damp.
Put the celery in the fridge after it has been wrapped. A hormone called ethylene will be able to escape thanks to the foil. Because it is a ripening hormone, the release of it will keep the celery crisp. For multiple bunches of celery, the foil can be used again.
Since ethylene gas cannot escape from plastic bags, they don’t work as well and increase the likelihood that the celery will rot. Place the celery that is wrapped in the refrigerator’s standard crisper drawer.
The celery is wrapped in paper towels. If you don’t have aluminum foil on hand, you might be able to use another type of wrap to keep the celery crisp.
To divide the celery stalks into individual stalks, trim the celery bunch’s end. It’s not required to split them in half, although you might wish to.
Wet the paper towels. This place needs moisture. The celery is wrapped in paper towels. Put the paper towels in their wrappings inside a sizable zip-top bag of plastic. Place the bag in the refrigerator after sealing it.
Celery’s top, bottom, and leaves can be saved and placed in a ziplock bag to be frozen. They can be utilized for creating stock.
Plant the base of the celery. Even though you’ve removed the celery’s base, you don’t have to discard it. More celery can be grown with its help!
Wash the base in water. Put it in a little basin filled with warm water. Place it base side down near a window that gets plenty of sunlight.
Change the water every two days. Tiny yellow leaves will emerge from the base after a week or ten days and turn dark green.
Transplant the plant into a planter once the leaves are about a half inch from the base. Put earth over it, leaving the leaves unprotected. Watch it grow while you water it!
What are the Advantages of Celery for Health?
Elements in celery, including the seeds, may provide a number of health advantages. Keep in mind that celery only contains very small amounts of these nutrients, making it unlikely that it can effectively treat or prevent any disease on its own.
Stopping Cancer and Inflammation
Apigenin, a plant substance with anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, and antioxidant activities, is a component of celery used in traditional Chinese medicine. Additionally, it could possess certain traits. a trustworthy resource that helps the fight against cancer.
Apigenin may aid in apoptosis, a form of programmed cell death, as shown by laboratory studies, which could make it beneficial as a cancer treatment, claim the authors of a 2016 review trusted Source. In a study done on mice in 2015, researchers found that apigenin and diets high in apigenin reduced the expression of several inflammatory proteins. Therefore, these substances might support the calming of the immune system and the reduction of inflammation.
Celery contains luteolin, a flavonoid. The anticancer properties of luteolin may help prevent the spread of cancer cells and encourage cell death. They postulated that the presence of luteolin renders cancer cells more susceptible to treatment.
Anxiety Levels
Celery and celery extracts are used to decrease blood pressure by some practitioners of Chinese medicine. Celery seed extracts were administered to rats with normal blood pressure and chemically induced hypertension in one investigation to observe how blood pressure was altered.
The extracts reduced blood pressure and increased heart rate in high blood pressure rats, but not in rats with normal blood pressure, according to the researchers.
There isn’t any conclusive proof that celery seeds help those with high blood pressure, though.
Celery is also high in fiber, and according to a 2016 Cochrane analysis, those with high-fiber diets have lower blood pressure than people with low-fiber diets. To confirm the authors’ findings and pinpoint the precise impacts of various fiber types, additional study is required.
Hyperlipidemia
An elevated level of fatty molecules in the blood is referred to as hyperlipidemia. Despite the fact that there are frequently no symptoms, it eventually raises the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Reference: Refreshing Celery Salad
How can you Add Celery to your Diet?
Celery can be consumed raw or cooked, though typically raw vegetables have higher nutritious contents. According to one study, boiling celery has an impact on the antioxidant content but steaming it for 10 minutes does not.
You can incorporate celery into your diet in the following ways:
The five best ways to eat celery include “Ants on a Log.” Spread peanut butter into celery and top with raisins for a simple, pleasant, and nourishing treat to share with the kids. Consider switching out the peanut butter for hummus.
Celery in a stir-fry—Add celery to your next veggie dish. Celery, carrots, broccoli florets, onions, and bell peppers should all be sautéed with a little olive oil.
Serve with low-sodium soy sauce over brown rice or in a whole wheat pita.
Celery Salsa: In a large skillet over medium heat, combine the onion, celery, tomato, and garlic. Add tomato juice and bring to a boil. Cook the celery and onions until they are tender. Flour, salt, pepper, and hot sauce, to taste, can be added to the salsa to thicken it. To be served with cooked tortilla chips.
Easy Side: For a quick side dish, braise celery in vegetable stock while seasoning with your choice of herbs or a dash of salt and pepper.
Give your chicken or tuna salad some texture by adding some texture. In a mixing bowl, combine tuna or chicken, diced celery, mayonnaise, and mustard. Serve with toasted whole wheat bread or English muffins. Add a dab of spicy sauce to the mix for an added kick.
Celery & Spinach: Add some intrigue to your spinach salad. In a mixing bowl, combine corn, bell peppers, celery, carrots, and cooked pasta. Over a bed of spinach, top with your preferred low-fat salad dressing.
How Should I Select and Store Celery?
In the majority of supermarkets in the US, celery is always on hand. It’s typically sold in bundles of bagged hearts, which are only composed of delicate core stalks. Use the fibrous outer ribs, which have a flavor reminiscent of celery, in broths, stocks, and soups. For salads and garnishes, inner ribs are preferred because of their milder flavor and softer texture.
Look for celery that is firm and well-packed; the stalks and leaves should be bright green and not wilted or discolored. When you reach home, put the celery in the vegetable crisper drawer of your refrigerator in a plastic bag. It should continue in that way for up to two weeks. It can also be frozen and used within 12 to 18 months.
What Flavor does Celery have?
Although celery has a mild, earthy flavor, it is important to remember that it can also be consumed raw. Even though it seems like a bitter vegetable, it has several health advantages and may be utilized in a variety of cuisines. Others dislike it, while some people enjoy it in salads. For instance, celery can be coupled with a variety of proteins and spices, such as leeks and garlic.
A crisp, mellow bunch of celery with a light pepper flavor is great. Boiling the bitter celery’s outer portion will preserve it. On the other side, the core of the stalks is typically sweeter but can still be abrasive. It’s better if you leave them alone on the exterior stalks. For a healthier taste, cut off the inner stalks and add them to a salad. You could even eat the full celery stem as an alternative.
Conclusion
The most efficient method to store celery is to wrap it in aluminum foil and put it in the refrigerator’s crisper drawer. The foil should be tightly wrapped, but should not be too tight. This will prevent excessive air from getting inside the crisper drawer. Once wrapped, the cut celery should stay fresh in the fridge for two to four weeks.
Another way to store cut celery is to store it in water in a plastic container or glass bowl. The moisture in the water will keep the celery crisp and prevent it from wilting. A lidded plastic container can also be used to store celery. However, celery should be stored away from other food sources releasing ethylene gas.
