How to Choose & Store Celery

The trick to getting the most taste and nutrition from your celery is to choose the freshest bunch at your grocery store.

How to Choose Celery

Celery might seem like a boring vegetable, but it has so many possibilities! It’s great to crunch on raw, dipped in hummus or ranch dressing, is’s perfect in soups and stew, it can help give flavor to dressings and casseroles, it’s great to stuff inside chickens and turkeys for roasting, and mix some in sauces for an extra veggie. And who doesn’t love the classic ants on a log?

If you’re buying a whole celery bunch, look for bright green leaves with no brown spots or yellowing. Brown or yellow on the leaves indicates that the celery is a bit older. The stalks should be green and crisp. If the stalks are starting to shrivel at the top, turn yellow or brown, or feel soft, pass on that bunch and look for a different one.

If you’re buying celery hearts, look for the same things as when you’re buying a full bunch of celery – bright green leaves, green stalks, no yellowing or browning, crisp and crunch stalks. celery hearts are simply the inner stalks on a celery bunch. The inner stalks tend to be lighter green (with a milder flavor) than the outer stalks.

When you’re buying pre-cut celery stalks (who doesn’t like a ready-to-grab snack sometimes?) look for bright green stalks that feel crisp. Pay particular attention to the ends of the stalks. The cut ends might look a little dry, and that’s fine. If the ends look yellow or brown, shriveled, or soft, choose a different bag.

How to Store Celery

Store celery in the high humidity produce drawer in your refrigerator. Keep the celery away from any cold spots in your refrigerator, as it freezes easily. (Frozen celery gets soft and mushy when it thaws.) You can store celery in its original packaging for 1-2 weeks.

If you’re not sure how quickly you’ll use up your celery, you can try these other storage methods. Separate the celery stalks from the bunch, wash them, and pat dry (or let air dry). Cut off a small part (about 1/4-1/2 inch) of the top and bottom of each celery stalk with a sharp knife. Wrap the celery loosely in a dry paper towel, and put it inside a plastic bag. You can use a traditional Ziploc storage bag, a perforated “breathable” veggie storage bag, or simply punch a few holes in a Ziploc bag.

Another option is to wrap your washed, dried, and trimmed celery stalks loosely in aluminum foil. Storing celery in either a plastic bag or aluminum foil should keep it fresh for 2-4 weeks.

Do you use celery? Try out these recipes the next time you have extra celery in your refrigerator.

Homemade Chicken Soup	Easy Egg Salad	Slow Cooker Au Gratin Potato Soup	Baked Pasta e Fagioli

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