Do you like to eat celery or make it a soup mix? If stored properly, celery's freshness and crunch will last a very long time. For complete tips on storing celery, read on!
Step
Method 1 of 3: Storing Celery in Water
Step 1. Prepare all the necessary materials
Don't worry, you don't need a lot of ingredients to keep celery in the water. Once stored in the water, make sure you put it in the fridge right away!
- Prepare a large glass bowl or plastic container; both will work equally well. If the container you are using does not have a lid, use plastic wrap to cover it. If you want, you can also use a plastic bag filled with water.
- Prepare clean and fresh water. If possible, use filtered drinking water. Believe me, even wilted celery will come back fresh if you put it in water.
- Choose celery whose stems are straight and stiff, and the leaves look fresh. Don't buy celery that smells bad.
Step 2. Remove the ends of the celery
To keep it fresh, make sure you cut off the ends of the celery before storing it.
- After that, also clean the leaves attached to the celery stalks. Be careful if you do this with the help of a knife.
- Then, cut the celery stalks in half.
- Then, put the chopped celery sticks into a glass bowl or plastic container. At least, leave a distance of 2.5 cm. from the top surface of the stem to the mouth of the container or bowl.
Step 3. Pour the water into the bowl
Fill the container with clean, fresh water (if possible, use filtered water).
- Close the container tightly. If you don't have an appropriate sized lid, use plastic wrap. Also don't store celery that is not soaked in water in a closed container because the texture will definitely dry out.
- Change the water in the container every day so that the freshness of the celery is maintained properly.
- If you want to eat or cook some celery, all you have to do is remove it from the water, rinse it thoroughly, and eat or process it. Reclose the celery storage container if there is still celery left in it.
Step 4. Prepare one glass of water
Another method you can use is to put the chopped celery sticks in a glass of water. If stored this way, celery can last for 1-2 weeks in the refrigerator.
- Put a few stalks of celery in a glass of water and store in the refrigerator. To apply this method, you will need a fairly large glass or even a pitcher.
- Do not place the glass of celery in the coldest part of the refrigerator to prevent the celery from freezing.
- At the very least, change the water in the glass every few days; This method preserves the crispness and freshness of the celery because the stem will absorb the water in the glass. You can use the same method for storing other root vegetables, such as beets or parsnips.
Method 2 of 3: Wrapping Celery
Step 1. Wrap the celery in aluminum foil
Aluminum foil is one of the most likely cooking utensils in your home kitchen. Celery wrapped in aluminum foil will keep its crispness, and won't rot even if you let it sit for weeks.
- Wrap the celery that is still whole or has been cut into aluminum foil. It's best to cover the celery with a slightly damp paper towel before wrapping it in aluminum foil.
- Place the packet of celery in the refrigerator. When wrapped in aluminum foil, celery will release the hormone ethylene, which is a hormone that ripens celery and keeps it fresh. You can even reuse the same aluminum foil to store other celery.
- The same hormones will not be released if celery is stored in a plastic bag; As a result, celery will rot faster. If you store celery in a plastic bag, make sure you place it in a cooler that has a more stable temperature.
Step 2. Wrap the celery in kitchen paper
If you don't have aluminum foil, the freshness and crispness of the celery can also be preserved by using other wrapping tools.
- Cut the ends of the celery so that all the celery stalks are separated from each other. If you want, you can cut the celery in half, although this step is not mandatory.
- Wet kitchen tissue. Remember, humidity is key in this method. Wrap the celery in a slightly damp paper towel, then place it in a large plastic clip. Close the plastic tightly and put in the refrigerator.
- Don't throw away the tips and leaves of the celery! Instead, store them both in plastic clips and freeze them for stock when needed.
Step 3. Plant the ends of the celery
Besides being able to be processed into vegetable broth, you can also plant the ends of the celery to grow new celery!
- Wash the ends of the celery. After that, place the tip of the celery in a bowl of warm water upside down like a bowl; Place the bowl near a window exposed to sunlight.
- Every two days, change the water in the bowl. Generally, it takes about 1 week or 10 days to see the yellowish leaves coming out of the tips of the celery turn dark green.
- After the celery leaves grow to a height of about 3-4 cm, immediately transplant them into pots. After that, fill the pot with soil so that all you can see is the celery leaves. Water the pot regularly and observe its growth!
Method 3 of 3: Freezing Celery
Step 1. Boil the celery briefly
Place the celery in boiling water for 3 minutes before freezing it.
- After that, dip the celery in a bowl of cold water (add ice cubes, if necessary) to stop the celery from cooking.
- Drain excess water. Celery is ready to be stored in plastic clips or closed containers and frozen in the freezer.
- Place a plastic clip or container of celery in the freezer. Frozen celery is more delicious eaten as a sprinkling of cooked dishes (such as soto) because the crunchy texture is still left. The method of boiling before freezing also applies to other vegetables.
Step 2. Freeze celery to increase its shelf life
Although it does not guarantee freshness, freezing celery is useful to prevent it from rotting if it has to be stored for a long time.
- Wash the celery to remove the remaining dirt that sticks. If you bought celery at the store, remove it from the package before washing it. Also cut the ends.
- Chop the celery stalks and remove the leaves. Preferably, cut the celery into 2.5-4 cm thick. before freezing it in the freezer.
- You can also arrange chopped celery on a flat baking sheet before freezing. Once the celery has frozen, remove the pan and place the frozen celery in a plastic clip; Store back in the freezer until it's time to eat.
Step 3. Eat the celery
The taste and texture of celery will not change even if it is stored for 1-1, 5 years in the freezer.
- In fact, frozen food at -17°C will not spoil even if stored for a very long time. However, food will generally be at its best quality if eaten a maximum of 12-19 months after freezing.
- The texture of celery will soften after thawing. If stored in the refrigerator (not the freezer), celery will only last for a few weeks.
- In the past, celery was a highly respected vegetable, mainly because of its rare existence and rich medical benefits. According to history, celery was first grown by Persian kings; Although 94% of its content is water, celery is very rich in fiber, vitamins (A, C, B complex, and E), and minerals. What are you waiting for? Don't hesitate to include these healthy vegetables in your diet!
