How Long Does Celery Last: Have you ever bought celery and wondered how long until the veggie goes bad? That might make you wonder: how long does celery last? In certain cases maybe the celery you bought already sits in storage for a week or so and you’re not quite sure it’s safe to eat.
So, how do you tell if celery is bad? Here is everything you have to know about the shelf life and spoilage of celery. Get ready to learn about how long celery lasts and how to tell if one is spoiled.
- How Long Does Celery Last?
- How To Tell If Celery Is Bad?
- How To Store Celery?
- Is It Possible To Freeze Celery?
- How to Choose Fresh Celery?
- What is the shelf life of cut celery?
- Can celery be stored in the fridge?
- How to identify if celery has gone bad?
How Long Does Celery Last?
The shelf life of Celery depends on how fresh the veggie is and how you store it. If you store it in the appropriate manner you can increase its shelf life as well.
If you’re buying packed celery or celery sticks, the bags in which they are put usually have a use-by date printed. Those dates are correct indicators of storage time, and you cannot expect the veggie to maintain its quality for longer than a couple of days past those dates.
Celery that is fresh lasts from 1 to 2 weeks in the fridge. However, if you leave it at room temperature it will stay only for 2 to 3 days. Cut celery stays for four days to a week.
| Type | Counter | Fridge |
|---|---|---|
| Celery | 2-3 days | 1-2 weeks |
| Cut celery | 4-7 days | |
| Prepackaged celery sticks | Use by+ 3-4 days | |
| Cooked celery | 3-4 days |
How To Tell If Celery Is Bad?
Discard the veggie if it shows any of the following signs:
- Slimy or Soft: Celery doesn’t go from being crisp to soft too fast. It’s okay to consume celery that is slightly softer and somewhat wilted as long as its quality stays the same. But if it turns out to be slimy, it’s game over.
- Mold Growth: mold growth happens when there’s too much moisture around. As usual with mold, throw away that celery.
- Storage: You shouldn’t store cooked celery for more than four days as it’s not safe to eat.
- Colour: Fresh celery is light green and full of color, while older ones lose some of that color and look a bit pale.
- Taste: the best way to know if celery has gone bad is to taste it. Have a small bite and if the veggie tastes odd throw it away.
How To Store Celery?
Given below are some methods to store Celery and they are as under
- The most simple way to store celery is to keep it in a bag in the crisper drawer. This method is good enough for the veggie to stay for more than a week.
- Remember celery is sensitive to ethylene, so make sure not to store it near any ethylene-producing fruits and veggies.
- In the case of cut celery, you can place it in an airtight container or bag, or keep it submerged in water to extend its shelf life.
- Remember to change the water as and when required.
- Instead of storing celery in an airtight container, it’s also fine to wrap up the veggie in aluminum foil. However, make sure that the celery is dry before you wrap it.
To know more about the ways on How to Store Celery have a sneak peek into our article and keep your vegetable fresh for a long time.
Is It Possible To Freeze Celery?
The ideal way to store celery if you want it to extend its shelf life for more than a month is to freeze this vegetable. This method will ensure that the veggie lasts up to 6-8 months. However, a disadvantage is that the veggies might lose their crispness. However frozen celery is ideal for making stews, soups, and other water-based dishes.
How to Choose Fresh Celery?
Choosing fresh celery is important so as to make sure that it stays long. Given below are some tips for selecting celery that is fresh:
- Celery that has dark green stalks
- That has green leaves that look fresh
- Celery that’s hard or firm as will be crispy and fresh.
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FAQs on How Long Does Celery Last?
1. What is the shelf life of cut celery?
Cut celery can be stored for 4 to 7 days in the refrigerator.
2. Can celery be stored in the fridge?
Yes. One of the best methods to store celery if you want it to extend its shelf life for more than a month is to freeze this vegetable. This method will ensure that the veggie lasts up to 6-8 months.
3. How to identify if celery has gone bad?
Mold growth, change in color, change in taste, etc are some of the indicators that help you identify if the veggie has gone bad.
Conclusion
Celery is a vegetable used to make different dishes and recipes such as soups, salads, casseroles, and more. The shelf life of this veggie is determined by how fresh the celery is, when it was purchased, and how it’s stored. However, there exist different ways to store celery. So make sure that you store them appropriately and extend their shelf life. Keep in touch with us to know more about articles like Can Carrots Go Bad and Can Broccoli Go Bad, etc.