How To Store Celery?: Celery has been the brand ambassador for eating healthy for a very long time. Right from popular movies like Bridget Jones to MasterChef episodes, celery has seamlessly found a spot in everyone’s kitchen.
These long and green stalks are extremely healthy and contain a lot of fiber. You can make a plethora of smoothies and appetizers with them. Therefore, in this article, we will be telling you about How To Store Celery, its shelf life, expiry dates, and storage tips for celery.
- How Long Does The Celery Last?
- How To Store the Celery?
- Tips To Store Celery
- How To Tell That Celery Has Gone Bad?
- Should I store celery in water?
- Should you wash celery before storing it?
- How do you make celery crisp again?
How Long Does The Celery Last?
Celery’s shelf life can vary depending on whether you have cut the head stalk or not. Since these long and green stalks tend to be made mostly of water, they go bad fast. Also, the exact shelf life of celery can vary from 2 days up to 3 weeks. Therefore, if you are wondering when your next supermarket visit is due for buying celery, check the shelf life table given below.
Therefore, it is advisable to pick raw and uncut celery packing over pre-chopped ones. Moreover, it is easier to extend the shelf life of raw celery over cooked ones due to its high moisture content.
| Type of Celery | Shelf Life |
|---|---|
| Uncut Celery (with a freezer) | 2-4 weeks |
| Uncut Celery (without a freezer) | 3-5 days |
| Chopped Celery | 1 week |
| Cooked Celery | 2 days |
How To Store the Celery?
Now that you know about the approximate expiry dates of perishable goods such as celery, it is natural to be curious about the extension of this so-called shelf life. Given that celery’s deterioration is connected to depleting moisture levels, the water itself plays an important role while storing celery. Thankfully, none of the tips to store celery are rocket science, so you can give a shot at a couple of them as they suit your needs.
For Raw and Uncut Celery – The best method to store celery can be adopted only if the celery hasn’t been cut yet. Once you cut the head stalks, they tend to lose water quite fast. Therefore, it is advisable to not thaw or chop the head stalks.
- Take out the celery from the packing itself.
- Wash it carefully and pat it dry.
- Wrap the stalks in parchment paper or airtight containers.
- Store away the containers in the freezer.
- The celery will last for at least 2-4 weeks depending on the outside environment.
For Chopped Celery – Though chefs recommend avoiding pre-chopped celery, it is undeniably true that it is far easier to prepare salads from earlier chopped celery than fresh ones. So, if you are hoping to receive a healthy lunch without wasting any leftovers, then this technique is for you.
- Take out the chopped celery from the packing.
- Wash it carefully under cold water only.
- Keep them in a small glass jar.
- Fill the glass container with fresh water.
- Wrap a plastic sheet or wax paper around the opening of the container.
- Keep it in the freezer.
For cooked celery – Bought a nice and scrumptious celery smoothie, and now wondering how to save the rest of it. Don’t worry, we got you covered. Just follow the below-mentioned tips to store the cooked celery.
- Take out the cooked celery.
- Immediately wrap in clean aluminum foil.
- Smoothen the edges and ensure that it is packed tightly but not too firmly.
- Keep it in the freezer for further use.
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Tips To Store Celery
Though the above-mentioned steps are enough to preserve those beautiful green stalks, some things need to be remembered before embarking on this fun journey to store celery. These tips might overwhelmingly affect the aging of celery, thereby increasing its shelf life. Some of those points are
Never store the celery inside the plastic wrapping, especially the one in which you bought them. It hinders the escape route of ethylene gas, which is gradually produced by celery itself. This gas has exacerbated the aging of celery.
- Try to avoid creases in the aluminum foil that you use to wrap celery. It may also trap harmful ethylene gas.
- The aluminum foil shall be wrapped firmly so the moisture inside the stalks cannot escape.
- Avoid cutting off the head stalks in advance. It leads to excessive water loss.
- Storing the chopped celery away in water is the 2nd best option. Therefore, we should try to avoid this situation in the first place if we wish to preserve the flavor profile of celery.
How To Tell That Celery Has Gone Bad?
Despite trying every storage technique, celery is bound to go bad at some point. Henceforth, it is important to be aware of the red flags of spoiled celery. Once discovered, it is better to get rid of celery as consuming expired ones can pose a grave threat to our digestive systems. Some of these tangible red flags are
- Mushy Touch – Over time celery tends to lose its water content, thereby making its stalks soft and bendable. It clearly indicates that celery has started to deteriorate
- Moldy Appearance – The invading fungi react with celery’s skin to produce lactic acids which give an unusual appearance to celery. If you find any red, black, or brown spots on the celery stalks, then consider throwing them out.
- Foul Odor – Similar to mold, spoiled celery gives off a weird smell. It is the most affirmative way to label any celery as spoiled.
- Sour Taste – A celery that tastes sour or bitter can furthermore be labeled as bad. In the worst-case scenarios, consuming such celery may lead to food poisoning.
However, celery that is past its expiry date by less than 2 days can be used efficiently. Since it would have probably turned squishy, you can use it in dishes that completely alter the texture of celery. For instance, you may make smoothies and juices as side dishes.
FAQs on Storage Practices of Celery
1. Should I store celery in water?
Once the head stalks are chopped off, celery tends to lose water fast. Therefore, our grandmas always suggested storing the pre-chopped celery in a water bowl. To extend its shelf life, you may even keep the water bowl in the refrigerator. It is important to keep changing the water frequently for the sake of the celery’s texture.
2. Should you wash celery before storing it?
Yes, it is actually recommended to wash each stalk properly with cold water. The celery might be laden with dirt even if it was sold in plastic packaging. Hence, it is important to wash the celery properly before storing or cooking it
3. How do you make celery crisp again?
Freezing the celery too much may actually make it firm. If you wish to restore its tender and crisp texture, you can simply keep the desired stalks in water at room temperature. The stalks will absorb water and regain their sponginess. However, the flavor profile may get altered slightly.
Summary
Now, you know how to store celery for longer durations in your freezer. Especially in the summer, cool celery smoothies can be a real snack. Celery is a storehouse of fiber, thereby making it so much more important to learn about its shelf life, expiry dates, and benefits.
Stocking celery using the correct techniques can help restore the nutritional and flavor profile naturally. Hopefully, this article resolved all your queries about celery’s storage and shelf lives. Stay tuned for more updates on How To Store Eggplant and similar articles.