Celery is a tasty and versatile vegetable. It’s great as a snack, as an addition to soup, chopped up in a salad, etc. The opportunities are endless. It’s also quite nutritious, despite being mostly water. The problem with celery is that, like lettuce leaves, it can wilt quickly. It’s almost like a race to eat it, as it loses its crispness and crunch after just a couple of days. If you’re anything like me, you often end up throwing away wilted and undesirable celery soon after purchase, adding to the litany of wastes that we toss every day.
Thankfully, there’s a better way! In fact, there are a few different ways to store celery that preserves its crispy-crunchiness. Celery tastes best with a crunch, so it’s worth the extra effort to preserve the flavor, nutritional value, and texture of celery.
Prep the stalks
To keep the celery fresh, remove the stalks by cutting the base. Then, strip any leaves from the celery. You may need a knife to cut the bases, but should be able to get the leaves off without one.
Once you’ve removed the stalks and the leaves, chop the stalks in half. It makes them a little easier to store, and it’s perfect for snacking.
Submerse it in fresh water
Celery is almost 100% water, so naturally the best way to store it is, well, in water. Even celery that has begun to wilt can be revived using this method! You’ll need a bowl or container with a lid, but you can also use plastic wrap if you don’t have one.
Check out the OXO Good Grips GreenSaver Produce Keeper – Large
Put your neatly trimmed celery stalks into a glass bowl or cup, and leave about an inch of space between the surface and the celery. Then, add the water. It should be clean, fresh water, enough to fill the container. Now, cover the container with a lid or plastic wrap.
Check out Glad Cling Plastic Wrap
The “celery bouquet”
Another (super fun) way to store fresh celery is, again, in water, but the same way you would store flowers. The celery will naturally absorb the water, like a tree! Think of it like a vase of flowers, but for eating instead of just looking nice.
Celery stored this way will last for about two weeks. Try not to store the celery in a fridge that gets too cold, as the water molecules will freeze and ruin your celery.
Or, wrap it in aluminum foil
You can also store your celery in aluminum foil. Surprisingly enough, the foil will keep celery crisp for a number of weeks.
Check out Reynolds Wrap Aluminum Foil
First, wrap the celery in a damp paper towel (preferably a recyclable paper towel that reduces waste), then tightly wrap it, either cut or whole.
Clarity about celery
There are a few ways to effectively store celery to keep it fresh and crisp. The most effective way is by keeping it in close contact with fresh water, but make sure you also switch out the water regularly. Enjoy that crispy, delicious celery without worrying about waste!
Save money and eat fresh food with my tips on food storage. Check out these posts how to store lettuce in the fridge, as well as this one on how to store spinach. And, keep cheese good for longer with how to store cheese in the refrigerator.
You might also like these articles on containers perfect for freezing leftovers, the best storage containers for food and which vacuum sealers are ideal for preserving meat and game.
I always stored in a plastic bag. But this is good to know, I’ll try it.