We don't eat a lot of celery but I do like to keep it on hand for cooking purposes. Recently, I purchased one bunch (on sale, of course) and brought it home. It set in the refrigerator for a few days and I knew I needed to do something with it before it starting ruining. There was no way we would use that much celery at one time so I decided to preserve it.
I wash it and removed all the leaves and set them aside.
Next, I cut the stalks into approximately an inch and a half lengths.
After that I got out my food chopper and chopped it all up into approximately 1/4 inch cubes.
I removed about a cup of the chopped celery and added it to the celery leaves I had sat aside earlier.
I divided the rest of it up into 1/4 cup increments, put that amount in plastic snack baggies and then put the snack baggies into a quart size freezer bag.
I labeled two quart freezer bags, filled them with 6 snack baggies each and added them to the freezer part of my pantry. I'll use these in soups and casseroles.
The celery leaves and cubes I sat aside earlier will be dehydrated and turned into celery salt. The ratio to make celery salt is one part dry celery powder to one part salt. I think I'll use less salt when making mine. I'll use this in recipes that call for celery powder or celery salt.
What about you, how do you preserve celery?
patsi
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Patsy, when you put the chopped celery in bags, do you add water to the bags?
ReplyDeleteThanks Sue
Sue, no, I do not add water or any other liquid. There's just celery in each snack bag.
DeletePatsy, I've never even thought to preserve celery, or make my own celery salt. What a revelation! Thankyou! Mimi xxx
ReplyDeleteMimi, you are welcome! Sometimes it's the simple things that we overlook ... or it's seems to be that way with me.
DeleteWe rarely waste celery because I use it up pretty quickly. I put a twist tie on the bag when I bring it home and it keeps at least twice as long. I am glad to know that I can freeze it for the next time those super cheap sales at Thanksgiving roll around.
ReplyDeleteLana, yes ma'am, watch out for those sales and freeze it!!!
DeleteIt is so interesting how some use more of one thing, and others use more of another. Around here, I get teased because I like celery so much, and we use several bunches per month. There is never any left to preserve!!! Your post made me think of buying extra, though, and freezing it for quick cooking days. It would be handy, for sure.
ReplyDeleteI love putting things that I froze into small bags and corralling them into larger bags so I can find them. I get those super huge bags from Cash and Carry, and can get several quart-sized baggies into them full of peaches, berries, beans, etc. It's so much easier to find things, and they don't slip and slide around as much. Clearly, you've found the same trick to make things easier. It's a small thing that makes life SO much better:)
Becky, it is so easy to just reach in and get a baggie instead of dealing with a whole big frozen block, isn't it??? I use this method for several different things!
DeleteYou don't eat much celery? I am curious, since you are into so many medicinal herbs, have you ever read about celery lowering blood pressure? It contains properties that can naturally lower your BP and has been scientifically proven. Just Google it and be surprised.
ReplyDeleteGloria, I did not know that but now that you've shared it with me, I think I'll start researching ways to prepare it. It's not that we don't like it, it's just something that we just don't keep around. Does that make sense?
DeleteI don't tolerate blood pressure medicine very well so I try to eat a big piece of celery every day with my lunch. Also high potassium foods like banana, orange and potato. It seems to help.
DeleteHi Patsy,
ReplyDeleteI freeze celery chopped like you. I also cut the bottom off and put in container with a tiny bit of water in a sunny spot on the counter and it will regrow. It gets roots and green leaves. It will grow on the counter until the weather warms up. Then I will plant it outside in a pot. Love the idea about celery salt.
Blessings,
Patti
Patti, I've not tried re-growing it but have read about others doing so. I'll have to give it a try the next time I buy celery. Thanks for the tip!
DeleteWhile freezing may be an easy way to preserve celery, I can’t give up the “real estate” in my freezer for it! I have freezer meals, meats and other things that need that space! So I dehydrate my celery. That’s pretty easy too! I just chop up my celery like you do (although the last time I got a good deal on celery, it was $1 for a 5 pound bag already chopped up!). Then I spread it out on the trays and set the temperature to 125 degrees and voila!! Then when it’s done, I fill it into half gallon mason jars and vacuum seal it and it can sit on my shelf!
ReplyDeleteThat works too gardenpat!!! If I had very much to do that would be my method also!
DeleteAll the pesticides used on celery settles in the leaves, so I never use the leaves. I only buy during holidays when it is on sale and then I use an Excalibur dehydrator and put the dried celery in canning jars. It is easy to put chopped celery in food I am cooking.
ReplyDelete