{"id":13494,"date":"2020-04-27T09:40:27","date_gmt":"2020-04-27T13:40:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/growagoodlife.com\/?p=13494"},"modified":"2021-11-08T09:59:46","modified_gmt":"2021-11-08T13:59:46","slug":"freeze-celery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/growagoodlife.com\/freeze-celery\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Freeze Celery"},"content":{"rendered":"

Freezing celery is a simple way to reduce food waste in the kitchen. With a little effort, you can have frozen celery ready to add to your favorite recipes. Follow these easy steps to freeze celery.<\/p>\n

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Can you freeze celery?<\/h2>\n

Celery isn’t something I use regularly in the kitchen. We enjoy a few ribs here and there in salads, soups, stir-fry, and in bread stuffing on Thanksgiving, but it isn’t often I use up a whole bunch at once.<\/p>\n

Instead, I cut it up and freeze the extra. That way I can easily grab a handful of frozen celery when needed and add it to soups, stews, and stir-fries.<\/p>\n

Do you have to blanch celery before freezing?<\/h2>\n

When you blanch food, you partially cook it in boiling water for a brief time, and then plunge it into an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Blanching helps slow the enzymes that cause lost flavor, color, and texture. It also washes off any bacteria that might be on the surface of the celery.<\/p>\n

If you plan on using your celery in less than 3 months, you don’t need to blanch it at all. Just be sure to rinse it very well before freezing and cook before eating.<\/p>\n

If you want celery to last longer in the freezer, go ahead and blanch it before freezing. Properly blanched, packaged, and frozen celery will maintain a higher quality for approximately 12 months.<\/p>\n

Steps to Freezing Celery<\/h2>\n

Nothing goes to waste in the kitchen when you make the effort to freeze celery for later. Celery does lose most of its crispness when frozen, but it can be used in simmering soups, stews, stir-fries, and other cooked recipes just as you would fresh celery.<\/p>\n

Choose fresh, crisp stalks of celery to freeze for the best results. If your celery is a little limp, cut the bottom off the celery, and place the stalks in water to re-hydrate for a couple of hours before processing.<\/p>\n

You’ll find a printable recipe at the bottom of this post, but here are the illustrated steps to freeze celery:<\/p>\n

Step 1: Gather your equipment<\/h3>\n

Simple kitchen equipment is all you’ll need to freeze celery:<\/p>\n