How to Freeze Celery Root

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Petiole celery is a versatile vegetable widely used in cooking. Often the culture is the main component of soups, snacks or even sauces. The plant is very beneficial for the human body. However, despite this, culture is not sold everywhere. Therefore, more and more gardeners are growing petiole celery with their own hands.

After harvesting, the shoots of the vegetable may fade, losing their natural color, there is a high probability of bitterness in the fruit and the appearance of excessive spicy notes in the taste. How to keep the harvest fresh and tasty? Be sure to block access to sunlight. This procedure is carried out when the plant stems reach 30 cm in height. The vegetable ripens quite late, so bleaching of the petioles usually occurs in early autumn.

First you need to collect the leaves of the crop into a “bun”, tying it with thread or cloth. Next, the sheets are wrapped with some available material. In this case, the “wrapper” should fit well to the ground. And its height should be such that the leaves themselves do not fit into it. You can secure the material with a thread of twine or ordinary tape. When 20 days have passed, the vegetable can be removed by the roots and, if possible, the crop can be buried in damp sand in the cellar.

Cleaning time

What is the time frame for harvesting petiole celery? There is no need to rush to remove rhizomes from the ground. After all, the more they are in the ground, the larger and riper they become. Also, over time, the skin of the fruit hardens, as a result of which the pulp of the vegetable becomes reliably protected. It can be easily stored and transported. Under no circumstances should you keep the plant in the ground during frosts. Indeed, under such conditions it will not be possible to preserve the harvest at all.

In temperate climates, celery should be harvested approximately at the end of September. More precisely, the collection period is determined based on climate and weather conditions. When there is a month left before the planned harvest, it is necessary to remove the lower leaves and shoots that have served their purpose. Now the root crop should ripen without its green parts.

To avoid damage to the skin of the crop, it is better to harvest without a shovel.

The most successful option is to simply pull the tops out of the soil by hand. Checking the quality of petiole vegetable fruits is very simple - just touch their tops. If this part of the root crop is soft, it means it is starting to rot. Tap the fruit. Do you hear a ringing sound? This means that there is emptiness inside the root vegetable.

Next, you need to trim off the green leaves, leaving behind small stumps. The thin roots should be eliminated, and the vegetable itself should be “freed” from the piles of earth on it.

The harvested crop must be sorted. Are there many fruits? You can leave several specimens right in the garden bed. The underground part of the plant will become unsuitable for consumption, however, at the very beginning of spring, young leaves will appear on the crop. They make an excellent salad. Do you want to grow a vegetable for yourself for the winter? Grow the crop in your window in a regular flower pot.

Cleaning technology

When harvesting vegetables, try to avoid physical damage to the fruit. After all, in this case it will be impossible to save the harvest. The petiole vegetable will rot quickly. Therefore, cleaning must be carried out as carefully and accurately as possible.

After collecting root crops and cutting off their tops, it is worth sorting out rotten and damaged specimens. Drying it will help preserve celery for the winter. To do this, simply leave the vegetable in the fresh air for several days.

Storage

There are several ways to store crops for the winter:

in a refrigerator;
in the freezer;
in dry form;
in the form of conservation.

Storing in the refrigerator allows you to preserve all the beneficial substances and its properties in the root vegetable. When you plan to store it this way, you need to thoroughly wash the green parts of the plant, remove dirt and damaged parts from them. After this, you need to dry the petioles. To prevent the plant from turning yellow and losing its freshness, it is necessary to maintain the correct level of humidity. Foil or a regular cellophane bag is ideal for this.

You can either wrap the washed and dried shoots in foil, which helps maintain moisture, or wrap the dry cuttings in a paper towel and put them in a bag. In the first case, access to oxygen will prevent rotting, and in the second, the green parts of the plant can breathe and retain moisture. The harvest stored in this way will remain unchanged for about a month.

Storing in the freezer allows the harvest to “stay” much longer. Washed and dried shoots of the crop must be crushed and placed in a bag or plastic container. In the freezer, supplies can last all winter without changes. This method of preserving vegetables allows you to use it at any time. At the same time, the root crop retains its properties even at temperatures below zero.

Celery is often used as a seasoning, so it is advisable to store it in dried form. Washed and dried shoots are placed in parchment paper and placed in a warm and dry place. After a month, the completely dry root vegetable is ground in a coffee grinder or blender. When prepared, this seasoning is stored in a jar with a lid.

The vegetable can also be preserved. In this case, the proportion of salt is 0.2 kilograms per kilogram of petioles. The shoots are placed in a jar as tightly as possible, covered with salt and rolled up. Afterwards, the jars are taken to a dark, cool place, such as a cellar.

Using different methods of storing vegetables helps to use the root crop all year round. You can prepare delicious and healthy dishes simply by adding ingredients to it. And if the vegetable was also grown by you with your own hands, there is no doubt about its benefits.

So, petiole celery is a tasty and healthy spice. Correct timely harvesting is the basis for effective storage of vegetables. Moreover, there are many ways to harvest root vegetables.

Storing leaf and stalk celery

Leaf/petiole celery

Dry salting

Shelf life: 2 days Celery greens can be salted, because salt resists rotting of the plant:

Fill a glass jar with herbs and add salt at the rate of 100 g of salt per 5000 g of celery.
Screw the lid on the jar and let it brew for two days.

In a refrigerator

Shelf life: 10 days Immediately after you take celery greens from the garden or buy them in the store, you must:

Thoroughly rinse each leaf of the plant with water;
Place celery on cheesecloth or other absorbent cloth to dry;
Be sure to wrap the dried celery in aluminum foil and place it in the refrigerator. By wrapping the petioles or leaves of celery in plastic film, they will wither within a few days.

Dry

Shelf life: 1 month Celery herb can be stored dried and used as a seasoning:

Place the plant on a baking sheet;
Cover it with a clean sheet of paper to protect the petioles and leaves from direct sunlight;
Store in a warm place for a month;

In the freezer

Shelf life: 3 months Petiole and leaf celery will retain the greatest aroma and green color when storing the plant in the freezer in ice trays - just cut the celery, put it in the molds and store it in the freezer.

Video “How to store celery”

This video shows how to keep celery fresh for as long as possible.

Root celery is a tasty and very healthy vegetable. To preserve root crops for as long as possible, root celery must be harvested on time. In this article we will tell you when to remove root celery from the garden, and how to preserve the crop throughout the winter.

If this plant appeared in your garden bed for the first time, then you are probably wondering when you need to dig up root celery and how to harvest it correctly. You need to know that root crops begin to form only in the second half of summer, and the bulk is gained from the end of August to September. In addition, the tubers need more time to ripen, otherwise they will be tasteless and quickly spoil.

It follows from this that there is no need to rush to harvest celery roots. The plant tolerates cold and light frosts well on the surface, so it can be left in the ground until the first snow. However, it is undesirable to expose the tubers to real frost, since even light freezing will negatively affect the taste and shelf life.

The timing of harvesting root celery is also affected by the climate of the region where it grows. In the south, tubers can be left in the garden until mid-November, but in the middle zone the period when celery can be harvested is limited to October. But the easiest way to determine the maturity of root celery is by the tops. If the tops begin to turn yellow, this is a sure sign that the root is no longer growing and it’s time to dig it up.

How can rhizomes be stored?

Green vegetables can be grown in the garden or at the dacha. The rules for winter storage at home are simple; celery is prepared in different forms. Frozen or dried herbs are added to the soup for a special aroma, frozen rhizomes are grated and seasoned in various dishes, pickled tomatoes with celery are piquant. The culture can be eaten on its own.

The storage of fresh petioles, leaves and roots of the plant is quite long. The products can be used in salads and as a bright decoration for any prepared dish.

Harvesting involves cutting off the leaves, leaving the small petioles behind. Suitable months would be July and August. Purchased raw materials must be checked for the smoothness of the skin, which should not have any unevenness or knots, otherwise the product will be inconvenient to clean. Leaves and stems should not be yellowed or spotted.

Tip: If you knock on the root and the tone of the sound is ringing, this means there are voids inside. You can check the root vegetable to make sure it is not rotten by pressing on the top of the root. Softness and slipperiness indicate a low-quality product.

If the rhizomes do not need long-term storage, they are wrapped tightly with cling film and placed in a special compartment of the refrigerator. The tartness of aroma, spiciness and benefits of celery will be relevant for a week. Foil or a food container will extend the shelf life. Placed on paper towels, the green parts of the plant will keep in the refrigerator compartment for vegetables for 3 weeks.

There are several methods for storing celery root for a long time. You can pour sand into a large container, for example a box, place celery in it with the petioles facing out, and store it underground.

You can put the roots in plastic bags, or leave them folded in wooden boxes, the walls of which do not have cracks. Take sand and sprinkle it on the products in a two-centimeter layer. Store in a special room with approximately ninety percent air humidity and a temperature no higher than one positive degree.

Another method begins by preparing the clay mixture to create a consistency similar to sour cream. The roots are taken individually and dipped in clay. Once dried, they are placed in stacks in a vegetable store or cellar.

You can store root celery in piles with the petioles facing out. It is necessary that all layers are poured. For this, soil or sand mixed with chalk is suitable, then fungal diseases will not be harmful to the product.

Before storing dried celery root, peel the skin, cut it into strips, and dry it in a sunny place. The products are placed in a glass container and closed.

It is good to store celery for the winter in the freezer. Root vegetables will need to be cleaned. Take a large grater and grate the celery root on it. The products are placed in bags and stored in the freezer for up to a year. Celery can be added to dishes frozen; defrosting is not required.

Harvesting technology

Having decided on the question of when is the best time to harvest celery root, you should choose the right day and think through the harvesting process itself. Considering that celery tubers have many fibrous roots and “sit” quite deep in the ground, it is recommended to dig them up after rain, but not immediately, but, for example, the next day, when the soil becomes loose. If there is no precipitation, the bed should be watered, otherwise the root crops may be damaged when digging, and this will significantly reduce their safety.

Harvesting can be done in one of the following ways:

Using a garden fork, a shovel or a large knife, carefully pry up the roots and remove the plants to the surface;
if the soil is wet and loose, the tubers can simply be pulled out, holding them by the tops.

After the harvesting is completed, shake off the soil from the tubers and, if the weather permits, leave them in the garden for a while to dry. Then the tops are cut to a height of 2–3 cm, and the root vegetables themselves are laid out in a dry, well-ventilated room for further drying. The cut tops can be left in the garden bed - over the winter they will turn into excellent fertilizer.

Root vegetables with slight mechanical damage are not suitable for long-term storage - they are best used for food immediately.

Wintering celery in the cellar, garage, or country house

There are many ways to store fresh celery tubers. Choose any of them, but remember: a good result is obtained only when the room temperature is from 0° to +1°, and the humidity is 90% or higher. Our great-grandmothers also knew how to organize the wintering of root crops in non-residential buildings, and these methods have hardly changed. Take advantage of the wisdom of old advice.

Pour a layer of wet sand into a large box and “plant” celery there, like in a garden bed.
Dip the root vegetables in a “mash” of clay and water, dry and store in stacks.
In the southern regions, where the ground does not freeze to great depths, place the tubers in trenches, sprinkling each layer with wet sand. Cover the vegetables with straw and a 15 cm layer of soil on top.

Advice
For fresh consumption, select only the largest, smoothest, healthiest specimens. Ruthlessly discard those root vegetables that cause even the slightest suspicion. They will not go to waste if you immediately put them into processing and store them frozen or dried.

Use some other little tricks to better preserve your harvest. When chalk and lime are added to the sand where root crops are stored, or the rows of celery are sprinkled with onion peels, the crop does not rot. Make sure that the sand does not dry out; to do this, you can cover the pile with film, but do not make airtight packaging. It would be a good idea to put the vegetables in plastic bags or boxes lined with film. This material retains carbon dioxide, which contributes to the good preservation of tubers. In any case, the top of the container must be open or have ventilation holes.

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Storage rules

Celery can be stored fresh, frozen or dried. The first method is certainly the most interesting, since fresh root vegetables contain more nutrients and vitamins. And so that the vegetable does not lose its nutritional value, it must be stored in the cold - at a temperature of +2...+8 °C. A cold room (cellar, basement) or refrigerator is suitable for this. Root vegetables are stored the longest in the cellar, as the optimal temperature and humidity ratio is maintained there.

Only healthy and undamaged tubers are suitable for storage, so sorting should be done before storing. Root selection is carried out visually, using tapping and pressure. A ringing sound when lightly tapped indicates voids inside the celery. If the top of the root crop bends, this is a sign of the beginning of rotting of the product. When pressed, healthy tubers should remain dense, with a smooth surface, without scars or growths of unknown origin.

Next, the sorted roots should be prepared. To store them in the refrigerator, wash them thoroughly with a soft brush, dry them, then place them in plastic or cling film and place them in a vegetable container. To store root crops in the cellar, you only need to clear the soil and cut off the tops, then use one of the following methods:

put the tubers in a box with wet sand (you need to lay them in one layer with the petioles facing up);
dip into a “mash” of water and clay, and after drying, stack the vegetables in rows;
in the south of the country, where the soil does not freeze in winter, root crops can be kept in the ground, laid in layers in a shallow trench, and each layer sprinkled with moistened sand.

To prevent tubers from rotting, it is recommended to add a little lime or ash to the sand. The sand should also not be allowed to dry out. As for drying and freezing root vegetables, during such processing the product loses most of its beneficial properties and is only suitable for heat treatment.

Now you know when to harvest and how to store celery tubers, and perhaps your garden bed will be replenished with this vegetable, even if you didn’t pay attention to it before.

How to store celery root

Root vegetables should be kept in a cool place. Therefore, you can wash each fruit, dry it, wrap it in cling film and put it in the refrigerator in the vegetable compartment. This storage method allows you to preserve the freshness and juiciness of the fruit for 10 days.

Vegetable storage rooms

If you intend to store root celery in an apartment, then you need to choose the coldest and darkest place, for example, a pantry; you can also place boxes with wet sand, where the roots should be buried, under the windows in the kitchen.

To prevent the sand from drying out, the boxes can be covered with cling film, which will need to be removed from time to time to prevent the tubers from rotting.
When storing root celery in the country, they can be buried in holes. To do this, root vegetables are placed in a hole in one layer and, covered with sand, sprinkled with earth. This method is good only for areas with mild climates where the substrate does not freeze.
In the basement, shed and cellar, root celery can be stored “sealed” in a special way. They are placed in a box with sand and lime, sprinkled with sand on top and the entire box is covered with clay. When the clay dries, the boxes are placed on racks and shelves.

Celery is a very useful crop, so it is important to do everything to preserve this delicacy for a longer period. By using all the tips and recommendations, you can successfully extend the life of this healthy plant and enjoy its elegant taste.

When is harvest time?

The answer to this question will be observation of the weather. In any case, you should not remove celery from the garden before October. In September, all useful substances accumulate and mass increases. If the autumn turned out to be warm, then until the end of October you can leave the celery in the beds. But if stable frosts begin, then you need to remove the vegetable from the garden. The root vegetable itself can withstand frosts down to -6°C, although such a fruit will not last long. And minor frosts down to -4°C are not harmful to the root system of celery. Thus, the main signals for harvesting root celery are:

Second half of October.
The leaves of the plant turn yellow.
In the mornings the frosts are more than -4°C.
During the day the temperature does not rise above +5°C.
If there is a lot of moisture, check for cracking. If root vegetables begin to burst, it is better to remove them earlier.

These are the main criteria by which you can determine the time to harvest celery root.

The process of collecting root crops

The time has been chosen, the signets are on, the baskets are prepared - it’s time to go to the garden for the celery harvest.

The entire collection process looks like this:

You need to go for the harvest from 11 o'clock in the afternoon, when the frost has passed and the moisture has dried out and there is no precipitation.
If the ground is hard, then you need to take a shovel or pitchfork. Carefully dig up the celery roots and place them in small piles for ventilation.
Shake and knead the soil from the root vegetables with your hand without damaging the vegetable itself.
Trim the tops, leaving 2-4 cm.
Trim long and thin roots a little.
Place the celery in a basket and remove it from the garden.

That's all the manipulations that need to be done when harvesting. Celery tops can be left on the site for the purpose of fertilizing and repelling pests (some of them do not like the pungent smell from celery). Or you can collect it and throw it in a compost bin.

Storing celery root

Root vegetables are stored in several ways:

Fresh - in the basement.
Frozen - in the freezer.
Chilled - in the refrigerator.
Dried - in glass containers.

Each of these methods needs to be considered in detail, understanding the features and nuances.

Storing celery in the basement

The collected undamaged root crops are laid out in rows, cut tops up, and covered with sand to which a little lime or chalk has been added. You can put some onion peels between the rows. These techniques are necessary in order to slow down the rotting processes in celery. Cover the top with plastic wrap, but do not seal it tightly. Place the boxes in a basement, cellar or other suitable place. Conditions that should be in place where celery is stored:

The temperature is not below zero, but not above +4°C.
Air humidity is no more than 80%.
Periodic ventilation of the room.

If you store celery this way, it can last until spring. The main thing is to periodically review the boxes and remove damaged copies.

They can also be stored in plastic bags; for this, root vegetables are placed in bags without covering the top opening of the bag. Place in a room with the parameters as described above. The vegetable can be stored this way for up to two months.

Freezing root vegetables

In the freezer, celery retains its beneficial properties and taste for up to 4 months. That is, there will be enough reserves for the whole winter. To freeze this vegetable you need:

Wash root vegetables.
To peel.
Cut into cubes or strips (as you like).
Place on a towel to dry for several hours.
Place in plastic bags or plastic containers.
Place in the freezer.

In this way, you can freeze those celery root vegetables that were slightly damaged during harvest and cannot be stored whole.

Storing celery in the refrigerator

Wash the vegetable.
Peel the peel.
Cut into cubes or strips.
Place in a plastic bag.
Place in the refrigerator.

This way you can extend the life of celery.

Storing dried celery

To ensure that soups and other dishes have a subtle aroma and pleasant taste of celery, many housewives dry this vegetable. This way, celery is stored for a long time and does not take up much space, and is also always at hand. To dry it, you should:

Wash the root vegetable.
To peel.
Cut into thin slices or strips, or you can grate on a coarse grater.
Dry in special dryers for vegetables and fruits. Or you can do it in the oven, evenly distributing the chopped celery on baking sheets. The thickness of the layers should not exceed 3 cm. Just do not set the temperature above 80°C. Dry in several stages for 2-3 hours. This process will take several days. You need to stir the celery periodically to ensure even drying.

Place the dried vegetable in a glass container with a tight-fitting lid. Place in a dry place.

If properly harvested celery is sent for storage using one of the described methods, then you don’t have to worry about its safety. All winter it will delight you with its taste, aroma and beneficial properties. The main thing is to periodically check the root crops that are in the bins and remove rotten specimens in a timely manner to avoid damage to the entire celery crop.

Only the lazy don’t talk about the benefits of celery. Freshly squeezed juice from the petioles is rich in vitamins and promotes weight loss, improves complexion, and has a calming effect on the nervous system. The vegetable contains carotene and is rich in valuable amino acids and microelements. If you managed to grow this crop on your plot, the question arises of when to harvest and how to store petiole celery so that it retains its healing properties and brings maximum benefits.

Juicy stems are good in fresh salads, soups, side dishes, they are used to prepare vitamin cocktails

How to Freeze Celery Root

Celery root can be bought at any supermarket or market, but this can only be done during the harvest season. At other times of the year, it can be difficult to find celery root, and then freezing will come to the rescue. If you have several bags of frozen celery root in your freezer, then there will always be a delicious, vitamin-rich variety of dishes on the table.

First you need to choose good, elastic root vegetables for freezing: they should be without damage or spoilage. Do not buy cut celery roots; perhaps the other half was spoiled, which means this specimen is not suitable for freezing.

Rinse the celery root well under running water and remove the skin.

Then, at your discretion, based on the dish the preparation will be used in, cut or grate the root.

Freezing celery root into cubes

You can cut celery root into medium cubes and use it in a variety of dishes, such as soups or stews.

Before freezing, it is advisable to blanch the root in order to preserve its original appearance, taste and as many useful substances as possible.

Boil water in a saucepan and carefully place the celery cubes in it. Cook from the moment of re-boiling for 2-3 minutes.

Drain the hot water into a colander and quickly plunge the celery cubes into cold water (preferably ice water) to quickly stop the cooking process.

For quick cooling, you can change the cold water several times so that the celery root cools faster and retains all its nutritional qualities.

Place the cubes in a colander.

Lay a kitchen towel on the counter and place the blanched celery cubes in an even layer. Leave them for 30-40 minutes so that they dry thoroughly.

If you freeze celery in late autumn or winter, you can take the cubes out to the balcony and let them dry there. Plus, the celery will also cool further before freezing.

Spread dry celery cubes in an even layer on a flat surface in the freezer. You can simply use a cutting board or tray, covering them with cling film, or freeze the cubes on a special flat tray as in the photo.

Place the workpiece in the freezer for 2-3 hours at -18 degrees.

Frozen celery root cubes should release well from the surface on which they were frozen. They need to be packaged in bags or containers.

If you freeze celery cubes in a bag, be sure to release the air using a drinking straw (you can see how to do this here).

There is no need to defrost celery root. Simply add it to a simmering broth, stew, or other dish at some point in the cooking process.

Freezing celery root into strips

Celery root can also be frozen in stick form. To do this, you need to cut the root into strips of the desired thickness and length.

Blanch in boiling water for about 2 minutes after the water returns to a boil.

Cool in ice water.

Dry the straw well on a towel.

Freeze in the freezer on a flat tray for 3-4 hours.

Pour the straw into the bag and release as much air as possible. Sign the label and put it in the freezer for storage.

Freezing grated celery root

Grate the peeled celery root on a coarse grater.

You don’t have to blanch it, but then the shelf life of such a product will decrease.

Place the grated root in a bag in a thin layer (so that, if necessary, you can simply break off a piece of the required size from the overall workpiece), release as much air as possible and place in the freezer.

The shelf life of frozen celery root cubes and strips is 10-12 months , it is advisable to use grated blanched root vegetables within 6-7 months , and without blanching for 3-4 months . The storage temperature should be between minus 18 – minus 22 degrees.

Frozen grated celery root can be used, for example, in stir-frying soup - it will make it more flavorful. You can add celery frozen by simply placing it in the pan with other vegetables.

Frozen root can also be used to make creamy soup, garlic soup with smoked brisket, cabbage soup with mushrooms, creamy potato and carrot soup, etc.

Dishes prepared from frozen celery root are in no way inferior to those prepared from fresh product.

Time to harvest

A gardener's dream is large, juicy, bleached celery stalks, sweet, with a spicy aroma, without bitterness. For it to be realized, it is necessary to observe not only the technology of planting and caring for the crop, but also the timing of harvesting petiole celery.

This vegetable crop, in contrast to the root variety, is more delicate, sensitive to temperatures below 0⁰ C. First of all, this applies to self-bleaching varieties that are grown without burying the stems in the soil or mulching material. They are cut no later than September, before the first frost. If the plant was grown in a trench method or it is possible to use covering material, the time for harvesting petiole celery can be delayed by 3–4 weeks.

Advice! Experienced gardeners recommend subjecting the rosette of stems to a special procedure - bleaching - 2-3 weeks before harvesting. The petioles are collected in a bunch and the lower part is wrapped in burlap, paper, or other opaque but breathable material. This way they will be more tender and without bitterness.

One more tip. You cannot keep the plant in the garden longer than recommended by agricultural practices; as a rule, this is from 11 to 16 weeks. Otherwise, the petioles become rough, fibrous, and taste worse.

Petiole celery is completely dug out of the ground; during harvesting, only the roots are cut off and then sent for storage. For plants intended for longer storage or growing, the roots are left and then buried in damp sand in a cellar or greenhouse.

Note! Celery varieties can have different petiole colors. Green stems are recommended to be bleached, yellow stems are more delicate, self-bleaching, pink (red) varieties are the most resistant to frost. They can be removed later.

Storage and processing methods

There are several ways to store and process stalked celery for the winter. Each of them has its own pros and cons.

The advantage of the refrigerator is the ability to store trimmed petioles, ready for use, but the period is even shorter (2-3 weeks).

Frozen celery lasts up to a year, but you can’t make a fresh salad from it or squeeze out juice.

Dried petioles have an even longer shelf life. They retain a lot of useful substances, but are only suitable as an aromatic additive to dishes.

Thrifty housewives use different options for storing and processing stalked celery and provide their family with a healthy vegetable throughout the winter.

In a refrigerator

Vegetables purchased or picked up from the cellar for current consumption are stored in the refrigerator. The task at hand is to ensure that the stems retain their elasticity and juiciness, but do not begin to rot. Before putting them in the refrigerator, they are washed, dried, then one of the packaging options is used:

wrap the bundle with a paper towel and place it in a plastic bag;

dry product can be wrapped in cling film.

Before consumption, the dried edges of the petioles are cut off; otherwise, they retain their original quality.

Cellar

As practice shows, it is best to store the grown crop of petiole celery in the cellar.

Before lowering it into the basement, the foliage of a dug plant is cut off, and a small piece of rhizome (2–3 cm) is left at the bottom. The sockets are placed vertically in a box, half covered with sand. Alternatively, individual specimens with roots can be buried in damp sand (peat). Instead of a basement, an unheated balcony, a cold veranda, or a glazed loggia will do, but only if the air temperature there does not drop to 0⁰ C.

Options for freezing petioles

A popular storage method is freezing stalked celery for the winter. Despite the abundance of recipes, the fundamental difference is one thing - whether to heat-treat the vegetable before freezing or not.

The first option is freezing and blanching the product. The scheme is similar to preparing Brussels sprouts, step by step it looks like this.

The crushed mass is immersed in boiling water for 2-3 minutes.

Remove with a slotted spoon into a bowl of cold water or pieces of ice for quick cooling.

Before freezing petiole celery, lay it out in one layer on a cloth napkin, and after draining excess moisture, place it on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.

Sent to the freezer.

Once frozen, transfer to a sealed bag.

The chopped stems can not be blanched, but immediately placed in bags or containers, and then frozen. But in this case, the shelf life of the workpiece is reduced to 2–3 months.

Advice! If you boil and freeze whole stalks, they can be used to make light stuffed appetizers. Suitable fillings include cottage cheese with raisins, cheese with bell peppers and herbs, and minced chicken with Parmesan.

Drying and seasoning

A time-tested way to store spices is by drying stalked celery. Selected stems are washed under running water, carefully removing sand and pieces of soil, and blotted with a cloth. Whole or cut into large pieces, lay out on a clean sheet of parchment paper, cover with another layer of paper on top and leave at room temperature until completely dry. Taking into account the juiciness of the stems, this will take about a month. Dried petioles are stored in a glass container and crushed as needed. You can immediately grind them in a mortar, grind them in a blender or twist them through a meat grinder, and use them as a seasoning.

To speed up the process, petiole celery is dried in an oven or electric dryer. The principle is the same - large pieces (2–3 cm) are placed on a wire rack and kept at a temperature of 50–60⁰ C. When dealing with the oven, do not forget to keep the door ajar so that air circulates and the product dries and does not bake.

Pickling

Our grandmothers used salt to store stalked celery. The stems, cut into pieces, were placed in glass jars and generously sprinkled with salt. It takes about 200 g for 1 kg of petioles. This preparation is used to flavor first and meat dishes, and added to hot sauces.

Harvesting and storing petiole celery:

This article describes the rules for harvesting and storing celery. This is important to know. If you are late before the onset of frost, the vegetable will become unsuitable for storage and inedible, turning into a tasteless mass.

Storing root vegetables in a city apartment

Celery is not capricious, it stores well until summer, but it still requires attention. The underground parts can be kept in the refrigerator. Since there are different products there, many of which are not cooked, unsanitary conditions are unacceptable. You need to thoroughly rinse and dry the root vegetables and pack them in plastic bags. Place the tubers in the vegetable compartment; they can be used fresh for salads and added to hot dishes.

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Of course, there is only enough room in the refrigerator for a small amount of roots, and if you want to eat celery all winter, you need to use other storage methods. When the container for vegetables is very small, you have to bring small portions of root vegetables from the cellar. Before putting them in the refrigerator, cover each specimen with cling film; in this form, it remains fresh and juicy for up to 10 days.

If you have a large freezer in your home, do not load your entire crop into it. When celery tubers are stored at sub-zero temperatures, they are unsuitable for food in their raw form. Place only root vegetables in the freezer, which will become raw materials for soups and vegetable stews.

Sand and lime will help preserve celery and avoid the risk of root rotting

Ripening and harvesting dates

Celery petioles are cut for salads several times during the growing season, when the length of the leaves reaches 30-35 cm. The best option for the last harvest for this plant is from the end of September to the first week of October. Then the petioles will retain their unique taste. The last harvest is prepared for the winter. If several varieties are planted, those with a reddish tint at the base of the leaves can be harvested later than the white ones.

A few weeks before harvesting, it is necessary to carry out the so-called “bleaching procedure” to make the petioles even more tender and remove the bitter taste. It's easy to do:

Carefully collect the petioles into a bunch.
Wrap the lower part with opaque, breathable material. Burlap is best.
Remove the fabric before cleaning.

Vegetables with yellow stems do not need this procedure; they are more tender than other types.

It must be taken into account that in each region the climate makes its own adjustments. If in the Moscow region gardeners receive their harvest in early October, then in Siberia and the Urals the harvest dates are postponed to an earlier time due to temperature differences.

You need to know when to organize the harvest. The onset of this moment can be determined by the following signs:

celery does not tolerate cold, therefore, when the temperature drops to 0 o C, you need to collect the petioles;
the appearance of noticeably yellowed lower leaves means that it is time to harvest;
Usually celery is harvested together with late varieties of cabbage.

By following these simple rules, you can provide your family with a supply of green vitamins grown on your own plot.

How to store it correctly

There are several basic ways to store and prepare celery for the winter at home:

in a cold cellar the product does not spoil for 2 months;
leaves and petioles can be frozen, but then the benefits of the spice will be much reduced;
the petioles can be dried for consumption in the form of an aromatic seasoning;
Pickling will make it possible to use the culture in many dishes and sauces all year round.

All these methods preserve the beneficial properties and taste of celery.

Keeping it fresh

When fresh, the harvest does not last long. Without special treatment, the leaves wither, lose their elasticity and taste. Storing the petioles in the refrigerator will make it possible to prepare fresh salads with the addition of celery for two weeks. To do this you need:

Wash the petioles well with running water.
Place on a clean towel or napkin to dry.
Wrap in foil or cling film to remove air.
Place in the refrigerator.

You can store the petioles in a cool, dry cellar, where they will last twice as long. The preparation technology is the same.

You can send the plants for growing. This is done as follows:

When harvesting, leave a small rhizome, about 5 centimeters.
Trim the foliage.
Pour wet sand or sawdust into the container.
Place vertically in the soil.
Sent to the cellar. Another humid room with a temperature of 5 to 10 o C will do.
Periodically moisten with water during storage.

This way you will have fresh celery all year round.

Drying

Wash thoroughly with running water.
They cut coarsely.
Place on parchment paper loosely, leaving free space.
Cover the top with another sheet of paper to prevent dust from getting into the future seasoning.
Leave at room temperature for two weeks.

For those who don't want to wait that long, there is another way. Having previously prepared the product, dry it in the oven at a temperature of 50 o C.

When drying, you do not need to close the oven door completely to allow air circulation.

Salting

Salt is an excellent preservative. Pickled celery stalks are often used in the preparation of sauces, appetizers and as an addition to the main dish. Before pickling the petioles, you need:

Rinse the vegetables under running water and chop coarsely.
Alternating celery and salt, place in layers in a jar.
Add 150 g of salt per 1 kg of petioles.
Roll up the jar.

The petioles will be ready for use in a week and a half. They will last for a long time without losing their taste. By growing celery and stocking it for the winter, you will provide yourself with a healthy seasoning and a source of vitamins and minerals.

Where and how to properly store celery

When you finish harvesting the celery, prepare the parts of the plant properly and store them for the winter. First, the instances need to be sorted. Look for vegetables that are intact, firm and flavorful.

Greens and stems should be bright and juicy, without wilted or rotten parts. Root crops are uniformly colored in a characteristic color, without yellowness or spots. The surface should be dense and not sag when pressed. The root, suitable for storing in the house, has a sonorous sound. A blank indicates voids inside, due to which the shelf life of the product is reduced.

Note: Pay attention to the tip of the root. If the place is soft and loose, the specimen will soon deteriorate.

Ways to store celery for the winter

Fresh for the winter

Keep fresh celery in the refrigerator, cellar, basement or on the balcony. Preparation technology and storage features depend on the type. There are also general rules for choosing and organizing space in an apartment; the location is characterized by lack of sunlight, high humidity and a temperature of +3...+5 °C.

Fridge

It is easiest to store celery in the refrigerator, but the vegetable will have a relatively short shelf life. The leaf and petiole will last 10 days, after which they will begin to rot. Root vegetables will be edible within a month.

Leaves and stems that go into the refrigerator are not cut. Chop and the greens will wither in a couple of hours. Leave them whole, wrap them in a damp cloth, and place them in the “freshness zone” or to the far wall of the appliance. Do not leave it in polyethylene - condensation will accumulate inside, which will ruin the workpiece faster.

Clean the roots from any remaining soil. Cut off side shoots and stems. Wash and dry on paper towels. Place in a bag separately from each other, wrap with cling film or natural fabric and foil.

Storing celery in the refrigerator

Cellar

To store petiole celery or leaves at home, the basement, balcony and cellar are not suitable. Only root varieties that are resistant to short-term cold weather are harvested in such rooms.

Before sending vegetables to the cellar:

sort through the crop and get rid of damaged specimens;
carefully clear away any remaining soil;
choose one of the suitable maintenance methods and prepare the root vegetables.

You can place celery in low boxes, boxes or bags with ventilation holes. Place wet river sand, a mixture of soil and wood ash, perlite or vermiculite on the bottom of the container. Bury the specimens so that only the petioles remain on the surface.

If it is not possible to place boxes in the basement, place them in bags or perforated foil pockets. You can also coat the crop with clay solution, dry it and place it in one layer on newspapers. In conditions of humidity of at least 95% and temperatures in the range from +1 to +3 °C, the workpieces will last for 1-3 months.

Tip: If you want to extend the life of root vegetables, add onion or garlic peels to the boxes with sand. The antibacterial properties of the products will protect against the rapid formation of rot.

Celery stalks in foil

Frozen

If it is not possible to eat the harvested crop within the prescribed time frame, the leftovers can be sent to the freezer. At -18 °C the vegetable will last a year, but will lose some of its taste. It is not recommended to consume the thawed product fresh. Celery from the freezer is suitable for preparing heat-treated dishes and canning.

Wash the roots, peel and chop to the state in which the ingredient is used in recipes. Cutting celery after defrosting is inconvenient, the structure changes. Divide the workpiece into portions and place in zip-top bags or containers with a lid.

Petioles and leaves can be sent to the freezer whole or crushed. Rinse, dry with paper towel, cut if necessary. Arrange the stems or pieces on a baking sheet in a single layer. When the workpiece freezes, pour it into zip bags or plastic containers.

Freeze celery in a bottle and use in portions

Dried

If you don't have enough space in your fridge and freezer, try drying celery. In this form, the blanks are stored in natural bags at room temperature. The vegetable remains edible for 5-10 years if used as a seasoning for heat-treated dishes.

To create a blank of celery leaves, petioles and roots:

peel and remove excess parts, wash;
remove excess moisture with a paper towel;
cut into cubes, strips, circles of the same size;
spread in one layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet;
leave in a dark, dry, well-ventilated place;
Turn over periodically to dry evenly.

When the product turns into chips, transfer the workpiece into cotton or paper bags. Place in a dark, dry place away from heating devices. Add to dishes for taste 10-15 minutes before cooking.

To speed up drying, you can use an oven or dehydrator. In the first, set the temperature to 60-100 °C, turn on convection or open the oven door slightly. Dry in a dehydrator at standard 40 °C. Depending on the size of the pieces, the process will take 1-3 hours.

Canned

When canned, the product can be stored for 6-12 months. Salt and pickle celery in sterilized, rolled-up jars. Keep the container in the refrigerator or cellar.

Pickling

For salting you will need:

700 g celery;
140 g of salt, iodized is not suitable;
liter sterilized jar with a lid;
additional seasonings - hot and allspice, currant leaves.

Wash the vegetable and remove the peel and hard parts. Cut into small pieces, grate or mince. Place in a jar, sprinkling with salt and spices in layers. Sterilize in a saucepan with water again for 20 minutes and roll up.

Pickling

To prepare the pickled product, take:

500 g stalked celery;
500 ml water;
2 tbsp. l. apple cider vinegar;
3 cloves of garlic;
1.5 tsp. salt;
2 tsp. Sahara;
Bay leaf;
allspice peas;
3 tbsp. l. vegetable deodorized oil.

The vegetable is washed and cleared of unnecessary parts. Cut the stems into pieces 5 cm long and place them in jars along with the garlic slices. Water, vinegar, salt, sugar and other spices are brought to a boil. Pour the marinade over the celery and add a layer of oil on top. Re-sterilize the jars in a pan of water and seal them.

After preservation, the container is turned over for 15 minutes to check the tightness. Then they put it in the cellar or refrigerator.