How to Store Celery so It Stays Fresh
Keep celery crisp by storing it properly.
Fact checked by Haley Mades
When you approach the produce section at the grocery store, you need a plan to get the freshest, tastiest, and most nutritious fruits and veggies. For celery, that means picking quality stalks and knowing how to store celery so it stays fresh as long as possible—including a few tricks for storing cut vs. whole celery. Follow these tips for storing celery and making the most of your purchase.
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How to Pick Celery
While watermelon with sunspots will be sweeter and crisp lettuce won’t wilt as quickly, there are a few things you can look for when picking celery. First, look for bright green stalks, and avoid those with yellow or brown discoloration. The celery ribs should be firm and crisp, so pass on limp, bendy, or sad-looking celery. Finally, tightly packed, heavy bunches of celery are good signs, but avoid celery that’s spread out.
Celery Stalk vs. Rib
A “stalk” of celery is the entire head, and a “rib” of celery is an individual piece.
How to Store Celery Stalks
Celery bought at the grocery store typically comes in a plastic bag for easy transport, but this isn’t the best way to store fresh celery. The leafy vegetable gives off ethylene gas, a chemical compound that causes it to ripen quickly.
Keeping celery in the plastic bag it was purchased traps this gas, speeding up its inevitable expiration. So ditch the plastic bag, and wrap celery in aluminum foil instead. This also helps trap moisture, so the celery stays crunchy.
You can wrap the entire thing in aluminum foil and place it in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator. When wrapped too tightly, foil can still trap ethylene gas, so leave the ends open just a smidge so the celery can breathe. Stored this way, celery stalks can last for up to four weeks.
How to Store Cut Celery
You can chop or dice celery ribs ahead of time to get a head start on your meal prep. Unlike whole celery, cut celery loses its moisture quickly. Without aluminum foil to trap moisture, you’ll need to submerge it in water to keep it hydrated. If you know you’re going to use your celery soon, cut away and store it like this:
Cut celery into the desired shape and size.
Place celery pieces in an airtight container, and fill the container with enough water to submerge the celery.
Place containers in the fridge.
To maximize the celery's freshness, change out the water frequently, about every other day. Though celery pieces won’t last as long as whole celery, you can expect cut celery to last up to two weeks when stored like this in the refrigerator.
Can You Freeze Celery?
You can—and should—freeze celery you don’t plan on using right away. This saves money and cuts down on food waste. Raw celery lasts up to two months when frozen.
For best results and to help celery last longer, you’ll want to blanch celery before freezing it. It’s a bit of an inconvenient first step, but it’s necessary for the best flavor, color, and texture payoff later. When blanched first, frozen celery will last about a year in the freezer.
Follow these steps for freezing celery:
Start by cleaning, trimming, and cutting the celery.
Blanch celery by boiling the pieces for 2-3 minutes before swiftly removing them and plunging them into an ice bath to rapidly stop the cooking process.
Remove the celery pieces from the ice water after they’ve cooled. Then, it’s time to freeze.
Place the celery on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and put the sheet in the freezer for 1 to 2 hours, or until the celery is frozen solid.
Remove the baking sheet from the freezer and transfer the celery to a freezer bag or freezer-safe food storage container before placing it back in the freezer until you’re ready to cook with it.
How to Use Frozen Celery
Since frozen celery has lost moisture, it typically won't be crisp and ready to eat straight from the freezer or if thawed. However, it's great for cooking and adding to recipes—and thawing is not required. When the time comes, you can use your frozen celery in a myriad of ways; some of our favorites include soups, stews, stir-fries, casseroles, stuffings, and stocks. Try some of these sample recipes for cooking with frozen celery.
Classic Chicken Noodle Soup: A comforting and hearty dish, this soup recipe will benefit from adding cut, frozen celery. It's one less prep step that helps dinner cook faster.
Celery, Cucumber, and Pineapple Juice Smoothie: Perfect for a morning boost or an afternoon pick-me-up, this refreshing smoothie recipe already calls for frozen pineapple. Adding frozen celery pieces works great, and you can even pre-cut all the produce and leave a smoothie mix in the freezer for quick blending.
Stir-Fried Shrimp and Celery: Ready in just 10 minutes, you'll love adding this quick stir-fry recipe to your menu plan. Having frozen celery ready for cooking helps save kitchen time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you save celery that has gotten rubbery?
If your celery has become limp or rubbery, it's because of moisture loss. But don't despair: You don't have to toss rubbery celery. To save celery that has become rubbery, simply revive it in some water.
Do this by cutting off each end and adding the stalk (upright) to ice-cold water for about 30 minutes. Place it in the fridge for best results and then enjoy crispy, firm celery.
Does celery stay fresh when it's stored in paper towels?
Wrapping celery in a damp paper towel before storing it is a good way to help it retain moisture. However, using aluminum foil to wrap the celery yields the best results. Whichever way you wrap the celery, store it in the fridge's crisper drawer.
How do you know if celery has gone bad?
Despite your best efforts to store celery and keep it fresh longer, sometimes celery will spoil. You'll know it's no longer good when the celery stalks are soft and can be bent. Additionally, the celery's color will look faded. Of course, if you see signs of mold or the celery is slimy, you should toss it.
Related: How to Store Avocados So They Stay Fresh for as Long as Possible
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