How to Freeze Celery (Step-by-Step)

Storing celery can be a tricky job because the vegetable tends to go bad quickly. No matter how careful you are, you always end up with a bunch of rotting celery in the fridge. If you have ever wanted to eat celery only to find out that your stock has gone bad, you have probably wondered, can you freeze celery. 

You are not alone in this quest. I too have found rotting celery in the fridge but only because I did not know what I was doing wrong. I have learned now that if you follow the right technique, you can make sure the celery lasts long. This way, you’d always have some frozen celery to add in stews and soups.

Can You freeze celery?

Can celery be frozen? Yes, you can easily freeze celery but remember that it will lose its crispiness eventually. Since it has high water content, it can easily go mushy after a while. There are a few tips and tricks that you have to follow to ensure it retains its taste. 

So without further ado, let’s discuss them in detail:

How to Freeze Celery

Can celery be frozen? Yes, you can easily freeze celery but remember that it will lose its crispiness eventually. Since it The process is not difficult at all. It might take a bit of time but once you get the hang of it, you will be freezing celery like a pro. The basic goal is to ensure the vegetable does not lose its flavor. Just prepare the celery well and follow the steps given below. 

1. Wash and trim the celery stalks you want to freeze.
2. Chop the stalks and add them to a pot of boiling water.
3. Let them soak in the hot water for 5 minutes. 
4. Strain the celery and rinse them in cool water.
5. Allow the celery to dry and cool on a paper towel, put them in a Ziplock bag. Be sure to push out as much air as possible. 
6. You can store the bag in the freezer for a few months. 

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Do You Have to Blanch Celery?

It is not necessary to blanch celery, especially if you want to store celery for less than two months. However, this helps to retain the flavor so it is better to blanch celery before chucking it in the freezer for months.  This is a purely optional step but if you can afford the extra 15 minutes it really is worth it.

How to Defrost Celery

There are two methods that we use to defrost celery. It is a simple process and doesn’t take much time. We prefer to allow it to defrost slowly in the fridge but if you are in a hurry we have a second option for you.

Just take out the bag of celery from the freezer and store it in the fridge for 2 hours. This is the best method but if you are in a hurry you can speed the process along. 

Take the bag of celery out of the freezer and place it in a bowl of warm water. Make sure it isn’t too hot or it can warp the plastic Ziplock bag. Let it soak for half an hour and then you can use the celery any way you like.

How to Use Frozen Celery

If you don’t want to go through the whole process of defrosting the celery, you can use it as it is. Just add the pieces of frozen celery to any hot food that you’re making, and it’ll do the job. However, if you have frozen celery stalks, you’ll have to wait till it thaws a little before chopping it up.

Tips and Tricks

Here are a few tips and tricks that can help you freeze celery without making it lose its flavor. 

1. Cut the celery before freezing it so that you can easily add the frozen pieces to your hot food without going through the hassle of defrosting.
2. Strain the celery well after blanching because any water content left in there can make the celery go mushy. It’s better to blot out excess water with some paper towels prior to freezing it. 
3. When blanching celery, set a timer so you can take it off the heat after exactly 5 minutes or it’ll overcook.
4. To cool down blanched celery quickly, soak it in ice water for 2 minutes. You can also run cold water through it to get the same results.  

The best thing about celery is that if you ever run out, you can just use other vegetables as substitutes. So, if you’re ever in a situation like this, go through this blog to get ideas about what to use instead of celery.

Final Thoughts

I had to throw away celery many times just because it didn’t stay fresh for long. But ever since I discovered that I could freeze celery, I don’t need to dispose of it anymore. So, just follow the steps given above and you, too, can make sure you have fresh celery whenever you want it!

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