If you are wondering how to freeze celery you are in the right place. Freezing celery is incredibly quick and easy and a great way to keep it fresh all year round.
Do you usually toss away any extra celery after using it in the cooking process?
What if you could freeze the celery and stop this endless cycle of wastage of vegetables?
Continue reading out today’s article and get all your celery-related answers!
Maybe the excess celery rots away in a few days before you can put it to good use.
Can you freeze celery?
Yes, you can freeze celery and use it in various cooking recipes such as stocks, soups, healthy smoothies, stews, and even juices!
Based on various studies, celery is beneficial against inflammation, heart diseases, blood pressure, gout, and high cholesterol.
These are just some of the benefits that can be obtained by including celery in your diet plan.
How to freeze celery [Step by Step]
Ready to freeze the celery and then using it whenever you want to make a smoothie, soup, or something delicious? Just follow the steps given below:
1. Chop down into Small Pieces
First things first!.
Wash the celery, and then use a knife to chop down the celery into your desired size. Because once the celery is frozen, you wouldn’t be able to cut it down so easily. No need to overthink this process, as you need to cut it down into small pieces.
2. Blanch the Celery
You can skip this step because you can freeze it without blanching.
But without blanching the celery, it will only last around two months in the frozen form.
On the other hand, freezing the blanched celery can safely last up to 1 whole year.
So it depends on how long you plan to use the celery.
Boil water in one pot and fill a second pot with ice-cold water to start the blanching process.
Once the water starts to boil in the first pot, toss the chopped down celery into the boiling water for a maximum of 3 minutes.
Then transfer the celery to the second pot, which contains cold water, for 5 minutes.
Finally, drain the cold water and let the vegetable dry completely.
This heating and cooling process will increase the shelf life of frozen celery and make it safer.
3. Freeze the Celery
Now there are two ways to freeze the celery. The first way is to stuff a freezer bag full of chopped celery and let it freeze. But later on, you will have a hard time utilizing it in the frozen form since it will become a giant green mass.
A second and more convenient way is to add a baking sheet on a tray and spread the celery on it.
Now transfer the celery-containing tray to the freezer for a few hours until it is frozen.
Now can you move the tray’s contents to a freezer bag, remove excess air, and freeze it.
The next time you need to use a little bit of celery, you could take our small quantities from the freezer bag with no problem.
FAQs about freezing celery
Got some unanswered questions related to freezing this vegetable? Take a look below:
Is blanching the celery necessary?
No, it is not a mandatory step and can be skipped. But freezing celery that is not blanched may only last for around two months.
How long can I safely use the frozen celery?
You can use it anywhere from 10 to 12 months (around one year).
Can I use frozen celery as a salad?
Unfortunately, you cannot use it as a salad. Most vegetables that are once frozen cannot be used as a salad since they lose their crispness and texture.
Implements and equipment you need to freeze celery
Celery.
Knife.
Cutting board.
A pot for boiling water.
A pot for cold water.
Colander.
Tray.
Baking sheet.
Plastic bags.
How to thaw celery
You can directly transfer the frozen celery into the pot without any defrosting process.
What can you make with frozen celery
You can use frozen celery in dishes like:
- Soups.
- Stocks.
- Stews.
- Juices.
- Smoothies.
Want to learn more about freezing your favorites?
- Check this post about how to freeze cupcakes the right way!
- Read how to freeze asparagus easily and in no time
- Save this post about how to freeze peaches and keep it on hand
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