How to Freeze Celery: We share the best recipes for using celery from the freezer, plus a quick guide for freezing it so that you can save both time and money!
While celery is commonly used in soups, salads, stir-fries, and other recipes, it is not frequently needed in large quantities, so you might have extra stalks that are waiting to be forgotten and thrown out.
Often, celery goes to waste. However, you can use it instead by freezing it and then use it in soups, stews, and stocks, as well as juices and smoothies. Find out how to freeze fresh celery and make the most of it in this blog post.
How Long Does Celery Last?
When stored in a refrigerator, uncut celery wrapped in aluminium foil lasts for about a month. In an airtight container, chopped celery will remain fresh for about two to three weeks. Frozen celery lasts for up to 10 months.
The Pros and Cons of Freezing Celery
Although celery can be frozen, its crispness will decrease after it has been frozen, so you should use it for soups, stews, and other warm dishes. It is not suitable for making relish trays or ants on a log. The raw version of celery simply won’t work. Neither will it work in stir-fries or other preparations where you would like some crispness in the cooked celery.
Preparing Celery for Freezing:
Step 1: Choosing the right stalks when you’re freezing celery is vital. Choose crisp and tender ones since they’ll freeze more quickly. Keep away from stalks with coarse strings.
Step 2: Then, clean the celery stalks thoroughly using cool water and a soft vegetable brush after selecting the stalks you intend to freeze. Remove any remainder of residue from the stalks, and place those pieces aside. Rinse the celery stalks under cool water once again, removing any discoloured portions, and snip the strings attaching them to the stem.
Step 3: Using the knife, cut the celery stalks to the desired length once they have been cleaned. In addition, if you aren’t sure what recipes you will use the celery for, cutting them into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces will generally work well.
When celery stalks have been frozen, they can be challenging to chop up, so if you’re unsure of what size to use, chop them now.
Do you have to Blanch Celery before Freezing?
The process of blanching foods involves partially cooking them in boiling water for a short period of time in order to slow enzymes that damage flavour, colour and texture. Blanching also removes any bacteria that might remain on celery.
Celery won’t last long in the freezer if you blanch it before freezing if you plan to use it in the next three months. Before you freeze it, make sure that you rinse it thoroughly and then cook it prior to eating. If you blanch, package, and freeze celery properly, it will stay in good shape for about 12 months.
Steps for Blanching
- Make a large pot of water boil, and place the celery in the pot with enough water to cover it all. Turn the burner on high, and bring the pot of water to a full rolling boil.
- For optimum nutrition, use 1 gallon (3.8 L) of water per pound (454 g) of celery when adding water to the pot.
- Adding the chopped celery to the boiling water once the water has reached a rolling boil is the next step. Stir the water to ensure that all of the celery is submerged, and then let it boil for 3 minutes.
- The celery can easily be added to and removed from the water if it is put in a boiler basket before being added to the water.
- As soon as the celery gets hot, you should set a timer and remove it from the water right away. When the celery has boiled for 3 minutes, your celery is ready to be eaten.
- Immediately transfer it to a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process after it has been in the cold water for three minutes.
- The quickest way to cool celery is to immerse it in ice water while placed in a colander. Continue this process until it cools to the desired temperature.
Why is it necessary to Flash Freeze?
In this situation, we’ll freeze the cut celery on a baking sheet, then wait for two hours until it’s frozen. The act is called flash freezing, which allows food to be frozen individually, allows the food to be without clumping together.
It is so handy to use the reusable silicone bags for freezer storage (think of them like ice cream storage tubes) and then simply scoop out whenever you need it without beating the bag against the counter. That definitely didn’t happen to me.
How to Thaw Celery
There’s no need to thaw frozen celery since it can be directly transferred from the freezer to the stove. If you insist on thawing it, place it in a cold place before going to sleep. It will thaw by morning.
How to Use Frozen Celery
If you want to use frozen celery, thawing is not necessary since it can be added straight from the freezer to recipes without losing its flavour. Nevertheless, they will still add celery flavour to your dishes as long as they do not have any crispness.