Keeping celery fresh?

[surlymonkey]

Hi folks.

I love celery, what's more, I love fresh celery.

So, how do you keep yours from wilting? (oh er missus!)

[sarahturner]

I just keep it in the bottom of the salad drawer in the fridge and it keeps great.

[Carltonian Man]

Wrap it in foil and keep it in the fridge.

[greenorelse]

And don't forget (I know you're talking about fresh surlymonkey ) you can chop it up and freeze it. I'm not keen on fresh celery myself but I quite like it chopped small in lightly-cooked dishes. It adds a 'something'.

[niknik]

you can stand it in iced water........ helps revive it.....

[Annpan]

I keep mine in a vase of water on the window ledge (I do the same with leeks).... makes for a strange flower display but keeps them fresh

[MKG]

Greenorelse is right - celery adds a certain something. OH is on a low-salt diet (in fact, zero added salt) and I started some years ago to add finely-chopped celery to everything (well, apart from sweets, which I don't make anyway) - it really can replace salt as a flavour enhancer. So to the point - the celery nowadays stays fresher much longer. I chop off a bit for whatever I'm making, stick it back in the veg drawer at the bottom of the fridge, and every time I go back it's actually grown a small amount of fresh leaf. I'm sure that the secret is that we have let it be known that we're not going to eat it all - just a little bit. It's always as crisp as new.

So con your celery. That's the way to do it.

Mike

[Davie Crockett]

To you guys and girls who like celery to add something to soups and stews etc...... have you ever tried Lovage?

I discovered it a few years ago and it has an intense celery taste, and the leaves and seeds can be dried for winter use. It's perennial too so always plenty next year!

[niknik]

Thats interesting to know Daviie C.

does it add the "saltiness" too ?

tried to grow some last year. unsuccessfully. must try again!

[Davie Crockett]

Lovage does give a slight saltiness too, especially the seeds. They're great as an ingredient in wholemeal bread!

[niknik]

have to try that too then with the seds Thanks

[Millymollymandy]

Beware it is VERY strong and you only need one or two leaves. I can't bear the smell/taste of it (although I love celery) so I have finally managed to eradicate it from my garden!

I wish you guys would pass on your keeping celery fresh ideas to French supermarkets - quite rare to find celery here and only in the winter months, even rarer to find it not droopy and then to find one which isn't hollow and floury and bitter is nigh on impossible. For the first time ever last week Lidl had some in a packet, of the white cut like in England kind, and it was ALL edible and crispy and amazing. But they didn't have any yesterday.

[greenorelse]

To you guys and girls who like celery to add something to soups and stews etc...... have you ever tried Lovage?

Yes, we have lovage growing here and I prefer the taste to celery; potato and lovage soup is actually one of my favourites and salt is not needed, unless you like it really salty! Lovage is strong enough, it don't need no salt.

[surlymonkey]

Thanks all for tips on keeping celery, and mentioning Lovage (something I've never heard of, but would like to try).

I liked Annpan's idea of putting them into a pot of water, so will give that a try. Cheers me dear!

Tony.

[snapdragon]

-/- I wish you guys would pass on your keeping celery fresh ideas to French supermarkets - quite rare to find celery here and only in the winter months, even rarer to find it not droopy and then to find one which isn't hollow and floury and bitter is nigh on impossible. For the first time ever last week Lidl had some in a packet, of the white cut like in England kind, and it was ALL edible and crispy and amazing. But they didn't have any yesterday.

I read somewhere that the celery grown in France was not blanched and so stays bitter.
I've bought droopy celery from the chaeap end of the day at the greengrocer's, sliced a little from the base and then popped it in a glass of water, it perked up no end. I'll use the 'vase' method (as Annpan) so long as it's not too warm in the kitchen, otherwise rinse it and pop it in the salad drawer of the fridge.
i use it in soups, stews, casseroles etc, equally I'll use celeriac when it's available