Celeriac

[Our Gert.]

Hello everyone.

I went out for a lovely meal last night and tried (and liked) celeriac for the first time. Thinking of fitting into my growing plan for next year but wondered if anyone had any advice on growing and cooking it. Is it easy?

Cheers me ducks..Our Gert.

[oldfella]

Roast the same way as Taters and Parsnips with leg of Lamb 'food for the Gods' but Humans allowed to eat it too

[Mrs Moustoir]

I've grown it for the first time this year. It is quite a long haul crop - sowed the seeds back in March. Seeds are tiny - even smaller than carrot seed and were quite difficult to germinate. Planted out in June and watered, weeded and generally nurtured it ever since. They are not all that big - not like the monstrous specimens you can buy in the shops here. My celeriac are a bit bigger than tennis ball size at the moment and I think that is because I planted them too close together. I only left about a foot between each plant and they probably need an 18 inch gap. And they need LOADS of water.

Looking forward to eating them this autumn - either roasted with other root veg or steamed then pureed with butter and a touch of nutmeg, or even grated raw in salad (dress with lemon or it discolours). You can even chuck a few leaves into a salad for a hint of celery taste.

I'll let you know if I'll bother with them again once I've tasted 'em!

[Our Gert.]

Thanks Mrs Moustoir, yep, please let me know what you think of your home grown. The ones in the restaurant must have been boiled and pureed cos I thought they were mashed potatoes to start with

I think in the meantime I might nip and buy some from the local farmers shop to test out the family and see if they like them. At the moment I only grow beetroot for myself, rhubarb for me and eldest son, salad potatoes for me and youngest son, asparagus for me and OH and everything else is probably liked by 3 out of the 4 of us I obviously like everything seeing as I'm the one growing it all!!

[ina]

In Germany, celeriac is an essential ingredient (in small quantities) for most soups, especially the most substantial ones that replace a full meal. Our family also made a salad with the cooked celeriac (boiled, sliced, and dunked in vinaigrette). They are nice as "celeriac cutlet": boiled, turned in beaten egg and breadcrumbs, and shallow fried.

[red]

my celeriac are only the size of golf balls... so unless they grow big soon.. not hugely succesful - and they are bigger than last years effort!

my favourite way to have celeriac is celeriac and stilton soup

[ina]

my celeriac are only the size of golf balls... so unless they grow big soon.. not hugely succesful - and they are bigger than last years effort!

Red, you can use the leaves as well (for flavouring soups etc); that makes up in a small way for the tiny size...

I agree - they go well with a strong cheese like Stilton!

[Jandra]

Having tried celeriac fort the first time last season, I discovered that they need a fair quantity of manure to grow into any size at all. I have a fertile river clay soil and they do well in it, but I still need to add extra manure.

This year I grow them in slightly raised beds where the clay soil has a top layer of fertilized garden soil (bags from the garden center). Even so I gave them extra dried cow manure during the season and now about half of them have grown to a size that you might see in a supermarket. But none of them as big as the big ones you see at supermarkets, if you know what I mean.

And, indeed, they do have a long growing season. But I like them! And they keep forever (months) in the bottom drawer of your fridge. At least if you do not keep them in a closed plastic bag; then they'll rot. Guess how I found out. Yuck!

Happy gardening, Jandra

[Our Gert.]

Thanks Jandra, point duly noted.

Next door has tonnes of manure from their horses so that won't be a problem.

Our Gert.

[Peggy Sue]

Ah this is useful stuff, my allotment neighbour had told me how easy they were to grow last year so I've had a go ...and they are more the size of ball bearing than tennis balls at the moment!

I treated them as a root crop - little manure, which could be where I went wrong.... my celery is the size if a spring onion, perhaps a little smaller so that may be a similar problem

[snapdragon]

lol I love 'em - cooked and mashed with spuds, in casseroles/stews, roasted,
they are really lovely if slightly fiddly to prep

not sure when to dig 'em up though - I have two (in a pot) from half a packet of seeds, so they wont save me any shopping one looks golf ball ish and the other tennis ball ish

I fed them with pelletted manure and tried to remember not to water them with tomato feed in case it had the wrong effect
I shall be trying them again - hopefully my name may come up in the allotment lottery

[Rohen]

Am growing these this year , the seeds have just germinated and are tiny

Will put loads of manure on them when they are big enough to plant out

Thanks for the tip

[Peggy Sue]

OK think I will give up on celeriac- I ahve had 3 attemps at germinationg the seed with no success Celery too seem to be 'not for me

[Chicken6]

Am growing these this year , the seeds have just germinated and are tiny

Will put loads of manure on them when they are big enough to plant out

Thanks for the tip

I'm trying for the first year too and the seeds took weeks to germinate. Just as I was about to give up they have shown themselves.

I was going to treat them as root crops as I thought that's what they were but now I'll add soome manure to the bed. I hope it's worth it.

[Chicken6]

Am growing these this year , the seeds have just germinated and are tiny

Will put loads of manure on them when they are big enough to plant out

Thanks for the tip