Can You Freeze Celery?

Celery is a versatile veggie often added to smoothies, soups, salads, and stir-fries.

However, it has a relatively short shelf life and usually only lasts a few weeks in the fridge. For this reason, you may wonder whether you can freeze celery to help it last longer.

This article explains whether you can freeze celery — and gives tips on how to do so.

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What happens when you freeze celery?

Like most other fruits and vegetables, celery can be frozen.

However, freezing celery may change its texture significantly, causing it to become less crisp. It may also lose some of its flavor depending on the freezing method.

Fresh celery usually lasts around 2 months in the freezer.

However, you can retain more flavor and extend the shelf life by blanching celery before freezing it, which kills harmful microorganisms and blocks the enzymatic reactions that cause vegetables to deteriorate more quickly (1).

Blanched celery may last 12–18 months in the freezer.

summary

You can freeze celery, but it may lose some of its flavor and crispness. If frozen raw, this veggie lasts up to 2 months, while if you blanch it first, it retains more flavor and lasts 12–18 months.

How to freeze celery

Before freezing your celery, it’s important to wash the stalks thoroughly with water to remove any dirt or debris.

Next, cut the celery into small pieces. Doing so saves time later when you’re ready to use frozen celery.

If you plan to use your celery within the next month or two, you can simply dry the chopped celery and transfer it to a plastic bag or container to freeze.

However, if you want your celery to last longer, it’s best to blanch it prior to freezing.

To get started, add chopped celery to a large pot of boiling water and cook it for 3 minutes. Next, immediately transfer the celery to a bowl of ice water, which helps halt the cooking process, and let it sit for another 3 minutes.

Finally, dry the celery thoroughly to remove any excess moisture and put it in a bag or container before freezing it.

summary

To freeze celery, wash and chop it before placing it in a plastic bag or container. You can also blanch it before freezing to extend its shelf life.

How to use frozen celery

Freezing celery may change its texture, causing this fibrous veggie to lose some of its crispness.

As such, frozen celery is best suited for cooked dishes rather than as a raw snack. It works well in dishes like soups, stews, stuffings, and stir-fries. You can also add it to casseroles, sauces, and homemade vegetable stock.

To use frozen celery, simply remove it from the freezer and add it directly to your dish. There’s no need to thaw it beforehand, as this may result in a mushy, unappetizing texture.

summary

Frozen celery works well in cooked dishes like stuffing or casserole and can be used straight from the freezer.

The bottom line

Freezing celery is an easy and convenient way to make it last longer.

However, its flavor and texture may change, making frozen celery a better option for cooked dishes like casseroles, stews, soups, and sauces.

Blanching celery before you freeze it may help this veggie retain more flavor and significantly increase its shelf life.

Just one thing

Try this today: I love keeping a bag or two of celery in the freezer for an easy addition to my green smoothies. Frozen celery works especially well blended with fruits and veggies like kale, spinach, berries, and bananas.