Freezing Celery

Selecting High-Quality Celery:

Preparing for Freezing:

Blanching Time:

Best Freezing Method(s):

• Tray Packs: Clean and prepare celery stalks. Lay in a single layer of chopped pieces or whole stalks on cookie sheets and place them in the freezer. When fully frozen (12 to 24 hours), portion them into suitable containers and freeze. Leave no headspace.

• Dry Packs: Transfer blanched or raw celery directly into suitable containers for freezing. Leave no headspace.

Suitable Packaging:

Maximum Storage Time:

Thawing:

Tips & Shortcuts:

Refrigerating Celery:

You can wash, slice and freeze celery but it won't be crunchy when thawed. It is fine to use in soups or stews but no good for using in tuna salad or something like that.

• Lettuce can be frozen fresh or blanched. Possibly the way your celery was frozen or the length of time frozen could be the reason for brown spots.
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• Some health sites state the brown spots may be a fungus but that seems to be dealing with fresh celery.
• The brown spots may not be a health hazard but they may have an off taste and may actually be a little spoiled.
• I would not recommend using the parts with brown spots in your stew.
• Try substituting another vegetable or spices instead.
• Here is a very good site with instructions on caring and/or freezing celery.
• www.thebalance.com/can-you-freeze-celery-1388395

It is safe to use in your stew. I often freeze celery tops and leaves for this purpose. I, also, freeze diced onion in 1/2 cup portions.

Abigail A.

August 29, 20110 found this helpful

I would not suggest freezing celery because of the high moisture content. It will be brown and mushy when you defrost it. However, celery is a great candidate for dehydrating. Slice it thin and follow the instructions on the dehydrator. You can dry the leaves as well.

Dehydrated celery should keep for a long time. Use in soups and sauces that require simmering or boiling. The dried leaves are an interesting herb similar to parsley.

Yes. I do it all the time. I wash, dry and chop the celery and freeze it in plastic bags. When I need some to cook with I can help my self. If you are not going to cook with it you better not freeze it because it will be limp when it thaws.

I rarely use celery fresh, so after I buy it and wash it. I chop it all up, saute the entire head then freeze in a bag in the freezer. When I want some for chicken/rice soup, just pull it out and knock some off, it will be frozen in a lump most likely.

I grow about 6 bunches of celery in my garden every year and I put the excess in the freezer to be used in soups and stews over the winter. Not good for salad. Just wash and remove as much moisture as possible, cut in small pieces, put in freezer container, will keep several months, enjoy!

I bo't a huge bunch of celery and wasn't using it fast enough. Since it was Fall and my baseboard heaters were coming on I cut the celery into 1/8" pieces and threaded them onto a long thread with a needle and hung them above the heater.

I rarely use celery but like to have it on hand when I impulsively want to make a soup. I discovered dried celery flakes and it's pretty powerful when added to a soup. My freezer space is at a premium so it works for me!

Yes. Wash it and dry it thoroughly (so ice crystals do not form on it after freezing, which makes it deteriorate faster) and try and get as much air out of the container you are freezing it in, before freezing. Peppers and onions can also be frozen in this manner.

Oh, I made myself unclear. No, you do not have to blanch(e?) first. Just wash and dry.

Free2B
Bronze Post Medal for All Time! 216 Posts

January 17, 20121 found this helpful

I bought celery when it was cheap around Thanksgiving. I washed it, made sure it was real dry, chopped it up, and froze it. I put it in pint bags, but didn't stuff the bags. That way, when it was frozen good and hard, I just smack the bags on the counter, and it breaks up, and I use just as much as I want. I never blanch it. It works out real well, and when I cook with it, it looks and tastes and cooks like fresh. I always have better luck freezing veggies when I don't blanch them, and we are talking about 40 years of doing it.

Celery freezes pretty well, but of course, it is not going to look like or taste (same texture mainly) like it does fresh. Wash it well, but make sure it is very dry before freezing, water crystals that form will deteriorate it as times goes on. Onions, green peppers also can be frozen without blanching. Freezing is a convenient way to add these things to meatloaf, soups, etc. while not necessarily having them fresh on hand.

Oh, also, pack it tightly leaving as little air as possible inside the freezing container. This applies to everything you freeze.

(Guest)
Gold Post Medal for All Time! 846 Posts

September 15, 20110 found this helpful

Because of the water content in celery it will never be crisp again once frozen and will only be suitable for cooking. You can freeze it blanched or unblanched but blanching will stop the enzymes that cause quality to deteriorate in the freezer.

Certainly you can freeze it but it will not be crunchy when thawed. It won't be suitable for using in tuna or potato salad, for example, but it will be fine in a soup or stew.

Yes, as you can buy it frozen in the store. I have done it twice, I first cut it, then blanched it, pat it dry and then froze it in a ziplog bag. When it thaws, it isn't as crisp,so would not work for salads, but works great for stews and soups.