Looking for how to freeze celery? Well, celeriac and celery sticks can be frozen without any problems, but the preliminary work steps are different. We show you what is important when freezing and give you tips for a long shelf life.
Regardless of whether you want to freeze leafy greens, celeriac, or celery sticks – all three variants can be easily stored in the freezer. However, shelf life and preparation for freezing vary. We explain the differences and provide useful tips.
Celeriac, stalks, or cut celery?
When it comes to celery, a distinction is made between tuber, stick, and cut celery. As the name suggests, celeriac forms a tuber underground, the edible storage organ of the vegetable. The tuber contains essential oils and a strong aroma that gives soups, sauces, and all kinds of other dishes the right flavor. Celeriac can also be eaten raw and is an integral part of the classic Waldorf salad, for example.
Even more popular with raw food lovers is celery, also known as celery or celery. He does not form a tuber. Instead, the pale to-pale green stems that grow above the ground are used. These are ideal as a healthy snack or finger food with various dips. Cut celery is understood to mean the rich green, spicy-smelling, and tasty leaves, which are reminiscent of parsley leaves, but are even more aromatic. Sliced celery can be used fresh, dried, or frozen to add flavor to soups, sauces, and salads.
In a nutshell: how to properly freeze celery?
Celeriac as well as celery sticks and celery greens can be frozen without any problems. Raw celeriac can be stored in the freezer for six months, while cooked ones only last half as long. You can freeze raw celery and preserve it for about three months. If you blanch celery stalks, they can be stored in the freezer for about a year. The celery greens that accumulate when cleaning are filled into labeled freezer bags or freezer containers for freezing, just like the vegetables.
Freeze celeriac
Tubers and cuts will keep for a few weeks in the refrigerator if you wrap them in the newspaper. Vegetables can be preserved much longer if you keep them in the freezer. It should be noted that raw celeriac can be frozen for around six months, compared to three months when cooked. To freeze, cut off the base of the leaf, as well as the remains of the root, and generously peel the tuber. To thoroughly remove any dry or brown spots, cut off about half a centimeter of the peel with a sharp knife. The peeled celeriac is divided into slices, sticks, or cubes, depending on how it is to be used later. These are now filled in portions in labeled freezer bags or airtight cans and placed in the freezer.
Tip: Gentle thawing is not necessary for celeriac. Instead, you can throw it in the hot pan or pot while it is still frozen.
Freeze celery sticks
Fresh celery, also known as celery, should be washed thoroughly before freezing. The roots and leaves are also removed. If necessary, peel the washed celery by removing the coarse fibers with a knife. Then cut the vegetables into small pieces. Now you can either freeze the celery raw or blanch it first, process it into a puree, or juice it.
If you freeze celery stalks raw, you can enjoy them three months after harvesting. If you let the vegetables thaw gently in the fridge for several hours, they stay crisp and fresh. It can even be eaten raw or used to prepare salads. For use in hot dishes, celery does not have to be thawed first but can be processed directly.
To blanch celery stalks, bring water to a boil in a saucepan and add a pinch of salt if desired. Boil the prepared pieces of celery for two minutes. Then fish out the vegetables with a slotted spoon and shock them in a bowl of ice water. The cold stops the cooking process and the celery keeps its light green color. As soon as it has completely cooled down and dried off, freeze the celery in portions in freezer bags or suitable containers. Blanched celery will keep for about a year in the freezer. After that, it can still be eaten, but increasingly loses its ingredients and taste.
Freeze celery greens
Celery green is the leafy green of the cut celery or the leaves that are obtained when cleaning celeriac and celery sticks. On the one hand, the spicy leaves can be used fresh, on the other hand, they can also be dried or frozen for later. If you want to freeze celery greens, first wash them thoroughly under running water and then dry them in the salad spinner. Then pluck the leaves from the stems and cut both into fine strips. The best way to freeze the celery greens is to put them in well-closable freezer containers, which you label with the contents and the date.
Can you freeze raw carrots and celery together?
Along with carrots, leeks, and parsley, celery is a component of classic soup greens. Freezing these basic ingredients together for a vegetable broth or soup means you have them on hand when you need them. To do this, you should wash, clean, peel and chop the vegetables into suitable pieces.