How to Freeze Celery – Frugal Pantry

Last Updated on November 4, 2020 by cmoarz

Celery is one of those vegetables that can be used in almost any recipe. People use celery in soup, with pasta, in sauces, and pretty much everything. The issue is like any vegetable, celery spoils in the fridge if not eaten quickly enough. So it makes sense that you may want to freeze it. Unfortunately, since it’s made almost entirely of water, it will turn to mush when frozen unless you blanch it.

How to freeze celery Method number one

Step 1:

Start by pulling the celery apart into separate columns then rinse off any dirt that’s still on the celery.

Step 2:

Dry the celery with a clean paper towel then chop the celery into bite-sized pieces. Chopping into bite-size pieces will be a lot more convenient for next time when you are ready to use the celery. If you chop the celery up now then you won’t have to worry about chopping them after thawing.

Step 3:

Spread the pieces of celery onto a baking sheet or pan and flash freeze the celery for about two hours. Flash freezing means to spread the item onto a baking sheet or pan and freezing for a short period of time before putting the items into plastic bags or containers. Flash freezing is recommended for celery because flash freezing prevents the celery from sticking together as much and helps retain the water in the celery.

Step 4:

Separate the frozen celery into portions and put the celery into freezer bags. Remove the air from the freezer bags and use a marker to label the bags.

Step 5:

Put the freezer bags into the freezer. The celery will last about 2 months without blanching first. When you are ready to use the celery again, don’t thaw the celery because the celery will be mushy. It’s recommended to only use frozen celery in soups or sauces so that they will be heated with your meal.

Freezing celery second method, Blanching

Step 1:

Cut the roots and the tops off of the celery then rinse each stalk to get rid of any dirt or debris.

Step 2:

Cut the celery into 1/2 inch or 1 inch sections then chop into little bite size pieces.

Step 3:

Blanch the celery. You can blanch the celery by putting it into a pot of boiling water. Blanching is recommended because blanching helps preserve the green color of the celery and taste. Also blanching helps to prevent the ends from getting brown.

Step 4:

Start a pot of boiling water and add the chopped celery. Cook the celery for three minutes then scoop the celery out with a spoon that has a strainer. It’s recommended to use a spoon with a strainer to help get rid of any excess water.

Step 5:

Put the celery into a bowl of ice water to cool it down.

Step 6:

Flash freeze the celery on a baking sheet or pan for about two hours.

Step 7:

Separate the celery into portions and put the frozen celery into freezer bags. Use a marker to label the bags.

Step 8:

Put the freezer bags into the freezer until you need the celery again. Don’t thaw the celery before using because thawing makes the celery mushy.

How to freeze celery, the final method

Step 1:

When freezing celery, make sure you choose the stalks that feel crispy and tender. The stalks that are crispy and tender will freeze better than ones that are already getting mushy. Try to avoid freezing stalks that have coarse strings on them.

Step 2:

Clean the celery under cold water and try to scrub the surface of the celery with a brush to remove any dirt. Rinse the celery again under cold water then trim the bottom part of the stalk. Also make sure to trim any strings at the end of the stalk. You want to have fresh celery so trim any discolored parts of the celery too.

Step 3:

Cut the celery into bite size pieces to that you don’t have to worry about chopping them up later. Celery can be hard to cut once they’re frozen so it would be better to cut them before freezing.

Step 4:

Blanch the celery by bringing a pot of water to boil. Fill the pot with enough water to cover the celery you will be freezing. Put the celery into the pot once the water is boiling.

Step 5:

Boil the celery for about three minutes. It would be easier if you used a boiler basket to dunk the celery into the hot water. Using a boiler basket also makes it easier to pull the celery out of the water once the three minutes are up. If you don’t have a boiler basket be careful when pouring the hot water out of the pot. It’s easy to burn yourself or pour out the contents of your pot into the sink.

Step 6:

Remove the celery and place the celery into a bowl of cold water or run the celery under cold water using a strainer.

Step 7:

Use a strainer to drain out any excess water from the celery. Then dry the celery with a clean paper towel. It’s important to dry the celery well because excess water can mess up the celery in the freezer.

Step 8:

Separate the celery into portions then place the celery into freezer bags or plastic containers. Make sure you press the air out of the freezer bag.

Step 9:

Use a marker to label the bags of celery and place the freezer bags in the freezer. Try not to place the bags on top of each other because the bags can stick together.

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