Freezing Celery
Freezing celery is a simple and effective way to reduce waste and always have it ready for your recipes.
Equipment
- Knife and Cutting Board
- Ziplock bags or airtight containers
- Marker for labeling
Ingredients
- celery
Instructions
- Clean the celery: Rinse the celery stalks under cool water to remove any dirt or debris. Be sure to clean all parts, including the leaves and ends, which you’ll use for broth later.
- Chop the celery: Cut the celery into desired sizes. For general cooking, you might want to dice the stalks into small, bite-sized pieces. You can also cut larger pieces if you know how you’ll use them in the future.
- Separate the leaves and ends: Set aside the celery leaves and the ends (the parts that might not work well in recipes) in a separate pile. These will be frozen separately for broths.
- Freeze the celery stalks: Add 1 cup of the celery pieces to a labeled ziplock bag or airtight container.
- Freeze the celery leaves and ends: Place the leaves and ends into a separate labeled ziplock bag. These can be used in homemade broths. Seal the bag, removing as much air as possible, and store in the freezer for up to 12 months.
Notes
- Dry the celery well: Make sure the celery is completely dry before freezing. Excess moisture can lead to freezer burn and cause the celery to clump together.
- Chop to your preferred size: Cut the celery into pieces that are the right size for how you plan to use them later. This saves time when cooking and makes it easier to use straight from the freezer.
- Freeze in small portions: Divide the celery into small portions or serving sizes before freezing. This way, you can grab just what you need without having to thaw a large amount.
- Freeze leaves and ends separately: By freezing the celery leaves and ends separately, you can easily grab them for homemade broths without needing to dig through frozen stalks.