Storing celery in winter: root, petiole and leaf. How to store celery root at home Wintering celery in the cellar, garage, or country house

It is not always possible to find fresh stalked celery on store shelves in winter. This plant with a tart taste and pleasant aroma is useful for the functioning of all systems of our body. Its roots and stems contain in their tissues a large amount of valuable amino acids, as well as vitamins B and C.

Another plus is the fact that you can use all parts of this plant for cooking: leaves, roots and even seeds! Doctors and nutritionists recommend including it in your daily diet, so many housewives are already thinking in advance about how to prepare the vegetable for future use. Learn how to preserve celery for the winter at home. The video in this article will help you choose the easiest and most suitable method for you.

How to store celery leaves and stalks in the refrigerator for a short period

Everyone has heard about the beneficial properties of the product. Fans of the vegetable are interested in how to store celery in the refrigerator. It's not difficult, you just need to follow some rules. It is best to choose a cool place on the bottom shelf with an optimal temperature of up to 3 ° C, having previously wrapped the vegetable stem with transparent cling film. Such conditions will help increase the period of use of this wonderful plant.

Methods for storing celery root and leaves for the winter

If you grow this vegetable yourself in your garden, buy it in reserve at the market or in a supermarket, then the question of how to preserve celery for a long time is more than relevant. We offer several simple ways. Choose the one that seems simplest to you.

In dry sand in the cellar

Storing celery root can be done using a proven method, which was used by our grandmothers. To do this, place the plant in a deep bucket vertically and fill it with sand. It is better to put the container in a dark room with good ventilation and maintain the air temperature no more than 20 °C.

This is interesting: in the southern regions, where the climate is mild and the ground slowly freezes in winter, owners of summer cottages dig special trenches for storage, laying plants in rows and covering each with wet sand. The folded vegetables are covered with a twenty-centimeter layer of soil.

In polyethylene bags

Not everyone has a cellar, so the question of how to store celery in bags is relevant. This method is loved by many, as it does not cause any particular difficulties. The undoubted advantage of the method is the fact that the optimal volume of carbon dioxide is retained in the enclosed space of the bag for a long time, which inhibits the spoilage of the product and allows it to be stored for a long time. You can also pre-package the plant roots and then place them in a box so that they fit tightly together. Finally, cover with a layer of sand (about 2 cm high). There is no need to clean the basement, a storage room is enough.

In clay

Celery can also be stored in a mixture of water and clay. To do this, mix these two ingredients to a creamy mass. Next, you should dip the stems in the liquid, dry them a little, and then place them in a cool, well-ventilated room.

Important: a protective clay cover protects plants from rotting, as well as the development of fungus and pathogenic bacteria on its surface. In addition, this way the celery will retain its presentable appearance for a long time and will not wither.

Is it possible to freeze

The number of ways to extend the life of products has increased through the use of low temperatures. In this regard, the question arises as to whether celery can be frozen for the winter. Definitely yes, it’s even necessary! This technology will help increase the shelf life to three months.

Ordinary molds for freezing ice cubes work well for this. First you need to finely chop the stems into pieces, pour them into a container and put them on a shelf in the freezer. Thus, the plant will retain its beneficial properties and rich green color longer.

Pickling

Pickled celery can be successfully used in cooking. The preparation procedure itself will not take much time and effort, but it will help preserve the product longer. We invite you to use our step-by-step instructions:

First you need to prepare the greens. Examine it carefully, remove stale, yellowed leaves and rough petioles from the bunch.
Next, cut it into small and neat pieces, mix with a small amount of coarse salt.
Place the resulting mixture in clean, dry jars, pound well with a mortar and sprinkle an additional layer of salt on top. Store in the refrigerator under nylon covers.

Drying

The process of preparing celery leaves is not much different from what is done with dill, cilantro, parsnips or parsley. But this applies only to its leaf part.

Drying plant greens is quite simple. You do not need any additional devices or tools. It is enough to lay it out on a sheet of thick paper or a baking sheet and leave it in the fresh air.

It is not recommended to do this in direct sunlight; it is better to choose a suitable place in the shade. Turn the leaves over from time to time so that the process proceeds evenly. After this, the finished product is ground and placed in glass jars.

As for drying the root crops themselves, it will take at least one week to complete.

You need to select healthy, fresh celery without external damage, and then rinse it under running water. This way you can neutralize the smell of the soil.
Next, you need to cut the roots into small pieces and lay them out in a thin layer on a paper towel or cloth.
The plant should be dried in direct sunlight in an open space.
At the end of the procedure, you need to thoroughly grind the finished product in a blender or food processor.

Celery is subsequently stored in hermetically sealed paper bags.

Advice: in this way you can provide yourself and your family with a universal seasoning, which is used for preparing both first and second courses. The shelf life can be up to 3 months.

Now you know how celery is stored in an apartment and on a personal plot, as well as how long the product will remain fresh under certain conditions. Use our simple recommendations and tips to preserve the attractive appearance of the plant, its beneficial properties and taste for longer. Good luck!

Selection of root crops for storage

During the cold season, crops grown in gardens and vegetable gardens begin to become more expensive. Therefore, an excellent way out of this situation would be to grow them yourself. If you approach the matter correctly, you can get a good harvest of root celery by the end of autumn.

But in order to send root celery for the winter, it is necessary to correctly select the underground part of the plants and prepare it for storage. Experts advise not to rush to remove root crops from the beds. After all, when they remain underground for a long time, they acquire the following useful qualities:

increase in size and become more mature;
the surface skin acquires the required hardness, thanks to which the roots become less susceptible to the negative influence of pathogenic microflora. When harvesting and transporting the crop, the risk of damage to the underground part of the plants is reduced.

When collecting and further selecting root crops, the first frosts should be avoided. Frozen roots will not store well. Therefore, the important point here will be the correct timing.

In the regions of the middle zone, harvesting of celery root occurs at the end of September. The weather forecast will help you determine more accurate dates.

A month before the expected harvest, it is necessary to cut off the shoots and lower leaves of the plants. They have already fulfilled their role. The root crop will ripen on its own for the last month. But you can leave the tops, as they will make it much easier to remove the rhizomes from the ground.

The best solution would be to pull the crop by the tops. After the root crops have been extracted from the soil, it is necessary to select the best representatives from them. To do this, a quality check is carried out:

a soft top indicates that the root will soon begin to rot;
When tapping on the underground part, a ringing sound should not be produced. This indicates that there is emptiness inside. Such specimens will not last long.

When the root crops have been selected, the following actions are carried out with them:

It is worth noting that good celery should have a bright color on both the leaves and the underground part. There should be no spots or yellowness on the plant. Naturally, all specimens must have a healthy appearance. If some specimens do not inspire confidence, then they should be rejected. They are great for recycling. They can be dried and used as a seasoning.