How to Blanch a Celery Stalk

Blanching celery has many benefits.

Blanching is the process of quickly cooking a food in boiling water, then adding it to ice water to stop the cooking process. For vegetables such as celery, blanching has a few purposes. First, it destroys bacteria and enzymes that cause food to spoil, making the food suitable for freezing or preserving. Secondly, blanching preserves the color of a vegetable so that it won't turn brown or gray as it cooks. Lastly, blanching partially cooks and seasons the vegetable, making it easier to prepare in a finished dish later on.

Things You'll Need

• Celery
• Water
• Salt
• Large pot
• Large bowl
• Ice

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a vigorous boil.

2. Add a stalk of celery, dropping it in the pot carefully to avoid splashing hot water.

3. Cook the celery for a few minutes until tender.

4. Remove the celery from boiling water and immediately plunge it into ice water until cooled.

5. Remove the celery from the ice water and dry it with paper towels.

6. The celery is now ready to be frozen, dried, preserved, cooked further or eaten as-is.

Tips & Warnings

• Use the biggest pot you have. The more water there is, the less the temperature will drop when the celery is added to the pot, resulting in a faster cooking time.

• Blanching only takes a few minutes. If the celery is left in the boiling water for too long, it will become soggy, wilted, and lose its color.

References

• Free Culinary School; The Basics of Blanching; Jacob Burton; 2008