How to Firm Up Wilted Celery

Crisp celery is crunchy and satisfying as an appetizer and in recipes.

Celery is a popular vegetable because of its crisp, crunchy texture and its distinctive flavor. It is used in many hot and cold recipes. Fresh raw celery is popular to nibble on when watching your calories because it is satisfying and has few calories and little fat. Select celery that has green, crisp leaves on firm, straight stalks. Store it properly in airtight resealable bags in the vegetable crisper drawer of the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Even if you store it with care, celery often becomes wilted. Firming it up is easy and can enhance your enjoyment of this crunchy treat.

Things You'll Need

• Paring knife
• Cold water
• Ice
• Resealable bag
• Straw

Instructions

1. Slice away rusted areas with a paring knife by making shallow cuts wherever they appear on the stalk. Trim the wide end of the wilted stalk back approximately 1/4 inch.

2. Soak the wilted celery stalks in cold water mixed with lots of ice for at least 1 hour.

3. Remove the wilted celery from the ice water and gently shake it.

4. Place the wilted celery immediately into an airtight resealable bag and seal it, except for a short space at one side. Insert a straw into the space in the bag and suck out the air, completely collapsing the bag. Seal the bag quickly as the straw is removed.

5. Use the celery immediately. The bag will keep in the vegetable crisper drawer of the refrigerator for approximately 3 to 4 days. Reseal with the straw method.

Tips & Warnings

• Use wilted celery in recipes that are cooked. Never use wilted celery if it will be eaten raw.

• When celery becomes slimy or dried out to the point were it has no resiliency at all, it should be discarded.

References

• CookingLight: Cajun Country Cookin'
• North Dakota State University: Selection and Storage of Vegetables