Celery – All You Need to Know | Instacart’s Guide to Groceries

What is celery?

Celery is a light green fibrous vegetable that grows in long stalks with leafy tops. As a low-calorie, low-fat food, it’s often eaten as a snack and can be found on almost any prepared vegetable tray. It’s a common ingredient in soups, stews, and stir-frys. 

A one-cup serving of chopped celery contains:

• 14 calories
• <1g fat 
• <1g carbohydrates
• 1.6g fiber
• 1g sugar
• 0g protein

Celery is rich in antioxidants and vitamins like A, C, and K, potassium and folate.

In recent years, celery juice (celery that has gone through a juicer with no added ingredients or water) has become a popular drink among people who prefer a whole foods-based approach to wellness. Celery juice can be made at home with a juicer or blender, or you can buy bottled celery juice at the grocery store. 

Celery salt is a pantry staple that is a mixture of celery crushed celery seeds and salt used in various savory dishes to enhance the natural flavors. Most notably, it’s sprinkled on Chicago hot dogs, used in Bloody Marys, and is found in Old Bay seasoning. 

You can also buy celery root, which is easy to prepare. It can be sliced and sauteed, pureed in a cream soup, roasted with other root vegetables, or shredded with a mandolin and used in a salad. 

Where did celery originate from?

Celery is said to be native to the Mediterranean region, though evidence shows it has a long history of being grown and consumed in Switzerland and China as well. It’s believed that at least four types of celery were in the United States in the early 19th century. The most common type of celery in American is Pascal celery, but the Tall Utah and Golden Boy varieties are also readily available. 

How is celery grown?

Commercially grown celery that’s found in your grocer’s produce department starts as seedlings in greenhouses and are transplanted to fields when the stalks are about six inches tall. It takes about four months for celery to be ready for harvest from the fields. 

In the United States, more than 80% of celery is grown in California. Florida, Arizona, and Michigan produce significant amounts of celery, and some are imported from Mexico. 

When is celery in season?

Celery grows best from early spring through early winter. By growing it in greenhouses and warmer climates, it’s available in grocery stores all year long.

How do you pick celery at the grocery store?

When buying celery stalks, it’s important to look for stalks that are even in color and are firm to the touch. They should feel like you could easily snap off a piece. The leaves should be green and not wilted. 

Do not worry if one bunch of celery is thicker in diameter than another stalk. This makes no difference in the quality between stalks. 

If you are looking to have your groceries delivered, you can easily shop for squash via Instacart. After adding a product to your cart, use the “Instructions” option to notify your Instacart shopper about any preferences or specific directions on how to choose the best products. Shop for organic celery.

How to store celery

To maximize the shelf life of celery, store it in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator. It will keep longer, up to two weeks, if it’s wrapped in a plastic bag or tin foil. 

It’s best to store celery uncut because the ends will dry out. When you need to cut pieces before using them for a meal, keep them submerged in water in a bowl on the counter (if you’ll use them within a few hours) or in a covered plastic container in the refrigerator. 

How to tell if celery is bad

As celery ages, it loses water content and becomes limp, and the leaves wilt. As long as the celery is still green and no mold is present, it’s likely okay to use in a cooked dish like casserole or soup. Celery also turns to yellow and then yellow-white as it gets older, which is a sign that it’s getting old and will soon go bad. 

Tell-tale signs that celery has gone bad are mold on the celery or that it’s become slimy. When celery gets to this point, it should be discarded immediately. 

What can I substitute for celery?

There aren’t any vegetables similar to celery’s slightly bitter taste and unmistakable crunch. However, chefs have found a variety of foods that can be substituted for celery in a pinch. In recipes, one stalk of celery equals half of a cup of chopped vegetable. 

For cold dishes like salads, you can substitute equal amounts of shredded or chopped carrots, green onion, cucumber, or green Granny Smith apples for fresh celery. Use your best judgment as to which flavor would be a good swap. 

For soups, casseroles, and stir-frys, you can use carrots, fennel, or leeks as a stand-in for celery. Consider the flavors of the other ingredients carefully before you decide which vegetable you’ll use to replace the celery. 

Save time and money by ordering groceries online

Wouldn’t it be great not to have to go to the grocery store, wandering up and down the aisles to find everything on your shopping list? Let an Instacart shopper do that for you. Once you place your order online, a shopper goes to your desired store and gathers all of your groceries. They can either have it ready for in-store pick-up or deliver it right to your home. Use Instacart to buy fresh celery everything else your kitchen needs. Place an order on Instacart now!

Instacart

Author

Instacart is the leading grocery technology company in North America, partnering with more than 1,500 national, regional, and local retail banners to deliver from more than 85,000 stores across more than 14,000 cities in North America. To read more Instacart posts, you can browse the company blog or search by keyword using the search bar at the top of the page.