The Creek Line House

How to Keep Celery Fresh

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This is the best way to keep celery fresh for a really long time! Store your celery using this trick and you’ll be amazed at how long it can last!

This is the best way to keep celery fresh for a really long time! Store your celery using this trick and you'll be amazed at how long it can last!If you’re a fan of celery and have struggled in the past with how to keep celery fresh, this little tip may change your life a little bit! Most people need celery for a recipe every now and then. I personally love celery and cream of celery soup is actually one of my favorite foods ever in the world. BUT. Every time I pick up celery, it seems to go floppy and rubbery before I have a chance to use it to its fullest potential. I always have big plans, but really, the window to use up celery while it’s still nice and fresh is only 3-4 days at the most.  I usually just end up having to get rid of it. It’s such a shame because celery adds such a nice flavor to so many dishes and it’s such a great snack too!

I didn’t really believe this trick would work when I first heard about it because it seems just a little too good to be true. After testing it out for 3 and a half ish weeks though, I can tell you, that this is one amazing piece of useful information! It actually worked, you guys!

So here’s all you need to do to keep your celery fresh for pretty much the rest of forever:

How to Keep Celery Fresh

First, pick up some celery at the store and bring it home. Use a bit of it for a snack or for a recipe if you need to, or not. It doesn’t make any difference.

Next, grab your handy-dandy roll of aluminum foil and tear off a sheet that’s about 12 inches long.

Now, here’s where there’s a bit of controversy:

I’ve seen it done a couple of ways. Some people like to wrap the entire bunch of celery in the foil, some people like to just wrap the end. I just wrapped the ends because I guess I was being a bit of a slacker. 🙂 I placed my celery back in the half-ripped-open produce bag after that. I’m not sure that the bag was necessary especially being it wasn’t doing much in its state, but I thought I’d let you know just in the spirit of full transparency. 🙂

This is the best way to keep celery fresh! Right here. This.

Discover this delicious home for your fresh celery: The Creek Line House – Veggie Pot Pie With Biscuit Topping

How I Figured Out That This Works!

I stuck the whole thing back in the fridge and forgot about it.  We traveled to Virginia for a soccer tournament, then Washington D.C., then back home for a few days, and finally to Michigan for a few more days. After arriving home and being here for a few more days, I decided I would make some stew freezer meals that I could throw in the Crock Pot later and realized that I had that several weeks old celery still in the fridge. I decided that this was the perfect chance to test things out and what do you know? That celery was still perfectly crisp! As crisp as the day I bought it, and maybe even crisper if that’s possible. 🙂

I’ll definitely be doing this from now on whenever I have celery in the house, which will be a lot more often! Have you tried this trick before? Do you have something different that you do to keep celery fresh?

Sharing before and after pictures today of the front of our house with the new front porch! It's been a full year since we broke ground!

 

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Courtenay Hartford
Author at The Creek Line House | Website | + posts

Courtenay Hartford is the author of creeklinehouse.com, a blog based on her adventures renovating a 120-year-old farmhouse in rural Ontario, Canada. On her blog, Courtenay shares interior design tips based on her own farmhouse and her work as founder and stylist of the interior photography firm Art & Spaces. She also writes about her farmhouse garden, plant-based recipes, family travel, and homekeeping best practices. Courtenay is the author of the book The Cleaning Ninja and has been featured in numerous magazines including Country Sampler Farmhouse Style, Better Homes and Gardens, Parents Magazine, Real Simple, and Our Homes.

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Comments

  2. Kathryn Dahn says

    Have to try this! When my celery starts getting to the limp stage I usually wash and throw it in a bag and into the freezer – still makes a good addition to winter soups.

    Reply

  3. Kathy says

    My Mom always did this. She would clean the entire bunch. Trim ends, and then wash it all. Let drain and wrap up in a 100% cotton damp teatowel and then place into a plastic bag. Keeps for weeks. You may have to trim off the ends if you haven’t used it for a while, but it’s always clean and ready to use. Also crisp!

    Reply

    • Naomie Moore, Castaic, CA says

      That is what my mom and grandmothers did too, and I live alone and go through celery pretty quick, so I just cut the root end off and start another celery plant, then toss the cleaned stalks into a glass container with some water and call it a day. Every other day or so I change the water and use the celery water for potted plants (like my herbs), when it comes back to room temperature.

      Reply

      • Anthony Rimoli says

        I buy the precut Organic Celery stalks from COSTCO and the end is already cut off and just the individual Celery stalks are in the bag. So I then cut off both ends about 1/2-1″ depending upon how fresh it is when I finally open the bag. And then I wash the celery stalks in a plastic container with some plain Baking soda to help clean and alkalize the water to help freshen up the stalks, and then drain out the baking soda and water, and just replace it with plain water.

        And then I put in the cleaned and washed stalks into the water and put it in the refrigerator. And it stays PRETTY FRESH for 7-10 days or longer but you should use it up within 14 days as then it can start getting soft and decayed. I don’t usually change the water every day but you can do that and it will probably keep it fresher even longer.

        Reply

    • Margie sanders says

      OK i am going too try this too, i paid $3.49 for a stalk of celery, too much to pay just to throw away,

      Reply

  6. Sue says

    I do this too with one little twist. After rinsing the celery & allowing most of the moisture to drip off, I wrap the base with wax paper and then foil. Keeps the celery fresh for weeks!

    Reply

    • Courtenay says

      Thanks so much for sharing, Sue! I’m going to try the wax paper out too and see what kind of a difference it makes for me!

      Reply

    • Courtenay says

      Good to know! I love asparagus, but I always try to eat it right away as soon as I buy it because I find that it’s another one that gets unfresh rather quickly. Thanks for letting me know about that!

      Reply

      • Marge says

        For asparagus, you can also put it in a glass vase (dollar store) with about 1/3 water in bottom, put asparagus in it. Keeps in fridge for a long time.

        Reply

        • Courtenay says

          That is a great tip! I’m definitely going to try that when asparagus seasons rolls around! Thanks so much for sharing, Marge!

          Reply

          • Courtenay says

            Oh wow! That’s really good to know! We always try to use asparagus as soon as we buy it because it never seems to last. Thanks so much for sharing!

        • R says

          Me too Marge! I also place cilantro, green onions & the bottom of lettuce in water with a fresh cut. they stay fresh & last longer. 😀

          Reply

        • Sandra says

          I have been doing this for years and it works like magic. I change the water every couple of days. Living alone makes it possible to enjoy some of these extras and not have them spoil before using them up.

          Reply

    • Lori says

      I do this too but find the water starts to stink up the fridge, so change it out every cpl of days if I don’t use it right away.

      Reply

    • poppasmurf669 says

      I always put my asparagus upright in a glass of water in the fridge and change the water about every 3 or 4 days. when useing all you have to do is snap off the bottom portion as usual.

      Reply

  9. CHARLOTTE A WERGIN says

    I wash it first and prepare it for use the wrap the whole stalk in foil. It really does keep it fresh and crisp! I have been doing this for some years. It is a wonderful kitchen hack to keep your celery good for at least a month!

    Reply

  10. Lorrie Tannahill says

    Aluminum foil is “aluminum” which has been linked to Alzheimer’s. A much safer option is to wash it, drain off the water and wrap in a plastic bag. It is the ability to maintain the moisture in a cold atmosphere that keeps any vegetable fresh in the fridge. Not the foil.

    Reply

  12. Linda Manuel says

    I wrap the whole thing in foil after chopping off the stalk end, don’t wash it or anything until time to use, and it keeps for weeks. Sometimes I do put a paper towel around it as well, especially if the grocery store has just misted it.

    Reply

  13. Doris says

    When I was young Celery was always white( it was blanched) and it had a large amount of the stalk on it which tasted lovely. It was before fridges and always stood in a jug of water in a cool place in the kitchen and lasted a long time. I still miss the taste of the stalk Now it is green, sanitised and the stalk removed. I love a lot of the modern things today but not what they did to celery.

    Reply

    • Courtenay says

      Wow! That’s fascinating, Doris! I’m a big celery fan, so I’d be interested to learn more about this. I wonder if you could recreate this with celery your grow yourself in the garden, or if it has to be a certain variety. Either way, it’s a super interesting little fact! Thanks for sharing! 🙂

      Reply

      • Doris says

        Hi Courtenay, it used to be done by the trench method where they are gradually earthed up but I understand they do sell seeds of some self blanching varieties. Your best bet is putting celery blanching into google and you will get much more information. By the way I think the root has a sort of nutty taste.Yummy.

        Reply

      • E NORMAN says

        What does self blanching celery mean?
        How to Blanch Celery in the Garden | Gardener’s Path
        Blanching is the practice of covering the stems of your plant for two to three weeks prior to harvest, to limit exposure to the sun. The blanched portions of any plant are pale and lack the vibrant green color of unblanched plants, and there are differences in flavor as well.
        This can be done with burlap or with woven plastic tarps. I prefer stocks that are exposed to strong light which produces a very strong flavor. The stocks may not be pretty but true/real natural flavor.

        Reply

  14. Marilyn B says

    Courtney …by the way, your method for keeping celery fresh works. I clean the celery, cut off the bottom, (ready to eat) ,completely wrap it in aluminum foil and can keep it in my fridge for at least a month.

    … just wondering if you have a solution that one can make to ‘demoss’ a paved driveway. We live in a hardwood bush and our shoulders on the paved driveway (300 feet from the concesson) have moss growing on it. Any ideas or suggestions?? We just finished having a Spring Snowstorm in Ontario, Canada that left 4-6 ” of snow in the area and here it is one week before Easter. HELP PLEASE

    Reply

    • Courtenay says

      Hi Marilyn! Glad you liked the celery trick! For the moss, most people will either recommend bleach, or just a power washer. I’m not sure that either one is really practical for dealing with 300 feet of driveway though! Sprinkling some salt could do the trick, but you run the risk of having that rinse down into the bush around your driveway and hurting the plants there if you use the salt consistently for a long time. On the bright side, it sounds like you have a beautiful property! I hope that was the last snow storm for you this year! 🙂

      Reply

      • Michelle says

        That or just a nice hard bristle scrub brush. The side of my aunts house never has direct sunlight and gets pretty funky. She told me to go in the garage and I’d find a broom handle with a scrubbed on one end. I went out to the side of the house with it and without much effort, scrubbed up all the moss and slime that was there in no time. I added a light coat of baking soda before I went to work on my own just for the abrasiveness. It looked AMAZING afterwards🙂

        Reply

  15. LINDA WEBER says

    LOVED YOUR CELERY TIP. NOTHING MAKES ME MADDER THAN TO GO AND GET THE CELERY OUT AND IT LOOKS LIKE AND OLD WET LIMP DISH RAG.
    I JUST BOUGHT A STOCK OF CELERY GOING TO RUN IN RIGHT AFTER I GET OFF OF THE COMPUTER AND WRAP THE BABY WITH THE TIN FOIL. GOING TO TRY THE ONION AND CANDLE ONE TO. THAT’S WHY I ALWAYS HATED CUTTING UP ONION’S. THEY SAID TO PUT THE OLD STICK MATCH IN BETWEEN YOUR TEETH WHEN YOU CUT UP THE ONION. JUST DON’T LIGHT IT THOUGH.
    THANKS FOR YOUR GREAT IDEA’S. HAVE A GOOD EVENING.

    Reply

  16. LINDA WEBER says

    LOVED ALL YOUR IDEA’S. GOING TO TRY THE CELERY ONE. NOTHING MAKES ME MATTER THAN TO GO GET THE CELERY AND IT LOOK’S LIKE AND OLD LIMP DISH RAG.
    GOING TO TRY IT AS SOON AS I GET OFF THE COMPUTER.
    THANKS AGAIN FOR YOUR GREAT IDEAS.
    HAVE A GOOD EVENING.

    Reply

  19. PattyCakes says

    Anybody have any ideas for keeping spinach long. It gets so soggy, and wet, and we wind up throwing most of it out. Appreciate any tips you have.

    Reply

    • Courtenay says

      Have you tried putting a few folded paper towels into the bag/package with the spinach? I sometimes do that with my mixed greens if they look like they’re about to go and that seems to extend their life a little bit!

      Reply

    • Sandi says

      I buy mine in a clear plastic tub with a lid. I put a dry paper towel inside the tub, top & bottom. That works really well. Stays fresh for a couple weeks. If it doesn’t get eaten before then.

      Reply

  20. terdralyn says

    I had no idea how long the celery would keep when I wrapped it in aluminum foil (that’s all I had to wrap it with), but I wrapped the whole bunch up in foil and it was good for months afterward. It did eventually get sickly, but it sure lasted a long time. This Thanksgiving I’ll wrap it up and see how long it actually lasts.

    Reply

  22. Inetia says

    I will be trying you foil wrap trick in the future. This may be common knowledge, but you can re-hydrate limp celery by cutting the bottom off and leaving in sit in a glass of water so for a few hours or over night.

    Reply

  23. Barbara Ann Sandoval says

    I just threw ANOTHER bunch of celery in the compost this morning.
    I had even stopped buying it. It’s just the 2 of us. If I buy it to put in so soup, it never lasts till I can use it again, even it it was just a few days.
    Now I’m trying this!!

    Reply

    • Courtenay says

      That sounds just like how my relationship with celery used to be! 🙂 I’m so glad you happened to see my tip! You’re going to be so amazed!

      Reply

  24. Cool Grammaw says

    I recently read on another blog about wrapping celery in foil to preserve it, and I tried it, and it really works. Now I learn that I don’t have to wrap the entire stalk of celery, which is great, since hubby was crabby about me using up so much foil (I can’t even believe he noticed) but really, I was constantly throwing out celery before that!

    I remember Mom taking limp celery and carrot sticks and throwing them in ice water to “perk” them up to make a snack tray for unexpected company, it only took a few minutes and worked nicely. Maybe they were just dehydrated!

    I’d like to know more about using the root of the celery to grow some more celery! I knew you could do it with lettuce and green onions… Sounds very smart, how is it done?

    Reply

    • Vicki says

      Just a thought, but I was just thinking you could probably reuse the same piece of foil several times, maybe keep it in the frig produce drawer after you use up the celery and re-use it on the next bunch. Thanks for the tip!

      Reply

  25. Debra Lee says

    I put a paper towel in the bottom of the salary bag. This keeps the celery fresh for a very long time. Once in a while I will replace the towel with a new one if it is wet. Moisture is the villan.

    Reply

  26. Donna lemen says

    Can you cut the celery into snack sizes then wrap in foil this is one of our favorite veggies to snack on or fill for a take along to a cancer relay party w/ cream cheese ,peanut butter or even celery chopped finely mixed w/ green bell pepper chopped fine w/ cream cheese.mix well,spread in celery well. Really goes fast just need to know if it can be cut into snack then wrapped in foil

    Reply

    • Courtenay says

      Hi Donna! I’ve never tried pre-cutting it that way, but please let us know how it works for you if you try it. Now I’m craving celery after hearing about all of your snack ideas! 🙂

      Reply

  28. Dolores says

    Ever since I read this tip the first time you posted it, I have been doing it your way and it really works . Thank you so much.

    Reply

    • Courtenay says

      Yay! I’m happy it worked for you too! I try to remember to share this one around this time of year because we all tend to have celery in our fridges for soups, stews, and things like that in the fall and winter.

      Reply

      • Tosha says

        I also tried this method with cilantro and parsley and it also works !! I wash and dry them well with paper towels and then wrap them in foil. And it also works wonders with carrots! I have to label everything because now my fridge is full of silver, haha.

        Reply

        • Courtenay says

          Amazing! Thanks so much for sharing, Tosha! I love having cilantro in the house, but I find I only ever use a little bit of it at a time and then the rest just goes bad within a few days. I’ll definitely be trying your tinfoil trick for that!

          Reply

  30. Pat says

    I wrap the entire bunch in foil. I have done this for a couple years now. I do it at my firehall too since I generally only need to cook there once a month. My last one was put in just before the pandemic. I didn’t get back there until May 2020. The celery was in there since January. It wasn’t perfectly crisp, but it wasn’t soft either. It was still perfectly usable.

    Reply

  32. Annette says

    We grow kale and other greens. My grandfather used to buy iceberg lettuce. I know I am dating myself. But he always wrapped his head of lettuce in paper towels. Then he would put it in a plastic bag. It would keep a long time. You just have to make sure your towels are a little damp. I do this with the kale and other green we grow. I wash them all in vinegar. Then I wrap as many as I can in damp paper towels and put them in a storage bag. They last a long time. I can’t wait to try your celery trick. Do you think it would work on carrots?

    Reply

  33. Don Cipria says

    Wrap celery in newspaper and replace in plastic bag tightly. Works better and cheaper, Stays crisper longer!

    Reply

    • Anthony Rimoli says

      NEWSPAPER??? YUCK!!! Who wants newsprint sitting up against vegetables for any length of time at all? NOT ME.

      Reply

  34. Sandra says

    An idea for Romain lettuce I have used for years. Separate the leaves and wash thoroughly. On a prepared clean dish towel covered in damp paper towel lay each leaf and start to roll like a jellyroll. Wet paper towel keeps towel moist, keeping Romain crispy. Unroll and use as much as you need at a time, leaving remainder in damp towel. Near the end of the roll you main need to trim off a bit of rust from the leaves if not used in a reasonable time.

    Reply

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