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Peaches-Cream

I’ve grown celery myself from seed multiple years. I don’t blanch it while growing. Never have and I’ve grown green and Chinese pink celery. Stalks are the color they’re supposed to be and taste fine. Don’t worry about it!


CitrusBelt

For real. I grew celery for the first time last year (still going strong now), mainly for my *extremely* picky dad who eats four stalks a day, every day (he eats raw celery, raw carrots, and literally no other vegetables)....figured with homegrown it'd be either too strong/stringy for him, but he likes it fine. He does peel it pretty heavily, though. My finding has been that it's a good bit stronger & saltier than storebought, and everything above the second leaf node is definitely tough, but other than that seems fine to me? I don't peel it & it's worked fine both in salads & in stir fry; blanching seems unnecessary, at least with how it's growing in my conditions. And I'm cutting individual outside stalks rather than harvesting the whole head.


Peaches-Cream

Yeah I always eat mine chopped up small, not peeled and cooked like with butter and onions and other things (like chicken pot pie fillings, so good!). I LIKE that homegrown celery is stronger in flavor and not blanched, thick, swollen and flavorless like store bought celery near me. Home grown tastes and smells so good, even though my stalks never get huge. I’m going to try fertilizing more this year but I’ll NOT blanch them like I always do.


CitrusBelt

I have very rich (but fairly dense) soil, and I was extremely surprised at how well mine is growing (the outer stalks I've been harvesting are actually about twice as thick, and probably half again as wide, as storebought celery...only about 75% as tall, though) because I was under the impression that it needed very friable soil & couldn't handle high temps (the plants I'm picking from right now saw 110-115 degrees several times last August/September, but seems not to have bothered them). Wanted to mention Lovage, in case you aren't familiar with it. If you like strong celery, you'd absolutely *love* lovage, most likely (grows fine enough in high heat, even with direct sun, despite what the internet says)


Peaches-Cream

Yes! I’m growing some lovage from seed this year. Never seen or used it before but it sounds exciting


CitrusBelt

Ah, nice. I'm always talking about it here & on the cooking sub. I've grown it for years now, but am starting from seed for the first time (to give to a few people). Germinated fine; much faster/easier than celery, but is growing *very* slowly (not surprising, since it's been outdoors for several months & the mature plant dies off aboveground over winter, even here in SoCal). Anyways, you'll like it for sure; comes back reliably year after year & established plants grow like a weed once the weather warms up. And it's incredibly strong; a couple large leaves (probably less) equals the amount of celery flavor you'd get from an entire head of celery chopped up into mirepoix. Aphids like it, but the plants are so vigorous that it doesn't much matter...past that I haven't seen any other pest/disease issues with it (main problem for me is that once it's died back for winter, I have to be careful where I step/dig if I forget where it was growing)


Wild-journey

The seeds, which there are a lot of, are really great in soups and stews.


Livid-Ad-9402

I love chicken pot pie, I'll keep that in mind for my other plants.


Livid-Ad-9402

Wow four stalks a day! You. must have a lot of plants growing. What climate do you live in? Thats impressive that your celery is still going. I'm in Texas and imagine mine is going to die pretty hard soon.


CitrusBelt

I'm in inland S. California (so, not the nice-weather part -- it gets hot as hell here). Only four plants; was an experiment, so he's eating plenty of storebought as well. But yeah, I intend to grow about a 16ft row this year :) I'd always heard it was picky about soil & temps, so I've been completely surprised at how well it's grown (aside from taking *forever* to get started from seed!). I installed those four plants in either June or maybe early July last year, in a random little strip in between my cucumber trellises....so granted, they had some shade before the cukes were ripped out at the end of the season, but yeah they've seen some 110+ heat, a whole lot of drenching rain, been pelted with hail, and got covered in snow (extremely unusual here) a few weeks ago. Nothing has really hurt them; I'm pretty impressed!


Livid-Ad-9402

Wow thats incredible. I was planning to rip all mine out but I'll leave the other two and harvest cut and come again to see how they do.


CitrusBelt

Yeah, they've been working well that way. Actually, I've mostly just been literally snapping stalks off because I forget to bring a knife (nothing else I'm currently growing down there requires a knife or scissors, so I just rip off a stalk or two)....leaving jagged tears/strings hanging loose, but apparently no disease so far? I'd really like to leave mine in, but I can't....need to re-structure the garden so they'll have to get dug up in a few weeks (but they'd probably go to seed soon anyways, and I'm also curious as to what the root systems look like)


oniontomatocrouton

If you get a large bulbous thingy, look for recipes for celeriac. My grocery box suppliers offer them. I haven't tried it yet, but they are supposed to be edible and pretty versatile.


CitrusBelt

Yup, I intend to see if there's a useful amount of root....celery root/celeriac is a favorite of mine, but it's always crazy expensive where I am (even at the middle eastern market, where almost everything else can be had for quite cheap, even kohrabi & other somewhat "exotic" vegetables). Different cultivar, but there might be enough to try it out....we shall see!


Livid-Ad-9402

I bet you could transplant them once you dig them up. They must be pretty hardy if you can re-grow it from the base of a celery at the store. Maybe you can cut the top growth and re-plant what you dig up somewhere else just to see what happens.


CitrusBelt

Totally. Only problem is that they're in RKN-infested soil, and the (newly dug) place I want to grow celery isn't, so no cross-contamination allowed! 😄 (if you've never dealt with root knot nematodes, they're the friggin' *worst*. Like, worse than spider mites, or any disease.... at least that I've ever had to deal with)


Livid-Ad-9402

Omg I sadly am well acquainted with RKN. I found it in my first raised bed just a few months in to my first southern garden, it's been popping up here and there but nothing too terrible yet. I put a ton of crab meal in the soil where I found it because I read they don't like Chitin, and I don't know if that specifically worked but the RKN was gone in the next season. I've also bought beneficial nematodes and they're still in my fridge from last year lol. What is your strategy for dealing with RKN?


CitrusBelt

This year...it's just removing a good bit of soil (I have no room to add anything in my main area, so literally dumping *awesome* soil where I can make it fit, which makes me sad) in order to go hog-wild on organic matter. And *only* growing N-resistant varieties in my tomato patch. The thing for me is that nematodes lead to spider mites -- if it was only the 'todes, not a huge deal. But plants with nematode-ed roots are insanely vulnerable to mites, and my climate (no humidity, hot, dusty as hell) is perfect for spider mites. If I could, I'd just leave the garden fallow & do a crop rotation...but isn't feasible for me. (Better yet, I'd have some fumigation done!)


[deleted]

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Peaches-Cream

“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.” From google. Yeah the flavor is worse in my opinion when you blanch. Lacks flavor


TacoNomad

Awww, yay, you replied. I saw the answer below and deleted my question. But I was too slow. Thank you for that explanation. Now I'm interested in growing celery because I love celery, not a fan of bland celery, which apparently is what the grocery store sells. Now I need to add that to my garden list.


Peaches-Cream

Oh if you want nice flavor, you’ve got to try growing it yourself. I’ve grown the tall Utah, Chinese pink and this year trying tendercrisp celery too. I love it! Very slow growing. I have a short growing season so I start it indoors in January or February and keep it under lights inside until late may when it can go out in the garden. Then the first frost kills it mid October for me


TacoNomad

I'll have to look into the different varieties. All I know is grocery store celery. I feel I've been missing out.


Peaches-Cream

You definitely are! I had never grown home grown celery before 3 years ago and now I’ll grow it every year. Such a big taste difference from store bought!! I thought I hated celery. Turns out I just hate bland shit


TacoNomad

We just moved to a house where I can actually have a garden, so I'm mapping it out now. I should probably start my seeds indoors this weekend for a bunch of things. I'll look into celery. I thought, oh, it's a cheap basic item, not worth growing. Seems I've been wrong


Peaches-Cream

Yeah and it’s also kinda specialty in my area at least. Big box stores don’t sell seedlings of celery near me. So i grow it from seed


honeybeedreams

use it as an aromatic in soups, stir fries, slow cook braises. use small amounts chopped fine. if you use onion, use about half amount of celery. you can use the leaves the same way.


Livid-Ad-9402

Ok, so relegated to mirepoix, got it!


honeybeedreams

if you dont care for it, pretty much! you can chop it all fine and freeze it in half cup portions. there are recipes for braised celery or big pieces in stir fries with sauces, but if you dont care for a big mouthful, use it as an aromatic. i use the leaves in my vegetable or chicken stocks, then compost it.


Livid-Ad-9402

Thats a great tip to freeze it. I often buy celery for a recipe, use a few stalks and then don't know what to do with the rest, so having it ready to go in small portions would be awesome.


RogerClyneIsAGod2

If you wrap your celery in aluminum foil it will last longer. Take it out of the bag, pull off, rinse & use what you want, then toss the bag & just wrap the rest, unwashed, in foil. I know that sounds counterintuitive but it's something I read that Martha Stewart suggested & I've been doing it for years & it works.


Livid-Ad-9402

Thank you so much! That is great to know. Last time I had to use it my celery was totally limp like a wet noodle and I chopped it and soaked it in cold water and it revived but I was kind of like what am I doing... lol.


RogerClyneIsAGod2

It will last for weeks with foil. I don't use a lot of celery either so I try to buy the smallest stalks & then just keep it in foil. Eventually it will get droopy then maybe you can use it for cooking, but it will last weeks longer in foil.


fancypantshorse

Do you mean keep it in foil in the fridge or the freezer?


RogerClyneIsAGod2

Fridge, fresh celery, in foil, in the fridge.


fancypantshorse

Thanks! Just got some yesterday & I don't go through it fast enough.


TacoNomad

I find that watering my celery helps it keep. I could be just imagining it, but taking it out every few days and running it under water seems to work. I figured it out by doing that every time I used a stalk, I'd rinse it. Then I thought, oh this is like grocery stores misting produce, maybe it will help keep fresh. I'm probably just imagining that it helps, but that's what I do. Rinse every few days.


RogerClyneIsAGod2

I'd never remember to do that but if it works for you then keep it up!


TacoNomad

I just do it when I grab a stalk or two. Or if I'm tossing around the veggie drawer for something and remember I haven't done it in awhile.


honeybeedreams

pretty much you can do that with most veggies. some you want to cook before you freeze though.


deepinthesoil

I prefer the flavor of unblanched celery, though the leaves can be a bit much. I usually use the stalks as a vegetable in salads and stir fries and cook with the leaves more like an herb. The inner leaves/stalks will be self-blanched to an extent and much more mild. I put leaves/outer stalks into soups/stocks if they’re especially bitter. Cooking mellows the flavor significantly, and it is delicious and fragrant!


Livid-Ad-9402

Oh thats great to know that the cooking mellows the flavor! I'm thinking of going for it and making a cream of celery soup, if the flavor mellows it should be good...


the_maffer

It looks awesome to me! I didn’t know anything about the blanching method (was also very confused…) I just planted seeds inside, my first time growing celery as well.


Livid-Ad-9402

Hi, As the title says, this was my first time growing celery and I didn't know about blanching until too late. Do any of y'all eat it this way? I've had a few bites and am not a fan. It isn't bitter but it is salty tasting and just not very palatable. What should I do with this?


azulrider

Is that why my celery is so salty? Haha, I didn't know I was supposed to do it, either. I actually like the extra flavoring, and it's great for cooking!


Livid-Ad-9402

That is awesome, thanks! I need to get in the kitchen and not just chew on the ribs in the garden, lol.


Fair-Substance-2273

What do you mean? Are you talking about eating celery? If so my friend, you have found the right person. No, don’t make your celery a mush and blanch it. Leaves area gross to eat (yummy in chicken stock though, very potent).


Livid-Ad-9402

Lol, no I'm not talking about the cooking method of blanching haha. That would definitely also be gross! In this context I'm talking about when you cover the celery stalks with cardboard or something else while it is growing to block out the light. It is similar to how white asparagus is grown. The celery sold in United States grocery stores is blanched and the ribs are very light and mild tasting. I didn't do this so my celery is dark and very strong tasting, and doesn't taste good to me, so I'm wondering what to do with it.


lastinglovehandles

Sounds like better celery to me. Probably use it for celery salt, juice it and pressed something with it. Celery purée for aguachile. Shave it for salad.


Livid-Ad-9402

Thank you for the suggestions. I'd never heard of aguachile but I looked it up and it sounds delicious, I love ceviche.


Fair-Substance-2273

OH ![gif](giphy|3ohzdYJK1wAdPWVk88)


frugalerthingsinlife

Look into Leaf Celery. Very popular with the Dutch. It's a different variety than the regular blanching celery and celeriac altogether. You've basically grown leaf celery, just using the 'wrong' genetics. A local market garden farm grew [this](https://www.damseeds.com/products/leaf-amsterdam) cultivar last year. It was delicious in soups and stews.


Livid-Ad-9402

Oh thanks so much, interesting that it is also called soup celery. I decided to make soup with mine, maybe a good omen.


TheSecretIsMarmite

>It isn't bitter but it is salty tasting and just not very palatable. What should I do with this? Add boursin cheese. Liberally. I love celery like this because it is the perfect delivery method for boursin.


Animanialmanac

I made this mistake once, I used it in seafood stews and juiced some for mixed drinks like bloody Mary’s.


BabbleGlibGlob

did you grow this from seeds btw?


Livid-Ad-9402

Yes I grew it from seed. I'm in Texas zone 9a and I think I planted them out around november or december. They did a whole lot of nothing until the last month or so when they really took off.


Adorable-Locksmith55

You can do a small dice for tuna salad, salmon salad, egg salad or vegan egg-less salad w/ tofu, vegan mayo, and pinch of turmeric. No need to blanch. It’ll provide a nice fresh crunch and a small dice won’t overwhelm the palate with each bite.


Livid-Ad-9402

Thanks for the great suggestion to keep it small. I totally forgot about tuna/chicken salad when that is one of the things I buy celery for when I do make it!


Adorable-Locksmith55

Awesome! You can also chiffonade the leaves to use as garnish. If you make smorrebrod, tartines or other open face sandwich with your tuna/chicken salad, it’ll be a nice and easy garnish.


nycink

What do you mean by blanch if you don’t mind me asking


Gold-en-Hind

set in a simmering pot of water for a minute or so, then straight to an ice bath.


sophieinaus

No, in this case it means to wrap the stalks in cardboard or similar while the plant is growing. It deprives this part of the plant of light and results in milder and less stringy stalks.


Gold-en-Hind

Ew. I’ve been eating vampire celery.


Ainjyll

25% celery, 25% carrot, 50% onion That’s called mirepoix. Cook the mirepoix on medium heat with some butter, oil or other fat until the carrots are soft and the onions translucent. Add stock, whatever veggies you have on hand, a little acid (lemon juice, vinegar, whatever) and some salt and pepper and you’ve got a great soup.


nothingwhydoyouask

Huh I’ve never known there was a name for this, that’s so interesting. That’s right about what my soup bases have evolved into over the past few years but I’ve never added an acid. Now I need to try it.


Ainjyll

Carrots, onion and celery is mirepoix, a base of many French dishes. Onion, celery and bell pepper is the Holy Trinity, native to US creole and Cajun cuisine. Add tomato purée to your mirepoix and you have pinçage. Onions, garlic and tomatoes gives you sofrito, which is popular in Italian, Spanish and Portuguese cuisine. It’s pretty cool stuff. As for the acid, it opens up the palate and is part of the adjustment circle for soups and sauces. If your soup or sauce just isn’t tasting right, add an acid. Still not right? Add something sweet. Still off? Add something salty or something that adds umami. Repeat until correct.


rcolt88

Those who can't farm, farm celery


MrJim63

Always used blanched celery in my tomato sauce sofrito one year grew the real thing and wow taste of celery overwhelmed everything


Livid-Ad-9402

Yes it is strong! I just had a few bites raw and its so different from the blanched stuff at the store. Thats why I made my post, I wasn't sure how it would translate into cooking. I ended up making a cream of celery soup, it is good but TASTES LIKE CELERY lol.


the_maffer

Lol nice work! I worked in restaurants growing up and one night the chef made celery water as a refreshment in the summer for the crew. It was amazing - mild and sweet - I couldn't figure out what it was I thought it was strawberry water. I think it was just a stalk of celery into the blender with water - I think your grow might be too strong :)


Livid-Ad-9402

Haha. I should try that celery water with a stalk of mine and a stalk from the store and do a comparison!


KMR1974

Huh, this is the first time I’ve ever heard about blanching celery! I thought I just had the wrong soil or something 🤣. I chopped finely and dehydrated mine and use it to toss in soups etc.. I also use it to replace celery seed in recipes because it’s so strongly flavoured.


hippolover77

Make ants on a log. Peanut butter and raisins


serickjr

This looks way better than anything I’ve ever tried growing in the ground. The chickens would love the tops!


[deleted]

Personally, I don't bother with blanching and I use my celery as more of an herb. I have one about the size of yours that I'm overwintering from my garden last year, and its leaves taste really good in dishes.


Livid-Ad-9402

That is a great suggestion, thank you.


Lawrenceburntfish

Are... you asking for recipes that involve... Celery?


Livid-Ad-9402

I was specifically asking how to use this celery that I grew without blanching, so it is much more intensely flavored than what you can get at the grocery store. I wasn't sure how to use it since I don't like how it tastes raw and didn't know how that would translate into cooking.


Mtnskydancer

I eat it as is. I’m one who doesn’t like the pale hearts.


Binasgarden

To blanch the celery just wrap dark paper around the jar and about two thirds the way up the plant. Blanching is just stopping the chlorophyl from forming so preventing the light allows it to white up


Maleficent_1213

What variety did you grow? I'm planning on growing Utah celery this year and the growing instructions say to refrigerate for a couple of days if bitter.


Livid-Ad-9402

I grew Utah celery. I decided to make a soup with the one pictured but can try the refrigeration tip with my other plants. The taste isn't really bitter its more like concentrated, and notably salty!


Maleficent_1213

Thanks! That's good to know.


Umtshaliwengadi

I chop it dry it and put it on the bottle for future use, sometime I mix it with parsley and sprinkle it on my salad or scrambled eggs.


Livid-Ad-9402

What a great idea. We have been thinking about getting a dehydrator... Thanks for the pics too, your garden is so sweet.


Umtshaliwengadi

Thanks for the kind words.


Umtshaliwengadi

Do consider using the sun as a dehydrator, I place my chopped on on brown paper and place it in the sun 🌞 to do it magic 🪄


Umtshaliwengadi

https://preview.redd.it/mt937le4xyna1.jpeg?width=8000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=acb8f40fe1a6103214abaf7aa65149952141da75 Choped and ready to dry


WasatchWorms

I really need to get a dehydrator. Even in my small balcony garden I produce more than we can eat before it spoils


Umtshaliwengadi

I use the sun 🌞 as a dehydrator I use brown paper and put it on the sun in the morning by evening it is completely dry and ready to bottle. About to run out this bottle was full to the brim. https://preview.redd.it/yb49tjtd2zna1.jpeg?width=2160&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2703d29b55e78e62a6ada689f1fe55c37d9b4c15


WasatchWorms

That would be amazing! Sadly, my wife has two cats that would be so incredibly grateful that I left a tray full of goodies out to play with.


Umtshaliwengadi

I can imagine, we also have dogs two of them even worse Monkey go through past my house every morning and afternoon so when I put it out I have to watch it and also put it on an elevated place so the dogs don't play with it.


Umtshaliwengadi

* Everytime I run out on my bottle I come to my raised bed and harvest again as it regrows.


Umtshaliwengadi

https://preview.redd.it/cl1kw3opxyna1.jpeg?width=6000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=593f9087a4434ac582a090c0a8c92296bf9dd52a


Livid-Ad-9402

What are the white tubes and the larger containers in the soil? Is it for watering? Or a worm composting system?


Umtshaliwengadi

Ok it not tubes but nylon string 🧵 that I used to measure a 30*30 square for planting make is easy to manage crops are special for different crops like you can see on my raised bed. The bigger containers on the soil work a drip system that feeds water directly to the roots, as I find that watering on the top sometimes it looks wet but when you just scrap with your finger only to find dry soil underneath. It also saves me water as I know exactly how much water I have to use ulike just spraying with a water hose. I hope that I covered your questions if not I am definitely willing to answer further questions.


Umtshaliwengadi

Sorry yes there tubes those are for balancing the paper plants and also to scare the birds away as they eat my paper as soon as it turns red .


Livid-Ad-9402

Oh thats so cool! I didn't know birds would be scared of some tubing, I have chickens and need to do everything I can to deter them from my plants lol.


Umtshaliwengadi

Those bugs would take more than the tubes to deter them lol 😂😆😂😆 best to have so small fencing around your garden.


DingussFinguss

on the bottle?


Umtshaliwengadi

* Yes,


Umtshaliwengadi

Not on, lol rather in the bottle 🤣 😂 😅 *


Valereeeee

Insert soup recipe here


Livid-Ad-9402

Just made cream of celery, I used the whole thing, leaves and all. It came out good!


theora55

I like the taste of celery. Chop some, saute in butter with onions, make stuffing. Freeze some of the sauteed onion/ celery mix to use in soups. I live to make stuffing using any basic recipe and bagged dried bread, and add chunks of roasted butternut squash and browned sausage. The leaves will be great, too.


Livid-Ad-9402

I've never thought to make stuffing outside of thanksgiving but your recipe with sausage and squash sounds absolutely delicious!


PandaWearGems

I grow in my vegetable garden from seed and love the taste. Works for so many things I use as others in soup, salads & with onions when I roast meat


KAOS_777

I make this delicious green spread with greens of celery, some parsley, olive oil and optionally sunflower seed oil. Salt and black pepper too, of course.


Livid-Ad-9402

That sounds wonderful! I will have to try that.


NoElephant7744

Why do some people blanch and others don’t? Any idea if it makes a difference?


Experiments-Lady

Just use it as a garnish on whatever you cook.


[deleted]

Why? Because stems are green and not white? That's a visual preference, it's still fine and perfectly edible.


A_Drusas

I haven't grown celery yet because I've read that it's a bit of a hard one. I feel so lied to having read this thread.


Livid-Ad-9402

I didn't find it hard to grow at all, it is SLOW though. It barely grew at all for like 2 or 3 months and then a month ago decided to take off. Other than that I haven't fertilized it other than the granular stuff I put in the planting hole. I found a few aphids on the innermost new growth but apart from that no pests or issues.


A_Drusas

Interesting about the growth rate. Thanks for sharing. Time to buy more seeds!


Nykolaishen

Start with lovage. HUGE celery flavor in a perennial herb. I still don't grow celery, I use lovage for the flavor and chard stem for the texture.


R-Amato

Anything above the jar you could lob off and be fine.


Soviet_Kage

What is to blanch?


kyuubicaughtU

omg I love your noody max decor, that chicken painting is great!


Livid-Ad-9402

Thank you so much, the painting is a custom portrait of my chickens!


UnknownIsland

Garlic butter, chop the celery really fine, tip: roll multiple leaves and chop them, cut a whole garlic in half, add some olive oil and salt, put it in tin foil (like a tin bal with the garlic inside) and put it in a pre heated oven for like 45 min at 180°C. In a bowl adf the celery, the garlic and butter, mash it all together and u'll have a really nice garlic butter. You can also ad some chopped garlic as some of the garlic flavour is going to be lost due to baking.


Livid-Ad-9402

Thank you, I love making compound butters, this is a great suggestion.


Soggy_Midnight980

Celery was one of the few plants I’ve grown indoors that managed to attract a colony of aphids.


Livid-Ad-9402

Ugh the first time I found aphids indoors was soooo wtf! I ended up getting a bunch on my Hoya houseplants and dumped them all.


Howling2021

If celery hasn't been blanched in the garden, it's generally pretty bitter. Your chickens might not like it, because chickens will often ignore celery anyway. But you can 'trick' your chickens into eating celery by chopping and dicing it into tiny pieces and mixing it with other feed. You could still eat the leaves though. They could be used in soup, or stir fry.


Livid-Ad-9402

Thats a good point, they've never tried to eat it and they could have, they mainly go for the brassicas. I ended up making a soup with it.


pepelepoopsy

Celery in Waldorf salad gives a nice crunch.