The culture from the umbrella family has been known for a very long time. According to Greek myths, celery was used by Aphrodite, who was striking in her beauty. The plant gave strength to the courageous Hippocrates; Cleopatra knew about the amazing properties of the leaves and roots. Now the vegetable is included in cosmetics and is used to prevent diseases. Housewives are looking for different ways to preserve celery for the winter, without which the soup will not be flavorful and the salad will lose its piquancy. There are about 20 varieties of this culture, and it is found everywhere.
Benefits of celery
Until the 17th century, the plant, whose relatives include carrots, coriander, and parsley, was used as a medicine, and only centuries later it began to be used as a food product.
The roots and above-ground parts of celery contain:
- amino acids;
- essential oils;
- various vitamins.
Microelements are represented by phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, sodium, iron. There are only 13 calories in 100 grams of greens, 42 in the rhizome. The culture is rich in purines and acids - nicotinic, folic, ascorbic, chlorogenic. It contains dietary fiber, proteins, and lutein.
When eating celery:
- The pressure decreases.
- Immunity is strengthened.
- Slags and toxins are removed.
- Nerves calm down.
- Metabolism accelerates.
The plant prevents the formation of gases in the intestines, improves the production of gastric juice, and normalizes the water-salt balance. In men, when consuming vegetables, potency increases. Celery functions as an antioxidant and slows down cell aging in older people.
Thanks to the presence of essential oils, the plant:
- Has a positive effect on the skin.
- Returns appetite.
- Helps restore vision.
Medicines produced using the culture eliminate pain, heal wounds, treat hives, and improve sleep. The spicy vegetable helps remove extra pounds and increases sexual desire in women.
Petiole and leaf celery, differences
The umbrella plant, which has an unusual taste and specific smell, is eaten raw and added to salads and dishes.In culinary recipes, all parts of celery are used, which is divided into 3 types; the petiole vegetable grows for 2 years. First, the greens are harvested, and the seeds ripen the following season.
The thick stem produces light green leaves that have a special aroma. Petioles grow from a powerful root, similar to a rod. To prevent them from becoming bitter, you have to hill up the bushes. Small white flowers that appear towards the end of summer are collected in umbrellas. When they ripen, boxes are formed where the seeds are located.
The stalks of this type of celery contain many vitamins and essential oils. The plant is used for preservation and removes excess fluid from the body. Lotions from the leaves heal wounds. In salads, stem celery is combined with carrots and dill. Its aroma improves the taste of soups and main courses. The disadvantage of this umbrella crop is that it does not tolerate frost, has a short growing season, and suffers from powdery mildew.
Leaf celery is planted in country houses and gardens for its greenery, which is cut all summer. It lacks root crops and no petioles, but the crop takes root in the harsh conditions of Siberia and is not afraid of frost. The leaves contain many more beneficial components than other varieties of celery. They are used as a seasoning and added to salads and baked goods.
The root type of umbrella crop is distinguished by a long growing season; this celery is grown not from seeds, but through seedlings; the leaves are not cut off.
Of particular value is the root vegetable, whose weight exceeds 600 grams.
Preparing the main ingredients
Petiole celery is harvested in October. At this time, there is a lot of juice in the stems, and useful substances accumulate in it.The root type is not afraid of frost; dig it up with a pitchfork so as not to damage the fruit, which is well stored in the cellar if left in peat or wet sand.
The petioles are washed, damaged ones are removed and dried. They overwinter normally if you put the stems in a bag and find a place in the refrigerator. This part of the plant is suitable for preparing various dishes.
The leafy form of celery is placed in bunches on a surface where the sun does not reach. It dries under parchment for 30 days, after which it is crushed, poured into a glass container and used as a seasoning.
Homemade celery recipes
During the winter months, the umbrella crop, which has a unique composition, is not always sold in stores. Many housewives have learned to prepare leaves, petioles, and root vegetables on their own, which allows them to preserve essential oils, amino acids, vitamins and other components until the beginning of summer.
Using a simple recipe that is suitable for home use, it is not difficult to make seasoning. To do this you need to take a bunch:
- dill;
- celery;
- parsley
The greens are chopped with a knife, ground with a glass of salt and placed in glass jars.
Some gardeners prepare various vegetables in the fall to put them in borscht in the winter and eat them fresh. Following the recipe, use:
- carrots, tomatoes and onions – 1 kilogram each;
- dill, parsley, celery - a bunch each;
- pepper – 300 grams.
The greens and tomatoes need to be chopped, the remaining vegetables should be chopped. The workpiece is mixed with a spoon of salt and placed in jars in the refrigerator.
How to keep celery fresh
The fruits of the umbrella culture do not lose their main components for 7 days if they are placed in a plastic wrap in the refrigerator.For long-term fresh storage, the vegetable is placed in sand and taken to the cellar or placed in cellophane bags and sent to the basement, where there is high humidity and the air temperature is within one degree.
Root crops will not rot until spring if they are laid out in rows in the cellar.
For petiole and leaf celery, storage options are also selected:
- The greens are salted, allowed to brew for a couple of days and rolled into jars.
- The fresh herbaceous plant is frozen in molds with ice. It loses neither aroma, nor vitamins, nor amino acids.
- Leaves that are placed in dishes are left in the freezer, packed in a plastic container that does not allow air to pass through.
Celery wrapped in foil stays fresh and fresh for more than a week in the refrigerator. In plastic film it withers in 3 days.
The plant, dug up by the roots, along with a lump of earth, is placed in the sand in the basement. It will last until spring.
Drying
The leaves of the umbrella culture do not lose most of the essential oils, acids and trace elements if you use one of the simple and affordable harvesting methods.
Celery leaves are separated from the stems, bundles are knitted from them and dried, hung on the wall or ceiling in the kitchen or veranda, which is well ventilated, but the scorching rays of the sun do not reach there.
The leaves can be laid out on the surface and covered with paper; they will dry longer, but will not lose their beneficial properties. Dried greens are chopped and placed in a container.
Freezing
Due to the fact that celery contains a large number of unique components, one cannot do without it even in the winter. To do this, they resort to various storage methods. The leaves are placed in ice trays and water is poured into them.You can also freeze stalks of petiole celery, which are placed in a plastic container and, like greens, sent to the freezer.
Those who prefer this method of long-term storage of a plant should know that with this option it loses many useful components. However, many gardeners like to freeze their greens.
Dry salting method
To keep the vegetable fresh, making it convenient to add to various dishes, you can use a simple recipe. A kilogram of clean and dried leaves is mixed with a glass of table salt and placed tightly in a glass container. When liquid forms in the jar, it is rolled up and taken to the basement or cellar.
The product obtained by dry salting has a very salty taste and is used as a seasoning for salads, main courses and soups.
Pickled root and petioles
The leaves and stems of the umbrella plant are not only dried and frozen. A savory appetizer for meat, fish dishes and potatoes, where all the beneficial properties of the vegetable are preserved, is obtained by pickling the root. For preparation you need the following ingredients:
- celery – 1 kilogram;
- coriander and salt - 2 teaspoons;
- sugar – 20 grams;
- butter - half a glass;
- vinegar and soy sauce - 4 tablespoons.
- red pepper - a whisper.
The root vegetable needs to be peeled and cut into pieces or chopped on a grater, crushed with your hands so that it releases the juice.
First add salt and sugar to hot sunflower oil, and then add coriander and pepper. When bubbles appear and the mixture becomes homogeneous, add vinegar and sauce.The warm marinade is gradually added to the chopped celery, the mass is left overnight so that it is saturated with spices, and rolled into storage containers.
The aromatic snack is obtained from the leafy type of umbrella crop. Garlic cloves, a couple of bay leaves and celery greens are placed at the bottom of sterilized liter jars.
The marinade is made from the following ingredients:
- 0.1 kilograms of sugar;
- 70 grams of salt;
- liters of water;
- a glass of vinegar.
The boiled solution is poured into the jars, then sterilized for 20 minutes and sealed with lids.
Pickled petioles have an original taste and are served with meat, side dishes, and salads. To prepare for the winter:
- Celery stalks without leaves are cut into small pieces.
- The garlic is peeled and divided into cloves.
- The seeds are removed from the hot pepper and the fruit is crushed into slices.
- The onion is cut to form large rings.
- Plant leaves, seasonings, and garlic are placed at the bottom of the jar.
- The second layer consists of onion and pepper petioles.
- The contents of the dish are filled with boiling water and left for half an hour.
- The resulting infusion is poured into a saucepan, into which 2 tablespoons of sugar and one of salt are poured, boiled for 2 minutes, and vinegar is added.
- Vegetables in jars are seasoned with marinade, and after cooling, they are rolled up with lids.
To prepare this snack you need:
- onion – 2 heads;
- garlic – 3 cloves;
- pepper - pod;
- petioles and leaves – 400 grams;
- vinegar - half a glass;
- water – 400 milliliters;
- spices.
Celery marinated according to this recipe can be consumed after 2 weeks. In a cold place, the snack does not spoil for a long time, has a spicy aroma, and surprises with its original taste.
In marinade, with cucumbers and carrots
Celery goes well with vegetables and berries.The resulting preparations saturate the body with a mass of vitamins and microelements. Most culinary recipes can be mastered by any housewife. To prepare a crispy snack reminiscent of an oriental salad, you will need:
- petioles – 1 kilogram;
- carrots – 700 grams;
- cucumbers – 500 grams;
- dill - sprig;
- water – 300 milliliters;
- vinegar - 3 tablespoons;
- parsley, cloves;
- salt - spoon;
- sugar – 15 grams.
Celery stalks are washed, peeled, cut into pieces 3-4 centimeters long, and cucumbers into thin slices. The carrots are chopped. Everything is put in a glass jar. Salt and sugar are poured into a container with water, vinegar is added and put on fire. After 15 minutes, pour the boiling marinade over the vegetables. The sterilized snack is covered with a cloth for a day, after which it is taken to a cool place.
Canned celery in tomato sauce
The petiole type of umbrella plant is prepared in tomato juice for the winter. Fresh red fruits must be minced. Tomato puree needs to be cooked for an hour. Oil is poured into the resulting sauce, chili peppers cut into pieces, sugar and salt are added. After 20 minutes, add crushed petioles to the mixture and boil it for another half hour, then season with vinegar.
A bunch of dill, celery leaves and parsley should be mixed with salt and placed in jars. For the recipe we select:
- tomatoes – 2 kilograms;
- plant stems – 1000 grams;
- pepper – 1 piece;
- vinegar - spoon;
- sugar and salt - to taste.
Preservation is rolled into sterile jars. A soup mixture is made from leaf celery, carrots, onions, tomatoes and bell peppers for the winter.
How and where to store it correctly
The roots and stems of the plant are rich in substances that are necessary for the body, but in winter there is not enough of them. Leaf and petiole celery do not lose useful components if stored:
- in a refrigerator;
- in the freezer;
- in dried form.
In greens rolled with salt, vitamins, amino acids, and essential oils are present until spring. At room temperature, fresh leaves should be used or eaten within 4 days.
Root vegetables wrapped in plastic film will not spoil within a month at 3°C. They will lie in the cellar for up to six months if packaged in plastic bags or placed in wooden boxes, sprinkled with sand. But the temperature there should not exceed 2 degrees.
For long-term storage, choose smooth root vegetables with smooth skin without dents, cracks, or knots. The presence of voids is indicated by a dull sound that can be heard by knocking on the vegetable. This type of celery has poor keeping quality.
Bright greens are good for storage. Wilted stems indicate a stale plant. Leaf and petiole varieties, after being washed and dried, are wrapped in foil and placed in the refrigerator, finding a place on the top shelf.
Celery root vegetables can be grated, put into bags and placed in the freezer. They do not rot or dry out in wooden boxes with sand located on a glazed balcony or loggia, but in severe frost the vegetable will have to be removed into the apartment.
Salted, pickled, canned preparations, rolled up in sterile jars, are perfect in the cellar, basement or refrigerator.
In properly dried celery leaves and stalks, beneficial components are preserved for a year. Frozen greens do not lose their taste, aroma and vitamins. It is cut into pieces and placed in molds with ice.
Despite the enormous benefits of celery, it is not recommended for everyone to consume the vegetable. People suffering from nephrolithiasis should avoid it, as kidney stones may begin to move. Patients with thrombophlebitis, epilepsy, pregnant women, and nursing mothers should not eat root vegetables, marinades and pickles from greens.
All other people need to include both greens and celery roots in their diet. They will help you lose weight, calm your nerves, and improve your appetite.
