We often think of celery as the perfect veggie to dehydrate, but is it possible to can celery as a form of home food preservation? While canned celery loses its firm, crunchy texture, it is a great way to preserve this vegetable. Canning celery is relatively simple, and there are several ways to can them for meal prepping and condiments.
Home canning is a popular homesteading practice, and it’s easy to can everything from bread and butter pickles, zucchini, green beans, and bell peppers to apple slices for apple pie.
However, the USDA does not have guidelines for canning celery by itself, but rather as ingredients in other canning recipes.
Canned celery does not taste the best when you eat it alone since it becomes soft during the canning process. But, it’s perfect for eating recipes that call for celery as an ingredient, such as soup and stew, and it’s delicious pickled as a topping or for chicken salad.
Ways to Can Celery
Most people probably know the right way to freeze chopped celery. Also, while it’s better to preserve celery by dehydrating, canning and pickling are possible for everyday snacking or home preparedness purposes. Here are several canning recipes for storing your veggies short and long term.
The Benefits of Canned Celery
Unfortunately, fresh celery does not have a very long shelf life as it sits in the fridge. While we don’t often think of this vegetable as a pantry staple, there are many benefits to having canned celery in the refrigerator or pantry.
How do you know if celery is bad? Spoiled celery is slimy, limp, and doesn’t taste good. Don’t preserve rotten celery.
After you eat or preserve all the celery from a bunch, growing celery from scraps is easy. Add the bunch’s stem end to water and wait for it to take root. Then, plant it and wait for your own celery harvest.
Canned Celery
There are many health benefits to adding celery to your diet. These crunchy vegetables have a low glycemic index and are rich in minerals and vitamins such as C, A, and K.
They are an excellent fiber source and are low in calories, making them an ideal go-to snack between meals. The shelf life of celery varies, depending on how fresh it is.
Store-bought celery lasts one to two weeks in the fridge, while celery from your garden lasts up to a month. This doesn’t give you much time to enjoy your celery before it begins to get limp and tasteless.
While we most often think of cucumber canning recipes, pickling and canning whole celery means you get to enjoy this condiment the same way you do dill pickles. They taste great alongside a hot dog or hamburger, with spicy chicken wings, or as an afternoon snack.
While canned diced celery is not very appealing to eat alone as a side vegetable like cucumber pickles or can okra, it is the perfect addition to chicken soup, stew, or other recipes and is a great way to store celery long term.
How to Can Celery in a Water Bath Canner
If you’re wondering how to can celery without a pressure cooker, look no further. This simple recipe for water bath canning celery is easy, and the pickled celery sticks are both tasty and healthy.
To store celery using this method, use a veggie peeler to remove the string from the celery and then cut it into half-inch wide pieces three inches long. Fill a large pot with several cups of water and add the lemon slices, bay leaves, and salt.
Bring it to a boil for two minutes, and add the celery pieces. Boil it for two more minutes, and then drain the hot water in a colander. Spread the celery and lemon slices on a paper towel to cool.
Divide the lemon slices, garlic cloves, peppercorns, red pepper flakes, cloves, mustard seed, sugar, and salt between two Mason jars and pack them with celery sticks.
Boil vinegar and water in a large pot and pour the hot liquid into each jar to cover the celery, leaving a quarter-inch of headspace.
Screw the lids in place and process the jars in a water bath canner for ten minutes. Remove the hot jars and allow them to cool completely before storing.
Canning Celery in a Pressure Cooker
Pressure canning celery takes a bit more time than canning your veggies in a water bath, but this is the best food storage method without pickling. Here is how to can celery as a soup base using a pressure cooker.
Preheat the jars by placing them in a couple of inches of boiling water in the pressure canner for ten minutes. Saute the celery, garlic, and onion in olive oil for ten minutes, and then add the white wine, diced potato, and chicken stock.
Season with salt and pepper and simmer it for five minutes before removing the pan from the heat. Divide the hot veggies and broth between the four preheated canning jars, leaving an inch of headspace.
Wipe the rims with a cloth and twist the covers in place until they are finger-tight. Set the jars in the preheated cooker, put the lid in place, and turn it on high heat.
Once the steam is visible, allow it to vent for ten minutes before processing the jars with ten pounds of pressure for 40 minutes.
Turn off the heat and let the pressure return to zero before removing the lid. After pressure canning, set the jars aside to cool completely and check the seals after 24 hours.
Making Quick Pickled Celery
One of the simplest ways to make canned celery is to quick-pickle them. If you love dill pickles, consider making a batch of quick-pickled celery to store in the refrigerator short term.
They are even better if you spice them up by adding your favorite red pepper or jalapenos and other veggies.
Combine the garlic, onion, dill, mustard seed, peppercorns, and bay leaves in the canning jar. Wash and cut the celery and place them upright in the jar.
Combine the water, vinegar, salt, and sugar in a medium pot and bring the liquid to a boil. Pour the brine over the veggies to submerge them, screw the lid in place, and refrigerate them for about a day before eating them.
How to Make Canned Celery Soup
One of the best ways to can celery is to prepare a recipe that requires celery as an ingredient, such as soup and stew. Here is how to can celery by making a batch of creamy celery soup.
Saute the onion and celery pieces in butter until they are slightly tender but still crisp. Add the broth, reserving one cup for the Clearjel, lemon juice, celery leaves, and seasonings.
In a bowl, combine the remaining broth and Clearjel, and then add them to the pot of veggies.
Heat the celery soup until it boils, and pour it into the canning jars, leaving one inch of headspace. Remove the air bubbles, screw the lids in place, and process the jars in a canner at ten pounds of pressure for 45 minutes.
Growing a vegetable garden is an ideal way to keep your fridge well-stocked, but knowing how to preserve your crop by canning keeps your pantry full of healthy veggies. Canned celery is tasty whether you pickle it or preserve it for your favorite recipes.
Canning celery is not only easy, but a great way to preserve your fresh veggies short and long term, so why not share our celery canning recipes and tips with your friends and family on Facebook and Pinterest?