Fresh celery stalks, like other veggies, do not have a very long shelf life when kept in the fridge. Pickling offers a way to preserve fresh celery for several months. Contrary to popular opinion, learning how to pickle celery is very simple.
With the right tools and pickling techniques, you will find out just how easy following a pickled celery recipe is to complete. Although there are many advantages to picking celery sticks, the extended shelf life is perhaps the most enticing factor.
This article not only teaches you how to make a delicious and quick pickled celery recipe, but also how to store pickled celery, common mistakes to avoid while pickling, and how to pick the freshest celery from your garden or the local farmer’s market.
Pickling celery is an excellent way to use up extra bunch celery while preserving it for a long time. For the best tips and tricks related to pickled celery, consider this article your complete guide.
Health Benefits of Celery
Celery sticks are pretty diverse regarding how they can be paired with other foods. For example, celery pieces provide a satisfying crunch to a chicken salad recipe.
One of the advantages of eating celery is the numerous nutritional benefits it offers. Celery is low in carbohydrates, gluten-free, low in calories, and rich in antioxidants.
Additionally, celery reduces inflammation, supports regular digestion, and is packed full of vitamins and minerals. The overwhelming amount of nutritional advantages are enough to learn how to pickle celery.
How to Pickle Celery in the Proper Jars
Does celery go bad? Like any edible product, celery can spoil. There are many ways to preserve celery. Can you freeze chopped celery? Definitely.
Canning is an excellent way to preserve it. When pickling celery or any other food, you must use the correct jars. A Mason jar is the best kind of jar to use for a homemade pickled celery recipe.
Mason pint jars are designed especially for canning, which means they can handle the intense heat involved in homemade canning and pickling. The pickling liquid is very hot, and a Mason jar is a container that can withstand the temperature without damage.
Never use commercial jars like condiment jars, jars for jalapenos or green beans, or pickle jars. These jars are not suitable for boiling water involved in pickling, causing easy breaks and tiny air holes.
To ensure there are no potentially dangerous bacteria in your pickled celery recipe, wash out the jars with plenty of soap and hot water. The first step in discovering how to pickle celery is to select the proper jars that are safe for pickling.
An Amazing Pickled Celery Recipe
Following a quick pickled celery recipe is easy when you have the right ingredients, just like when you make pickled carrots or cucumbers. The best way to pickle celery is to have all your ingredients and different tools ready beforehand so the process is as efficient as possible.
In a medium saucepan, combine vinegar, water, sugar, salt, and celery seed and place it over medium-high heat until the sugar melts. In a Mason jar, place your chopped celery, onion, and dill.
Pour the liquid from your saucepan over the top of your ingredients in the jar and let your pickled celery sit at room temperature until the mixture cools. Refrigerate pickled celery for two days before eating.
Spicy Quick Pickled Celery Recipe
To add a kick to your pickled celery recipe, the best way to preserve celery is to add ingredients with spices like peppercorns and chili flakes. This way to make pickled celery is a perfect addition to a charcuterie board or alongside appetizers. Learning how to pickle celery that has more flavor is easy with a few extra spices.
Peel and dice your celery into small pieces to prepare it for pickling. In a small saucepan, bring the sugar, salt, and vinegar to a boil, and continue stirring until the salt and sugar dissolve.
Turn off the high heat and mix in the garlic, mustard seed, peppercorns, and chili flakes. Pour your celery into a Mason jar, and add the vinegar mixture over the top. Make sure to let the pickled celery cool before serving.
Try this recipe to pickle cucumbers, too, for a tasty alternative to dill or sweet pickles.
How to Store Pickled Celery
One advantage to a quick pickled celery recipe is the extended shelf life. Celery on its own only stays fresh for about a week. Celery converted into refrigerator pickles stays fresh for five to six months. Before eating pickled celery, let it cool at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes.
There are two options to store your pickled celery. One is to refrigerate your quick pickles. Keep celery fresh in the refrigerator after pickling. Pickled celery stored in the refrigerator tastes best for two to three weeks.
Another option for storing pickled celery stalks is to keep them in your pantry. How long is celery good for after canning? Pickled celery stays fresh in a cool, dark, and dry environment for several months. Make sure the environment is not damp, as it may cause damage to the jars.
Things to Avoid While Pickling Celery
When canning or pickling fruits and vegetables, there are a few things to be aware of that have the potential to ruin your pickled celery recipe. It is always important to ensure your Mason jars have no cracks, dents in the lids, or other deformities.
Even if a Mason jar has a tiny break, it can ruin the entire pickling recipe because of the unwanted airflow that enters.
The amount of liquid you pour over the top of the celery also plays a significant role in the pickling process. Leave around ½ of an inch of space from the top of the jar when filling with brine.
Even though the headspace seems too small to make a difference, filling your jars too high prevents the lid from sealing completely. Unsealed jars do not keep your food fresh for months.
Dangers of Incorrect Pickling Techniques
Practice the proper pickling techniques to avoid potentially dangerous diseases. Improper pickling methods can lead to botulism. Although botulism is rare, it is a hazardous illness caused by a germ that grows in incorrect pickle recipes.
To avoid botulism, ensure your jars are sealed completely. When airflow seeps into the jar, bacteria grows promptly and ruins your delicious quick pickled celery recipe. As a safety measure, if you have any doubts that your pickled celery spoiled while in storage, throw it out.
How to Use Pickled Celery
One of the fantastic things about pickled celery is the diverse ways you can use it alongside other foods.
One popular way to use pickled celery is on top of a kale salad paired with coriander and diced red onion. The flavors of pickled celery complement other vegetables, making a tasty dish.
Pickled celery makes a delicious side dish or as a topping on many foods. With the vast array of delicious uses pickled celery has, you can find a way to use the extra celery from your garden. When you learn how to pickle celery, there are no shortages in ways to include it in meal preparation.
Identifying the Freshest Celery for Pickling Recipes
For the best-tasting pickled celery recipe, use the freshest and most crunchy celery stalks. Picking out ripe celery from your backyard garden or a farmer’s market is simple when you know what indicators to look for on the veggie. Fresh celery is light green and firm to the touch.
Rotten celery has a darker green color and sometimes has brown spots on the stalks. If celery stalks appear droopy and limp, do not use them in a pickling recipe.
When you pick out only crisp, ripe celery, your pickling recipe has a better overall flavor. Before using celery in a pickling recipe, store the stalks in your fridge’s crisper drawer to help the veggie stay as fresh as possible.
If you have plenty of leftover celery from your garden and do not know how to use them up, learn how to make a delicious pickled celery recipe. A quick pickled celery recipe is easy to follow and allows you to create a savory side dish.
Celery is highly nutritious and provides a wide array of benefits that support regular digestion. Pickled celery is also quite simple to make.
If you discovered how to pickle celery, share these quick pickled celery recipes with your neighbors and family on Pinterest and Facebook.