How To Properly Freeze Celery To Avoid Ice Crystals

Celery is always good to have on hand for Buffalo wings, soups, snacking, or salads; but if you don't use it fast enough, it can go bad quickly. Thankfully, celery can be easily kept fresh in your freezer for up to two months, while blanched celery can last over a year without losing flavor.

However, you can't just toss your celery stalks in the freezer and call it a day because this is the easiest way to ensure it gets freezer-burned and turns into a dried-out, unappetizing stick. Instead, fresh or blanched celery must be frozen quickly and placed in an airtight container to avoid the formation of ice crystals. The faster celery can freeze, the less chance there is for ice to form, while an air-tight container is essential for preventing freezer burn. 

When freezing celery, you can freeze the stalks whole, though it's often much easier to cut them into sections or small slices, so they're easier to use when you need them.  Moreover, blanching isn't technically necessary, but it will help the celery maintain its flavor and allow it to stay fresh longer.

When freezing celery, it's important to start with a fresh bunch you just picked up from the store. While celery can be kept crisp in the fridge, the sooner it's frozen, the fresher it will remain. Your celery stalks should be thoroughly washed to remove any dirt trapped inside the folds. A vegetable brush like the Joie Scrub Brush is good for this step. After washing, cut away the leafy bits, white parts, and discolored parts. It can then be cut into sections or small pieces before the next steps. 

At this point, you can blanch the celery, which not only kills microorganisms but also stops the enzymes that cause it to break down. Blanching is really easy to do, and we'd highly recommend not skipping it. To blanch celery stalks, you must boil them for two to three minutes before tossing them in an ice bath to stop the cooking process. 

After the ice bath, make sure your celery pieces are thoroughly dry, lay them evenly on a baking tray, and place them in the freezer. Initially, putting them on a tray to freeze will ensure that the pieces won't get clumped together. When the pieces are frozen completely, they can be transferred to a freezer bag or airtight container for long-term storage. 

When you're ready to use your frozen celery, it doesn't have to be thawed before cooking. However, if you do need to thaw it, simply place the container in the fridge and let it sit overnight.