What is celery: overview, rules of use and cultivation technology

Celery is a product with a rich chemical composition and negative calorie content. The root, herbs and petioles are used for fresh consumption and preparation of the first and second courses. The plant has a lot of useful properties, has a beneficial effect on women's and men's health, normalizes the condition with gout, rheumatism, urolithiasis.

The culture is unpretentious in care, however, in order to obtain a rich harvest, it is recommended to adhere to the rules of agricultural technology. In this article, we will tell you everything about celery: how it looks, where and how it grows, how it is used in cooking and traditional medicine.

What is celery

What is celery - vegetable or herb? It is a vegetable crop in which all parts are edible - root, leaves and stems.

Fragrant celery is a biennial plant from the Umbrella family, or Celery. The birthplace of culture is the Mediterranean countries. The ancient Egyptians and Greeks used it to treat pathologies of internal organs. Where does culture grow? Celery grows best in temperate climates, in moist, nitrogen-rich soils. The plant is characterized by resistance to minor frosts, unpretentious care.

There are three types of culture: root, petiolate (stem) and leaf celery. Let's talk about each of them in more detail.

Root

Root celery in the first year of vegetation forms a gray-white root crop, round in shape, weighing about 500 g, 5-12 cm in diameter. The pulp is white or creamy. The leaves are three-lobed. Stems reach 0.5 m in height.

The growing season is 180-200 days. In the second year, the plant throws out a meter-long flower stem with inflorescences in which brown-gray seeds are located. The thin skin is cut off before cooking.

The photo shows how the plant blooms.

Stemlevoy

Stem celery is a biennial plant that is prized for its succulent and thick stems that are green, white, pink or red. Self-bleaching varieties are most appreciated - the stems have a sweet taste without bitterness. Celery with red petioles is resistant to frost down to -5 ° C, the harvest is harvested until the end of October.

In the first year of growth, thick petioles up to 1 m high and green mass are formed. In the second year, a peduncle with seeds appears. The growing season is 80-180 days, depending on the variety.

The photo shows stalked celery.

Sheet

Leaf celery is a biennial plant. In the first year, a rosette of dark green leaves is formed. In the second year, a stem 0.3-1 m high and an inflorescence appear. In the second half of July, the plant enters the flowering phase, and in early August the seeds ripen. After that, the plant dies off.

The leafy variety does not form thick stems and large roots. Greens are used fresh - put in salads, first and second courses. Wavy leaves resemble parsley, but have a different bright aroma and taste.

The photo shows a leafy variety of a plant.

Chemical composition

Celery is rich in vitamins, minerals, digestible carbohydrates, vitamins, aromatic compounds. The chemical composition of petiole and leaf celery is the same. The table shows the vitamin and mineral composition of the petioles and greens (per 100 g).

The table shows the chemical composition of root celery (per 100 g).

KBZHU

Nutritional value of celery root per 100 g:

• calorie content - 42 kcal;
• proteins - 1.5 g;
• fats - 0.3 g;
• carbohydrates - 7.4 g

Nutritional value of petioles per 100 g:

• calorie content - 12 kcal;
• proteins - 0.9 g;
• fats - 0.1 g;
• carbohydrates - 2.1 g.

Nutritional value of the leafy variety:

• calorie content - 13 kcal;
• proteins - 0.8 g;
• fats - 0.1 g;
• carbohydrates - 1.9 g

Beneficial features

Useful properties of celery:

• relieves inflammation;
• protects cells from the harmful effects of oxidative processes;
• promotes the rapid elimination of nicotine;
• supports the immune response;
• breaks down fats;
• enhances libido;
• strengthens the walls of capillaries and blood vessels;
• normalizes blood pressure;
• destroys cholesterol plaques;
• increases hemoglobin;
• reduces the manifestations of allergies;
• has a mild laxative effect;
• tones up the body;
• removes excess fluid;
• prevents the progression of Alzheimer's disease;
• regulates metabolism;
• normalizes the menstrual cycle;
• reduce the unpleasant manifestations of menopause.
• regulates the digestive tract;
• improves intestinal peristalsis.

Benefits for men

Celery has a beneficial effect on men's health. Petiolate stimulates the production of the male hormone androsterone, which enhances potency and libido. Regular consumption of the root and leaves normalizes blood pressure and rejuvenates the body, reduces irritability, soothes and improves memory.

Women

Celery is recommended for women to maintain the natural beauty of skin, hair and nails, reduce body fat, normalize metabolism and water-salt balance.

The plant has a negative calorie content - the body spends more energy on its processing than it receives. Due to this feature, the leaves, petioles and root are included in low-calorie diets. Celery juice reduces the vascular network on the legs, reduces the likelihood of developing varicose veins.

Children

Celery is good for the growing body. Greens, root and stems are allowed to be introduced into the baby's diet, starting from 7 months. By this time, the digestive system will be ready to digest fiber.

Moderate use of the product in childhood:

• promotes rapid regeneration of damaged skin;
• improves digestive function;
• increases iron levels;
• relieves pain;
• removes uric acid salts;
• stimulates appetite;
• has a mild sedative effect.

Norms and rules of consumption

The consumption rate of celery is 300 g per day. The product can be eaten raw, boiled, baked, fried, pickled. Petioles and leaves are added to fresh vegetable and fruit salads. The root goes well with carrots, onions, herbs, apples.

Before preparing the root, cut off a thin skin, cut the pulp into strips or grate. The juice from the root and petioles is drunk freshly prepared.

Culinary recipes

The use of celery in cooking is varied.Fresh herbs and stalks have a pleasant refreshing taste that will enrich any dish of vegetables and meat. Dried root and greens are added to soups, borscht, broths, sauces, stews.

Council. The quality of stalk celery is determined by its crunch. Break the petiole in two. If you hear a crunch - in front of you is a celery of excellent quality, if not - put the product back.

Try making an interesting appetizer with squid, ginger root and celery. To do this, prepare the ingredients:

• squid - 1 kg;
• stalked celery - 200 g;
• ginger root - 10 g;
• soy sauce - 3 tbsp l .;
• wine vinegar - 2 tbsp. l .;
• vodka - 2 tbsp. l .;
• onion - 1 pc .;
• allspice ground pepper - to taste;
• vegetable oil - 2 tbsp. l.

Preparation:

1. Peel the squid from the film, remove the chitinous plate and cut into strips. Immerse in boiling water for 1-2 minutes and transfer to a bowl of cold water.
2. Cut the petioles into pieces and put them in boiling water for 1 minute.
3. Peel the onion and cut into small cubes.
4. Grate the ginger on a fine grater.
5. Heat oil in a frying pan and fry the onion and ginger until transparent.
6. Add squid and celery to the pan, cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. Pour in soy sauce, vinegar, vodka, season with ground pepper, stir. Simmer for 2 minutes and serve.

Application in traditional medicine

In folk medicine, they are often used root. Fresh juice is used to treat gastritis, stomach ulcers, and liver dysfunction.

The leaf part improves the condition when gout and rheumatism. The leaves and the crushed root are poured with boiling water and insisted for 3 hours in a thermos. Infusion is rubbed with painful places and compresses are made on its basis.

Tea made from dry leaves quickly removes excess fluid from the body, dissolves salt deposits, treats colds, and soothes the nerves. For 0.5 liters of boiling water, take 2 tbsp. l. raw materials, cook on low heat for 5-7 minutes. Drink 1-2 glasses of tea a day.

Leaves and petioles ointment has a healing effect. It is used to treat purulent wounds, rashes, ulcers, urticaria, lichen, eczema. Raw materials are ground in a meat grinder and mixed with ghee 1: 1. The ointment is applied to the skin and covered with gauze. The product is stored in the refrigerator.

To get rid of allergies and insomnia, the root is grinded and poured with water at room temperature (2 tablespoons / 200 ml). Insist 3 hours.

For the treatment of gastritis and stomach ulcers, a decoction is used: 20 g of crushed root is poured with 250 ml of boiling water, boiled for 10 minutes, insisted for 12 hours in a thermos. The broth is taken in 2 tbsp. l. three times a day.

Freshly squeezed juice from the root and stalks increases potency. It is taken in 1-2 tsp. twice a day, half an hour before meals.

Contraindications and possible harm

Celery is undesirable during pregnancy due to the risk of uterine contraction. The product can change the taste of breast milk, so it is better to postpone its use during lactation.

People suffering from urolithiasis should not eat herbs due to their pronounced diuretic effect. Large stones can enter the ureter and block the passage. In addition, the advancement of the stones causes severe pain.

With gastritis with high acidity and stomach ulcers in the acute stage, celery is contraindicated - even in small doses, it worsens the condition due to the high fiber content.

Growing and care

Root and petiole celery have a long period of growth, so for them cultivation the seedling method is suitable. Seed material quickly loses its germination and germinates for a long time. This means that pre-sowing treatment is indispensable.

The seeds are soaked in warm water for a day, then wrapped in gauze or thin cotton damp cloth and wait for the seedlings. In a warm environment, they appear after a week. Then the seeds are placed in a refrigerator for 14 days.

Early leaf celery is sown directly into the ground, while late varieties have a growing season of 80-100 days, so they are grown through seedlings.

Basic rules for successful cultivation of celery:

1. Do not cut root celery greens. Otherwise, not a rounded root crop will form, but a "sponge" from the roots.
2. High hilling of the root variety is not practiced so as not to provoke the growth of lateral roots.
3. After the emergence of the root crop above the surface, the soil is raked off and the root processes are cleaned to create a rounded shape.
4. Planting celery is watered as the soil dries out, without overflowing. Excess moisture provokes the development of putrefactive processes in the root system.
5. Root crops are harvested after the top has dried.
6. For growing stalked celery, a soil with a neutral pH = 6.8-7 or slightly acidic pH = 5.6-6.0 is suitable.
7. Seedlings of stalk celery are planted in areas on the south side of the garden.
8. Planting stalked celery is regularly thinned out. Lateral shoots are cut.
9. Two weeks before harvesting, the stems are wrapped with paper for bleaching. This celery has a delicate taste without bitterness.
10. Plant feeding is carried out with potash and nitrogen fertilizers.
11. Sowing seeds of leaf celery is carried out after warming up the soil to + 10 ° C.

Varieties

The best varieties of root celery: Albin, Globus, Delicacy, Egor, Esaul, Zvindra, Kaskade, Gribovsky, Maxim, Non Plus Ultra, Snow Globe, Yudinka, Yablochny.

Popular varieties of leaf celery: Kartuli, Cheerfulness, Zakhar, Gentle, Samurai.

Self-bleaching petiole varieties: Tango, Malachite, Gold, Triumph, Pascal.

Petiole varieties requiring bleaching: Male prowess, Crunch, Utah, Atlant.

Conclusion

Celery has one peculiarity - it cannot be replaced by anything thanks to a unique set of vitamins and minerals, a recognizable spicy aroma and rich taste. Regular use of herbs, roots and stalks normalizes the condition in diseases of the genitourinary system, gastrointestinal tract. Fresh from the root and stems reduces the manifestations of varicose veins, rheumatism and gout. All parts of the plant are used in cooking and folk medicine.

The agricultural technique is simple: regular watering, fertilizing, weeding and loosening the soil, hilling the stems, and removing the side roots from root crops.