Celery stalk - how to eat it right

Salad celery differs from root celery in its fleshy, overgrown stems and the absence of root crops. The plant began to be eaten in the 17th century, but since then people have found many other uses for the stems of a useful culture. From the article, you will learn how to properly eat celery stalks, whether they can be eaten raw, and what other uses for the plant exist.

Is it possible to eat celery stalks

Vegetable stalks are successfully used in cooking, since this product has unique properties. It is high in vitamins, essential oils, organic acids, antioxidants and fiber. Its low calorie content and spicy taste allow it to be included in medicinal and salt-free diets.

Raw vegetable is healthy not less than thermally processed. It is especially good for improving health during the off-season, when there is a lack of vitamins in the body. Nutritionists note that adding a raw stem to salads with seafood, apples and other vegetables will make the dish juicier and add piquancy to the taste.

The main contraindications for eating the stem are pregnancy and breastfeeding. The product can reduce the amount of breast milk and cause gas in babies. The vegetable is not dangerous if eaten in small quantities.

All parts of the plant contain substances that can cause or intensify bleeding, therefore, during pregnancy or menstruation, the amount celery in the diet are limited.

Attention. It is recommended to eat the raw product with caution for people with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, since the high fiber content increases peristalsis and puts an increased load on the gastrointestinal mucosa.

How to eat stalked celery

Heat treatment has a negative effect on the beneficial qualities of a vegetable - vitamins and microelements are destroyed, but it is necessary if a person has stomach problems.

The raw stem is eaten immediately after cutting, since within 30 minutes the pieces of the vegetable are oxidized, losing their healing and taste properties.

How it is eaten raw

The petioles are used to prepare vegetable salads, smoothies. Sticks cut from the stem are popular. They are served with various sauces as a snack. The petioles are cut into pieces 7-10 cm long. They are eaten by dipping them in hummus, aromatic butter or yogurt. Before starting to prepare the dish, the stems are thoroughly washed under running water.

Salad

In French cuisine, celery stalks are among the most popular, along with carrots and onions. Vitamin salads with the addition of apple and carrots are a common snack option for those who monitor weight. A more satisfying variety of the dish - with walnuts or curd cheese.

Ingredients for the salad:

• celery stalks - 2 pcs.;
• sweet and sour apple;
• fresh carrots - 1 pc .;
• lime - 1 wedge;
• olive oil - 1-2 tbsp. l.

Cut fruits and vegetables thoroughly into medium-sized cubes. Stir them in a cup, then place in a salad bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste and pour over with a mixture of butter and lime wedge juice.

Reference. Chewing raw celery stalks naturally clears plaque from your teeth. Doctors call the stems a "natural toothpick".

Juice

Refreshing drink cleanses the body of toxins, is useful for hypertension and obesity. 3-4 stems are enough for one serving. They are squeezed out of them juicewhich is immediately drunk. It is better to do this in the morning to tone the body, recharge with vitamins energy for the whole day.

It is permissible to add juice to the drink from:

• halves of an apple;
• several slices of grapefruit;
• handfuls of parsley;
• orange.

This drink is drunk without sugar. A thick smoothie with parsley, cucumber and lime is prepared with a blender and used as a snack on fasting days.

Cooking recipes

Celery is used in cooking hot dishes - soups, stews and sauces with its addition acquire a pleasant aroma. Since the nutritional value of a vegetable is 25-30 kcal per 100 g, it is widely used in the dietary menu.

Reference. The finer the stem is cut, the more taste and the aroma of the vegetable will give the dish. Small pieces added to the salad will give it a savory flavor.

Cream soup

Delicate cream soup is prepared, including, in addition to the stalks, vegetables to taste: onions, carrots, potatoes.

Algorithm of actions:

1. Cut vegetables into small cubes.
2. Fry celery, onions, carrots in oil for a few minutes.
3. Pour vegetables into a saucepan, add potatoes and pour over milk.
4. After the soup has boiled, reduce heat and cook for 20 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and beat with a blender until puree.
6. Add salt, pepper and cream to taste.

Pour into plates, decorate the soup with herbs, serve vegetable chips or crackers.

Reference. To preserve the useful qualities, the celery is boiled by dipping it into a boiling liquid, and then the container is closed with a tight lid.

Celery pasta

The stems make a wonderful pasta sauce. From vegetables, you will also need a few green onion feathers and 3-4 cloves of garlic.

The sauce is prepared like this:

1. Cut the celery into slices equal in length to the pasta.
2. In a large skillet, fry the petioles and onions until soft in olive oil.
3. Add chopped garlic, simmer for a couple of minutes and remove from heat.
4. Put the pasta cooked in salted water in a bowl, pour the sauce on top.
5. Add salt and pepper.

The paste is mixed well and served immediately, sprinkled with herbs.

Stewed celery

This dish is prepared both in water and in meat broth. You will need vegetables and some vegetable oil.

Procedure:

1. Chop the celery stalks.
2. Chop the carrots on a coarse grater.
3. Finely chop the onion and turnip and fry.
4. Pour boiling water over the tomatoes, peel and cut into cubes.
5. Put prepared vegetables in a saucepan with water or broth so that the liquid slightly covers them.
6. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Bring to a boil and simmer for about an hour over low heat.

After removing from heat, finely chopped greens are added to the dish.

What else is combined with

A juicy vegetable gives a pleasant aroma to dishes of potatoes, tomatoes, cabbage, sweet peppers. In the diet, celery is included in rice or pasta side dishes, which are served with chicken, low-fat beef. The product is appropriate for fish dishes, salads with nuts and dried fruits. The petioles are pickled and canned in salted form.

Reference. Doctors recommend sticking to a celery diet for no more than 2 weeks. To avoid complications, it is advisable to first get the advice of a specialist.

Other use cases

Celery is useful not only as a food product, but also as an ingredient in cosmetics and medical products. The essential oils contained in the plant have stimulating and regenerating properties, and have a positive effect on the condition of the skin, nails and hair.

In cosmetology

For body care, the juice of the stalks of the plant was used by people even before they learned to eat celery. In Greece, since ancient times, women have been making nutritional and tonic agents that removed irritation and redness.Regular use of vegetable juice as a lotion helped maintain the elasticity and freshness of the facial skin, prolonging youth. Modern lovers of natural cosmetics make masks on their own, at home.

Chopped celery as part of the product:

• refreshes aging skin;
• eliminates dryness;
• tones when applied to the face in the form of ice cubes.

The vegetable has a beneficial effect on the appearance even in the composition of dishes - after a celery diet, the skin is cleansed and becomes denser, more elastic.

In folk medicine

The property of a plant to remove harmful substances from the human body and cleanse the body of toxins was noticed by Hippocrates and successfully applied these qualities of celery in practice. Petiole juice has long been used by the people to treat urticaria and allergic dermatitis. Thanks to the essential oils in the composition, the liquid relieves puffiness, relieves itching.

In addition to external use, the juice from the stems is taken orally:

• in combination with drugs in the treatment of genitourinary infections;
• as a sedative for nervous disorders;
• as a laxative for constipation;
• as a tonic for poor appetite.

For overweight people, celery in the diet helps to lose weight and improve metabolism.

Conclusion

Celery is a useful plant, the stems of which nutritionists recommend to eat both raw and after heat treatment. Vegetables are included in salads, soups, sauces. The petioles are boiled, stewed, using in fish and meat dishes. The healing properties of the plant are in demand in cosmetology and folk medicine - effective masks for the skin and medicines are made from the stems. With caution, the product is recommended for pregnant women and those suffering from gastrointestinal diseases.