How to freeze celery for the winter and is it possible to preserve the beneficial properties

Celery is a seasonal vegetable, so the issue of preparing this "must-have" for those who lose weight and a fragrant ingredient for meat broths for the winter is especially relevant. Freezing is one of the best ways to preserve the healthy ingredients and spicy flavor of a food. How to do it correctly, we will tell you below.

Is it possible to freeze celery for the winter

Freezing is the best option for long-term storage of vegetables. The procedure has the following advantages over other procurement methods:

• does not require the addition of preservatives - salt, sugar and vinegar - therefore, a frozen product in taste, color and aroma is almost nothing, except for a low moisture content, does not differ from a fresh one;
• unlike drying, freezing is easily and quickly done at home;
• celery can be stored in the freezer for up to 12 months.

The disadvantage of this method is that when defrosting, celery loses its elasticity and is not suitable for preparing salads. However, this disadvantage is hardly noticeable in soups and other hot dishes.

How to freeze correctly

If you simply put celery in the freezer without preliminary preparation, it will turn into an unappetizing ice lump, and after defrosting it will be very difficult to wash and to clean. A vegetable that is infected with disease or rot can spread the infection throughout the freezer and cause an unpleasant odor that can be difficult to get rid of.

To avoid such problems, celery is carefully selected and prepared according to the type of vegetable and the way it is used after defrosting.

Freezing preparation

Before freezing, the celery is washed and cleaned of hard veins and damaged fragments. Then they allow it to dry so that the excess liquid does not turn into ice.

Celery can be frozen completely or chopped in any convenient way.

Prolongs the shelf life and improves the appearance after defrosting, blanching, that is, briefly dipping the vegetable into boiling water. This procedure helps to preserve the original appearance and aroma of the petiole and root celery.

Celery freezing rules

The freezing procedure depends on which celery procured.

The vegetable has three varieties:

• root is a massive rounded root crop;
• petiole is grown for juicy and fleshy stems;
• leafy is valued for the often renewed lush green leaves, saturated with essential oils, the root crop does not form, has thin stems.

Leaves of petiole and root varieties are also edible.

Reference. Root and petiole celery is best blanched, leaf celery should be sent to the freezer chopped or in bunches.

Sheet

The leaves are cut from the stems, washed thoroughly and allowed to dry, spreading in one layer on a towel. Then chop finely and put in a bag or container for freezing. After a couple of hours in the freezer, the leaves will harden.

Reference. The stems can be frozen separately and used to prepare vegetable and meat broths.

There are several alternative ways:

1. Freeze chopped greens with water in ice cube trays.
2. Instead of water, some housewives fill molds with celery leaves with vegetable oil.
3. The greens can be mixed with butter, put on foil and frozen by twisting. Such blank do not defrost, but cut off the required portion and add to various sauces or spread on bread.

Pereshkovy

For freezing, juicy fresh stems are selected, rough veins and damage are removed. If necessary, dirt in the recesses at the base is scraped off with a knife or a stiff brush.

The chopped celery is blanched. For this you need:

1. Bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan.
2. Dip vegetables in boiling water and hold for 2-3 minutes.
3. Remove the celery with a slotted spoon and chill in cold water with ice. When properly blanched, the stems will retain their green color and crisp texture.

Dry the blanched vegetable. Arrange in a single layer on a hard, flat surface: a cutting board or tray - and send to the freezer. After 12-24 hours, the pieces will harden, then they are poured into a container or storage bag. This method will help to save space in the chamber and avoid icing on the product.

Reference. Celery, even frozen, has a very bright aroma, so it is stored in an airtight container.

Root

The root crop is washed, the dense skin is removed. You can chop the vegetable in any convenient way: cut into slices, strips or cubes, grate on a coarse grater. Like stalked celery, it is advisable to blanch the root celery to preserve the flavor and benefits of the product.

Blanched and dried slices are first frozen, laid out in one layer, then packaged in containers for further storage.

Attention. Avoid buying root vegetables cut in half. Perhaps he is infected with a disease, the signs of which are visible on the cut fragment.

Freezing by a beam

Leafy celery can be frozen in a bunch:

1. Select firm stems with fresh leaves.
2. Rinse and dry thoroughly.
3. Form a bundle and wrap it with cling film or foil in several layers.
4. Freeze at -18 ° C and below.

Greens frozen in this way are convenient to use when preparing various broths - the liquid does not have to be filtered, the bunch is easily removed with a slotted spoon.

Stems

Uncut stems are frozen in the same way as bunches of celery - wrapped in film or foil.

Celery soup mix

The soup set depends on the taste and imagination of the hostess.

Celery goes well with these vegetables:

• bell pepper;
• cauliflower or brussels sprouts, broccoli;
• green pea;
• green beans;
• tomatoes;
• carrot;
• zucchini.

These ingredients, in addition to tomatoes, are blanched and then frozen.

How to freeze celery

Celery is frozen:

• in plastic containers - it is desirable that they be hermetically sealed;
• vacuum bags - vegetables in them do not lose moisture and are not covered with frost;
• freezer bags with a ziplock (fastener) - it is easy and convenient to get the product from such containers, they take up less space than containers;
• regular plastic bags - choose tight bags without holes;
• cling film and foil - an option for storing small portions, whole stems and bundles.

When choosing a container, follow the recommendations:

1. It is recommended to freeze one-dish portion. This makes the product more convenient to use and will not be exposed to temperature extremes.
2. Containers need to be labeled with the date of freezing in order to understand the shelf life of the product.
3. For compactness, air is evacuated from the freezer bags - this is easily done with a drink straw.

Benefits of frozen celery

Celery prepared for the winter will diversify the menu in the cold season and enrich the diet with useful substances.The composition of the frozen product retains from 80 to 90% of vitamins and up to 100% of minerals contained in a fresh vegetable.

Celery is a superfood for weight loss. It contains fiber, which prevents the storage of fat. In 100 g - only 16 kcal (greens and stems) or 32 kcal (root).

Celery has a beneficial effect on the body:

• stimulates the digestive tract;
• useful in diabetes mellitus;
• regulates the work of the cardiovascular system;
• increases efficiency;
• stimulates mental activity, calms the nerves;
• has an antiseptic and diuretic effect;
• considered a natural aphrodisiac.

Vegetables can only be thawed once - before cooking. Re-freezing will negatively affect the quality of the product.

How long can frozen celery be stored

Shelf life depends on pre-treatment, cutting method and storage conditions:

1. The finer the slicing, the faster the product will lose its quality. Celery frozen with whole cuttings will last up to 12 months, grated root vegetable is suitable for 6-7 months.
2. Blanched vegetables last longer than non-blanched vegetables. For comparison: cut stems without blanching - 2-3 months, blanched - 10-12 months.
3. An optimum temperature of -18 ° C will keep the celery fresh throughout the year. In warmer conditions (about -10 ° C), the period is reduced significantly.

Try to freeze food at the same time - adding fresh cousins ​​to the freezer raises the temperature and shortens the shelf life.

Life hacks for freezing celery:

1. It is desirable that the freezer has a "No Frost" system, then you can not be afraid that the celery will freeze.
2. If the frozen bags are flattened and placed vertically in the chamber, it will be easier to remove them.
3. Freeze not only the vegetative parts of the vegetable, but also the juice squeezed out of it, for example, in ice molds.
4. There is no need to defrost celery before adding to hot dishes: just add it to boiling broth or stew.

Conclusion

Frozen celery has a long shelf life and is easy to cook. In this form, the product retains its useful properties and taste. It is used as a dressing for soups and in slimming recipes.