How Long Does Celery Last?

Celery is a staple grocery item for any home or chef. It is used in thousands of dishes, helping to increase the flavor profile. From chicken soup to stir fry dishes, you need to have celery available. Celery also is a fantastic snack, with a delicious crunch when you take a bite. It is full of vitamins with a few calories, making it a great snack. When you pull out the stalks from the refrigerator, you probably wonder how long does celery last. No one wants to use gross food in their dinner!

Whether you purchased stalks at the grocery store or harvest it from your garden, the shelf life typically isn’t listed on most fresh vegetables. They don’t always have a sell by date or even a best before the date that lets you know how quickly to use the item. Let’s take a look at how long does celery last and how to store it properly.

Determining the Shelf Life of Celery

Celery is a tricky vegetable because, unlike other veggies, it doesn’t always give the clearest signs that it's nearing the end of its shelf life. However, there are some recommended guidelines to consider.

• Fresh, whole celery typically lasts for three to four weeks.
• Prepackaged celery lasts only for two to three days. You can find these in the fresh produce selection. Sometimes it is chopped as well.
• Cooked celery has a shelf life of one week.
• Sliced or chopped celery lasts one to two weeks stored in the refrigerator.
• Celery can be frozen for six to eight months. This long term option only works well if you blanch the stalks first and use a freezer safe container. However, once defrosted, frozen celery only works well in cooked dishes.

There is no definite way to answer how long does celery last. Instead, the answer is based on the storage method. Depending on how you store your celery, it will alter its best used by date. All methods are cold; you can’t leave celery on the counter. If celery warms up, you will notice it quickly loses its crispness and crunch.

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I’m glad that you found us. My name is Julia, and I am a gardener at heart. Spending time in the dirt surrounded by my plants and nature is the best way to spend my time. My goal isn’t just to give you facts. I want to share my experiences with, tips and tricks that I have learned from my time gardening. Follow her on Leekgarden.com!