Description

Celery is the ultimate crunchy, hydrating vegetable, consisting of over 95% water. Known for its long, fibrous stalks and pale green color, it offers a mild, salty, and slightly peppery flavor. It is a fundamental “aromatic” used to build depth in soups and stews, but it shines just as brightly when served raw with peanut butter or diced into a crisp Waldorf salad.

Native to the Mediterranean and the marshes of Europe and Asia, wild celery was originally quite bitter and used primarily for medicinal purposes by the Ancient Greeks and Romans. It wasn’t until the 17th and 18th centuries in Italy and France that gardeners successfully bred the sweeter, crunchier stalks we recognize today. It quickly became a high-society delicacy in Victorian England, where special “celery vases” were used to display it as a centerpiece on dinner tables.

Celery is a cool-weather crop that requires a long, moist growing season. Its peak harvest seasons are Autumn and Winter. While it is available year-round, the stalks harvested after the temperatures drop are often the crispest and least “stringy,” as the cold helps the plant concentrate its natural moisture.