How to Freeze Celery: 4 Ways to Use Thawed Celery

Freezing celery is an easy way to minimize food waste in your kitchen and ensure the fundamental ingredient is always on hand. Celery is among the main components of aromatic flavor bases like French mirepoix, the Cajun Holy Trinity, and Italian soffritto—freezing prepared celery ahead of time makes their assembly a breeze.

Freezing celery may keep leftover stalks in good condition, but they will lose their crispness once thawed. While you may not be able to use thawed celery in a stir-fry, crudité veggie platter, or snack—where the vegetable’s signature refreshing crunch is crucial—it’s a perfect fit for hot dishes like minestrone, Thanksgiving stuffing, or celery soup.

Freezing celery requires only a few extra steps.

• Chop before freezing. For best results, clean and chop the celery while it’s fresh. That way, the frozen celery pieces will be ready to use straight from the freezer.
• Blanch to maintain quality. Blanching is an optional step, but if you’re storing celery for longer than a few months, it will help lock in flavor and eradicate bacteria. To blanch fresh celery, prepare a large bowl of ice water, then bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the chopped celery to the boiling water, cook it for 30 seconds, remove it with a slotted spoon, and transfer it to the ice bath. Once the celery is cool, drain it into a colander, and pat it dry with paper towels.
• Flash freeze. Flash freezing—the practice of freezing individual pieces separately before storing them in a bag or container—allows you to use as much celery as you need rather than having to defrost a large block. Arrange the cut celery in a single layer on a baking sheet and place it in the freezer to flash freeze it.
• Store. Transfer the frozen pieces to a freezer bag, individual pouches, or an airtight container, remove as much air as possible, and seal.

When thawed, celery stalks lose the signature crispness that makes them a great snack, but cooks can still use them in recipes where its flavor, rather than texture, is the highlight.

1. 1. Casseroles: Add thawed celery directly to the pot when sautéing onions and aromatics to build a flavorful foundation for dishes like chicken casserole or moussaka, a popular Greek eggplant casserole.
   
2. 2. Mirepoix: Mirepoix is the aromatic flavor base made by lightly cooking onions, celery, and carrots in butter or oil to coax out the flavors without browning or caramelizing them. Mirepoix is traditionally used as a flavoring ingredient, which means the vegetables are typically strained out or removed from the final dish before the end of the cooking process.
3. 3. Soups and stews: Frozen celery adds body and (a slightly less crispy) texture to veggie soups like minestrone, celery soup, or cabbage soup.
   
4. 4. Stock: Frozen celery adds a subtle sweetness to vegetable or meat stock. Add it to a large stockpot along with other food scraps, and simmer for a few hours until it has reduced. Stock is also a great vehicle for frozen celery leaves, which are packed with bright flavor.

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