Nobody likes ants in their kitchen — unless, of course, we’re talking about ants on a log, a tasty snack that requires raisins, peanut butter, and most importantly, a crisp piece of celery. The latter is also a crucial ingredient when making tuna salad or snacking on veggies and ranch dressing — celery is always…
The Perils of Plastic Wrap
One of the most common, yet easily preventable mistakes people make is keeping celery inside the plastic packaging it’s often sold in. That’s because the plastic traps in ethylene gas — a naturally occurring hormone that causes plants to ripen quickly and spoil. So what should you use instead? Well, thankfully, the answer is probably already in your kitchen cabinet: aluminum foil.
If the celery was sold in plastic packaging, begin by removing the stalk from the plastic. (Fun fact: A bunch of celery is called a stalk, while a single piece is called a rib.)
Next, wrap the stalk in a large sheet of foil, being sure to leave the ends uncrimped. The foil will trap moisture, which is essential for maintaining crispness. At the same time, the uncrimped ends allow ethylene gas to escape, slowing down the ripening process. Store the foil-wrapped celery in the crisper drawer of any refrigerator, where it should remain crunchy for two weeks to a month.
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How To Rehydrate Celery
Sometimes celery wilts, despite your best efforts to keep it crisp. But rather than toss out the limp ribs, try to revive them and restore some crunch. Trim a little bit off both ends of the ribs, place them in a bowl of ice-cold water, and let them soak in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to one hour. This should restore some of the celery’s natural crispness, though it would still be a good idea to use it sooner rather than later.
