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ilovepoco

Canning celery?

ilovepoco
16 years ago

I can't seem to find any recipes for canning celery on its own. I stuck some 6-packs of celery in the garden this spring on a whim and I've got some really nice heads. We've been eating it all along, but I'd like to preserve some for cream of celery soup when the weather gets cold.

It's a little too tough for eating raw, so I figured that canning it would soften it up until it was perfect. But I can't find a single recipe for canning celery.

Has anyone seen this?

Thanks,

Susan

Comments (25)

  • digdirt2
    16 years ago

    Celery doesn't seem to can well on its own. It is mostly water and the processing just seems to turn it to celery mush. ;)

    It dehydrates well and that is what we do for winter potato soup. Just dry it well over a low temp setting (too high turns it brown) and store it in a tightly sealed jar.

    Or it can be added to other recipes for canning such as relish, stewed tomatoes, or mixed vegetables. Or you can freeze it suspended in a base of liquid. Slice it and freeze the slices in water or soup base. It will still be mushy but will work for soups.

    Idea!!! ;) Why not try making your cream of celery soup up now and freeze containers of it?

    Dave

  • readinglady
    16 years ago

    You can blanch and freeze. Celery softens when frozen, so you might find that takes care of your problem.

    Carol

    Here is a link that might be useful: Freezing Celery

  • ilovepoco
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Dave, Carol - thanks, for the info, I will probably just make up a big batch of soup now and freeze.

    The celery was such fun to grow. The seedlings look just like parsley. Then all of a sudden you realize that these spindly little heads are developing. Now they are normal size heads, although the stalks are about half the diameter of supermarket celery.

    Susan

  • jimster
    16 years ago

    Another idea:

    Make a large batch of mirepoix (finely chopped, sauteed mix of carrots, onions and celery). Mirepoix is the base for many delicious soups, sauces and braises. Pack the mirepoix in useful size packages (maybe 8oz.) and freeze it. This would greatly streamline preparation of the dishes in which it is used.

    Jim

  • readinglady
    16 years ago

    Wow! Now that's a great idea. Mirepoix would freeze beautifully and takes up minimal space.

    Carol

  • ksrogers
    16 years ago

    Canning celery in a sweet mixed pickle is OK, if its with vinegar and salt. By itself, no. But sliced and dried, it can work ok too.

  • sunderbug
    10 years ago

    i know this is literally years to late- but hey... maybe someone will find it helpful...
    http://chickensintheroad.com/farm-bell-recipes/dedes-cream-of-celery-soup/

  • readinglady
    10 years ago

    Just as a heads-up there's nothing in the blog "About" that indicates the poster of the celery soup recipe has any credentials relating to canning. That's not an issue with marmalade but definitely is for celery soup. If someone wants to try it regardless, that's up to them.

    For myself the 3/4 cup of clearjel is also a huge ugh, even if I trusted the recipe. Viscous to the max. Clearjel thickens and "grows" like you wouldn't believe.

    Carol

  • seysonn
    10 years ago

    I never learned how to grow my own celery. But from time to time when I see them on sale , I buy a few heads and freeze them. I blanch for about 5 minutes or so, to kill the enzymes. This way they won't get soft.

    Tonight I took out some and made New England Style clam chowder (my variation) with it. .. Delish !

  • digdirt2
    10 years ago

    Good points on the Clear Jel Carol! Not to mention all the butter in the recipe and only 45 min. processing time??? Even the 1/2 and 1/2 soup instructions - which this definitely isn't - call for 60-75 min. And she apparently uses the same processing time for pints and quarts? That's just plain ____________ (insert word of choice).

    Dave

    Here is a link that might be useful: Cream of Celery Soup linked above

  • sleevendog (5a NY 6aNYC NL CA)
    10 years ago

    No, that does not look like a good canning option.
    I grow two varieties. Par-cel is a variety that grows much like parsley, grown for the leaves and tender stems. The stalk variety does not form the large watery grocery type in my northern climate, but the leaves and the chopstick sized 8-10 inch stalks are packed with a concentrated celery flavor. I do mound the row with soil as it grows placing a couple boards on either side. Harvest a bit all season for salads.
    My method is to saute onion, shallots, garlic gently a few minutes. Add chopped celery, stalks and leaves, along with a few other greens, kales and chards, (just a few misc leaves sliced in thin strips). Pulse in cuisinart with chives, lemon juice and tbsp olive oil to make a celery 'salsa'. Freezes great in small portions to add to soups and chowders all winter. Or a risotto. Nice late addition to frozen/thawed/heated roasted tomatoes over pasta. Or with a pint of stock and your other ingredients to make a favorite celery soup recipe.

  • dellr
    9 years ago

    cut up celery into strips then slices. heat for 3 minutes to slightly shrink the celery and soften it slightly. pack into 8 ounce jelly jars with 1/4 tsp canning salt and the hot water from heating the celery with 1/2 to 3/4 inch headspace. wipe rims, adjust lids and rings, pressure can for 30 minutes at 10 pounds (adjusting for altitude).

    These are usable in cooked foods and will not be too mushy. I used 1 jar of my 5 I canned 2 months ago in my corn chowder and it was great! I have 14 more jars processing right now.

  • digdirt2
    9 years ago

    Curious where you got that processing time? Seems awfully long for plain celery but then I have never seen any tested or approved times posted in any of the reliable sources. Is it just a guess?

    Dave

  • digdirt2
    9 years ago

    Anybody that says celery turns to mush is a liar.

    I think that all depends on one's definition of "mush". :)

    Even fresh celery when boiled for 10 mins. in dishes like potato soup is soft. Seems like pressure canning for 30 mins would make it softer than that. But the flavor would still be good and if you are happy with the results that's all that matters.

    Dave

  • dellr
    9 years ago

    by the way, it's 35 minutes not 30. i checked my history and found the site that had the information.

    http://www.sermondepository.com/goodcanning.com/celery.htm

    still looking for the one that called for raw packing celery like i did the first time.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGhBnBUQTjA for a visual movie type guide.

    This post was edited by dellr on Mon, Nov 24, 14 at 11:00

  • dulcimerlady2
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    I have grown and canned celery for three years now and because I found no instructions on how to can it, I looked at other vegetable canning charts and came up with my own method. I can my celery for 45 minutes whether quarts, pints or jelly jars, just to be safe, in a pressure canner. I can at 10 pounds pressure. I had to comment on this because I am on the computer now, while canning this years celery, haha! I chop it and fill the jars with the chopped celery and fill with tap water which for me, is my own well water. It does NOT turn to mush. It keeps its form and is wonderful for soups, stews, stuffing, and other cooked goods.

  • digdirt2
    8 years ago

    dulcimerlady2 - if you are going to do that then at least please fill the jars with boiling water, not tap water. That way a third of your processing time isn't wasted just bringing them up to 212.

    Dave

  • lilyd74 (5b sw MI)
    8 years ago

    I've pickled it - turns out very well, preserves nicely including the crunch, and adds tang to the recipes. I canned it in sticks and rinsed and cut them for recipes.

  • dulcimerlady2
    8 years ago

    Digdirt2, it doesn't matter in a pressure canner. One is not brining food up to 212 in boiling water; one is canning in steam up to 10 pounds pressure - much higher temperature. You are building up steam pressure and starting the time (45 min.) once you get to 10 pounds. I didn't go into detail about that earlier because I assume people would know from their canning books the difference between canning with a pressure canner and canning with a water bath canner. Hope this clarifies. So, anyone reading this: this is very important - you starting your time at 10 pounds, not before. All low acid vegetables must be canned in a pressure canner to kill botulism.

  • digdirt2
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Sorry but that isn't accurate and most of us here understand that it is a common mis-understanding about how the processing times are calculated. Per the standard guidelines it does make a difference, even with pressure canning. The recommend processing times listed for pressure canning foods are computed, calculated based on two standard assumptions.

    First that the jars and foods are hot when going into the canner unless specific instructions are written for canning the food raw with no added liquid. No such instructions exist for celery.

    Second, that the size of the canner will allow for the proper amount of heat-up and cool down time. That is why canner size stipulations are made and why using smaller pressure cookers voids the processing times - because those heat-up and cool down times are part of the process. Failure to follow those guidelines results in UNDER-processed foods.

    If your food goes into the canner hot, as it should be it is already at an average of 180+ degrees so only a small portion of the coming up to pressure and processing time is spent bringing the full food contents up to 240.

    If cold foods go in then they are room temperature or at best 120-130 degrees. In that case a much longer period of time is spent bringing the food up to 240 degrees and a longer processing time is required. Even when the canner is at pressure the temperature of the food inside the jars is still lower. How much lower depends on how hot (or cold) it was when the food went into the jars. It is true that the time measurement begins when the canner is at pressure but that time is only valid IF the food was hot when it went in or if raw packing is allowed and the processing time increased accordingly.

    NCHFP - Using a Pressure Canner for Canning

    Dave

  • shzzzam
    8 years ago

    I'm sorry digdirt2 but you are the one who is wrong. Maybe you should thoroughly read the link you tagged to back up you claiming others were wrong in their canning methods.

    If you will, you will find that the link states..."For hot packed foods, you can bring the water (this in reference to the water in the canner BEFORE pressurizing or processing begins) to 180 degrees F. ahead of time, but be careful not to boil the water or heat it long enough for the depth to decrease. For raw packed foods, the water should only be brought to 140 degrees F." Furthermore, after stating that it gives no indication that the processing time is increases for 'raw packed foods' over 'hot packed foods' only according to what the food is.

    Again, you're statement, "If cold foods go in then they are room temperature or at best 120-130 degrees. In that case a much longer period of time is spent bringing the food up to 240 degrees and a longer processing time is required." is not accurate. Nowhere does it indicate that foods need to be at 240 degrees before you begin the pressure cycle, only that it be at the proper pressure for your altitude, and processing times are done by 'what' the food is, not 'how cold or hot' it was when packed. Your link states....4. Turn the heat setting to its highest position. Heat until the water boils and steam flows freely in a funnel-shape from the open vent pipe or petcock. While maintaining the high heat setting, let the steam flow (exhaust) continuously for 10 minutes. 5. After this venting, or exhausting, of the canner, place the counterweight or weighted gauge on the vent pipe, or close the petcock. The canner will pressurize during the next 3 to 10 minutes. As you can see from this, if you do this ALL foods will be up to at least boiling temperatures, no matter the temperature they were when packed. The length of time from there to the correct pressure again, depends on the pressure and your altitude.

    Finally, your statement, "It is true that the time measurement begins when the canner is at pressure but that time is only valid IF the food was hot when it went in or if raw packing is allowed and the processing time increased accordingly." totally contradicts your whole point in trying to say that temperature matters when the food is packed.

    Your link indicates that foods CAN be hot or cold/raw packed and that processing times are changed accordingly, which, I believe, is exactly what dulcimerlady2 (and others) were saying.

    I'm not claiming to be any kind of expert on this subject, but rather just trying to clarify misconceptions others have posted.

    Doing your own research on what you'd like to do is best. Go to trusted sources to glean information rather than going by someone else's opinion.

    The internet is full of information, as we can all see, but not everyone or everything on it is a trusted source of truth.

    Good luck to those trying to figure out if celery can be canned. That's what I'm trying to figure out myself.

  • digdirt2
    8 years ago

    Well you missed the point or perhaps I didn't make it clearly enough. But either way it is moot since there are no approved/tested instructions for canning celery anyway. That point was made early on in this discussion. Doing it is something dulcimerlady has elected to do on her own and make up her own processing time for. And that is her choice.

    But the closest one can come to instructions for canning celery is to check out those recipes that include it such as BBB Stewed Tomatoes, soups, and some pickled recipes. All of which call for hot packing, not raw packing, and definitely not raw packing using only tap water. So common sense would seem to dictate that when the same processing time is used, hot pack with boiling water would be safer than raw pack with tap water. Otherwise the processing time has to be increased.

    So how you choose to interpret all the info available is your choice, your risk to take. But as an MFP and instructor I certainly wouldn't recommend it as it is directly contradicts what we are taught and in direct violation of the standard guidelines.

    Dave

  • shzzzam
    8 years ago

    Just because some government agency hasn't figured out how to do it because not enough people do it to warrant them spending thousands of dollars trying to figure out what most of our great/grandmothers used to do, doesn't mean you can't do it, and do it safely.

  • digdirt2
    8 years ago

    Very true and the most common recommendation it to do it using the tested instructions for carrots since they have approx. the same pH. Those instructions call for hot pack or raw pack with "jars filled with hot cooking liquid or water" and process at 11 lbs (adjusted for altitude) for 25 mins for pints and 30 mins for quarts.. It just all depends on the level of untested risk one is comfortable with.

    Dave