Dehydrate Celery

I recently discovered my dad hates celery. My mom, on the other hand, loves it. I was raised eating raw celery, especially as a snack with cream cheese or peanut butter. Later I learned peanut butter and raisins on celery were called ants on a log. I’ve always added dehydrated celery to soups, stews, and salads.  I love the extra crunch in a salad. It is a go-to veggie for my house. When we buy celery we seem to have a little leftover. I dehydrate celery to use later when it has gone out of season.

Some facts about celery:

It grows naturally in marshy soils, in a wet salty habitat. It was first cultivated in the Mediterranean region.

If you’re in Louisiana the Holy Trinity in Creole and Cajun cooking is celery, onions, and bell peppers.

In France, it is the French Mirepoix which includes celery, onion, and carrots.

Celery salt consists mainly of ground celery mixed with salt.

Let’s get dehydrating

Chop to 1/4 inch. The thinner it is the better it is drying in the dehydrator.

I used a food processor to chop my celery this time. I am going to make celery powder out of it. It doesn’t matter if it looks pretty or not.

If I was going to use it in soups or stews I would use a mandolin or chop it by hand. I like to see the chopped pieces of celery in my food.

Some people like to pretreat their celery with the blanching method. I’m not one to do the extra step if it doesn’t make a difference in the outcome. I don’t see or taste a difference between blanched and unblanched celery.

To Blanch celery:

Plunge celery into boiling water for 1 minute. Then immediately plunge into cold water until cool.

Chopped celery loaded on a tray ready for dehydrating. I use the mesh screens. The celery pieces can get small and fall thru the regular tray holes.

Dehydrate celery at 130 degrees for 6-8 hours. To test break a piece of celery in half. It should feel dry and crisp when done.

I use a NESCO Snack Master Express Food Dehydrator.

Should feel dry and crisp when done.

Vacuum Sealing Dried Celery

Store in either a mason jar or food saver vacuum bags.

I vacuum seal my celery in a mason jar.

I use a vacuum sealer with the Food Saver vacuum lids regular and wide mouth accessory.

Dehydrating Celery

mischyf.com

I love to have my own dehydrated foods in my pantry. I can select what I want and not have to worry about being out of it at the time I need it. Dehydrating celery for winter soups and stews.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 mins

Dehydrate 8 hrs

Total Time 8 hrs 10 mins

Course Food Storage

Cuisine Dehydrate

Equipment

• Dehydrator
• Mesh Screen

Ingredients

  

• 1 Stalk Celery

Instructions

 

• Wash and dry celery stalk
• Chop to 1/4 inch
• Blanching process - dip celery pieces in hot boiling water for 30sec - 1min, Plunge into cold water until cool.
• Put on the tray using the mesh screen
• Dry at 130F/55C degrees for 6-8 hours
• Celery should feel dry and crisp when done.
• Store in a mason jar and vacuum seal shut.

Keyword Celery,, Drying, Food Storage

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*Updated 2021

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