Why Locally Grown Celery is Superior
Can you remember what you were doing 4 months ago today?
Well, if you are a bunch of celery, you were probably just getting your start on life, germinating as a little seed.
And today, you are ready to make an appearance on a snack tray, in a salad or a soup.
Most varieties of celery take about 115 days to mature from seed. Since celery grows best in cool weather and especially enjoys cool nights, the first crops go into the ground two to three weeks before the average date of the last frost in early spring. With an early spring start that means the final celery harvests should be taking place during the final days of early summer—which is now.
Nutrients
Celery is a good source of two essential minerals, sodium and potassium.
Uses
You can boil, braise, fry or bake celery. And, of course, you can eat it raw. Or better yet, smothered in peanut butter and dotted with raisins or other dried fruit for the classic “Ants on a Log.”
Pro Tip
Now, try this: those leafy tops you were about to toss out: boil and strain them, chill the liquid and drink up. It’s refreshingly tasty by itself or combined with other vegetable juices.
What the what!
Mass produced celery is sometimes “butted.” Some retailers may do this to keep weary celery looking fresh. Here’s how it works: as celery–and lettuce–grow old, the butt end gets browner and will eventually turn black. To keep the bunch looking fresh, the retailer will slice off the dark butt end and remove the wilted outer stalks. This might go on until there is almost no butt at all. A travesty! Fresh, un-”butted” celery should have a refreshing smell to it. The ultimate test of a lovingly grown head of celery…the mild and sweet taste! This is unique to locally grown or homegrown celery and will be a significantly more flavorful experience than ye average grocery store celery.
Source: Harvest to Table