Dried CeleryDrying the Stalks and Leaves, Drying Time and Storage

Celery is an aromatic vegetable with a distinctive fresh scent and a slight bitterness.

Drying makes the aroma stronger, and the slices stay pleasantly crisp. Use the stalks in stir-fries and soups, and crumble the leaves into mixed rice or a rice seasoning. You’ll use up the whole head, even the leaves that usually go to waste.

	Drying time	Storage
Stalks (dry)	1–3 days	2 weeks at room temperature (fridge in humid summer)
Leaves (dry)	1 day	1 month at room temperature

Drying times assume drying during the day in sunny weather and bringing them in at night.

How to dry celery

1. Separate stalks and leaves: Cut the leaves off the stalks. Dry the leaves as described under “Celery leaves” below.
2. Remove the strings: Peel the tough strings off the outside of the stalks with a peeler or knife.
3. Cut: Slice on the diagonal about 7 mm (¼ in) thick.
4. Lay out and dry: Spread on a basket without overlapping, somewhere sunny and breezy. Bring them in by evening.

Where and when to dry is covered in How to Dry Vegetables, and tools in Tools for Drying Vegetables.

When it’s done

Dry (1–3 days)

It’s done when the slices have shrunk thin and snap when bent. Celery loses water easily; ours was crisp in one day.

Day by day

Before drying

Day 1

Celery leaves

Like other leafy greens, celery leaves are blanched briefly in salted water before drying. Blanching keeps the color bright and softens the bitterness.

1. Blanch in salted water: Add salt to boiling water and blanch for about 30 seconds.
2. Dry well: Cool in cold water, squeeze out the water, then pat thoroughly dry with paper towels.
3. Spread out and dry: Spread on a basket without overlapping. Ours were crisp in one day.

Before drying

Day 1

Storage

• Stalks: Put completely dry slices in a bag or airtight container with a desiccant, and keep somewhere cool and out of direct sun for about 2 weeks. In humid summer weather, keep them in the fridge.
• Leaves: Crumble them by hand and keep in a small jar to use like a seasoning. About 1 month at room temperature.

The aroma fades over time, so use it soon. Fuzzy white or green growth, black spots or a bad smell are signs of mold or spoilage; throw it away. More in How to Store Dried Vegetables.

Rehydrating and using it

• Use stalks dry: Add them straight to soups, minestrone, pot-au-feu, curry and stir-fries. Great for adding aroma to stews.
• Rehydrate stalks: For dressed side dishes or kinpira, soak in water for about 5 minutes.
• Leaves: Crumble into rice, or sprinkle over omelets and soups to finish. In Western dishes, use them instead of parsley.