How to Make and Use Freeze-Dried Celery 

Celery is a nutritious vegetable that is simple to grow (learn how here). I grow celery each year in my cool-season garden and often end up with an abundance of fresh celery at harvest time. Freeze-drying is my favorite way to preserve all that flavor and nutrition. Learn how to make and use freeze-dried celery and add enjoy its benefits for up to 20 years.

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Benefits of Consuming Celery

Celery is often referred to as a superfood, and it’s easy to see why. Research has shown that some benefits of consuming celery include:

• Lowering high blood pressure: Celery contains compounds that can help relax the blood vessels, lowering blood pressure levels.¹
• Cancer prevention: Celery is rich in antioxidants, which may help prevent cellular damage and reduce cancer risk.²
• Boosting digestion: The high fiber content of celery can promote bowel movement and reduce the risk of constipation.³
• Reduced inflammation: Certain compounds in celery have been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects, which may help reduce inflammation in the body.⁴
• May improve skin health: Celery contains vitamin C and other antioxidants that can help reduce skin damage caused by free radicals.⁵

Freeze-drying is known to preserve the nutritional content and quality of food, so you can enjoy these benefits for years.⁶

Why freeze dry home-grown celery?

Although celery is very nutritious, conventionally grown celery can high in pesticides. Preserving the abundant harvests of your homegrown celery allows you to reap all the benefits of consuming celery without the possible pesticide risk.⁷

How to Freeze Dry Celery

Feeze-drying celery is quite simple. All you need is some fresh celery, a freeze dryer, and an airtight container or vacuum sealer bag for storing them when they’re done. 

I freeze dry celery stalks and leaves. The processing times for leaves and stalks are different, so process them separately. 

• Cut the stalks/leaves into uniform sizes and place them on freeze dry trays up to the top of the tray.
• Follow your freeze dryer’s instructions to process them.
• Freeze dry until completely dry. Once they are crisp enough to snap when bent gently in half, they are ready to be stored away. 
• Using a blender, process into powder or leave whole.
• Immediately after freeze-drying, place the dried stalks into an airtight container or mylar bag with an oxygen absorber for storage until ready for use.

A note about dehydrating:

Dehydrating celery also works as a preservation method. You may lose more nutritional value when dehydrating, however.

How To Use Freeze-Dried Celery

To rehydrate freeze-dried celery, place the celery in a bowl covered with cool water. Cool and let sit until desired consistency is reached. Use as you would fresh in recipes.

To use in soups or stews, add freeze-dried vegetables to the pot while cooking.

I like to process freeze-dried celery in the blender and make celery powder. I use this powder anytime I want to add extra nutrition or celery flavor. 

Some ways I like to use freeze-dried celery powder or crumbled freeze-dried celery leaves include:

• Homemade seasoning mixes. Mix together equal parts of freeze-dried herbs like thyme, oregano, parsley, etc., with freeze-dried vegetables like carrots and celery. 
• Smoothies – adding some freeze-dried celery powder will give your smoothie a fantastic texture and extra nutrition!
• Adding it to soups, dips, and stews. 
• Homemade celery salt. Learn how to make it here.

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Sources:

1. High blood pressure: [1] Ali, B. H., & Blunden, G. (2006). Pharmacological and toxicological properties of Nigella sativa. Phytotherapy Research, 20(8), 659-665.
2. Cancer prevention: [2] Sharififar, F., Moshafi, M., Mansouri, S. H., & Khodashenas, M. (2007). In vitro evaluation of antibacterial and antioxidant activities of the essential oil and methanol extract of endemic Zataria multiflora Boiss. Food Control, 18(7), 800-805.
3. Digestion: [3] Slavin, J. (2013). Fiber and prebiotics: mechanisms and health benefits. Nutrients, 5(4), 1417-1435.
4. Inflammation: [4] Kim, H. W., & Kim, B. K. (2010). Anti-inflammatory effects of apigenin in dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis in mice. Archives of Pharmacal Research, 33(10), 1675-1680.
5. Skin health: [5] Cho, J. Y., & Lee, J. H. (2007). Anti-acne effects of Oriental herb extracts: a novel screening method to select anti-acne agents. Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 20(3), 125-131.
6. Freeze-Drying – an overview | ScienceDirect Topics (www.sciencedirect.com) According to this source, Compared to other drying methods, such as air drying or sun drying, freeze-drying can retain more of the food’s original flavor, texture, and nutrient content. This is because freeze-drying involves removing water from the food by sublimation (ice turns directly into vapor), without exposing it to high temperatures or oxygen, which can cause nutrient degradation. As a result, freeze-dried foods can have a longer shelf life without compromising their nutritional quality.
7. Dirty Dozen™ and Clean Fifteen™ Lists | EWG’s 2021 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce™ (www.ewg.org) According to this source, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) lists celery as number 10 on the Dirty Dozen list for 2021, which means that it was found to have a high amount of pesticide residue. The EWG recommends that consumers buy organic celery or wash it thoroughly before eating to reduce exposure to pesticides.