Celery

Scientific Binomial Name: Apium graveolens

Selection Information

Usage: Eating fresh, cooking and salads.

Selection: Good-quality celery should have even-colored, unblemished and smoothed-skinned stalks. Leaves should be fresh with no signs of wilting. Contrary to popular belief, light green stalks taste better than those that are dark green. Scratch the butt-end of the celery with your fingernail. A sweet or bitter smell means sweet or bitter flavor.

Avoid: While light green stalks are preferred, avoid celery with white stalks which indicates old product.- Stalks that are soft, spreading out and bend are also signs of old product. Thick veins and rough inside surfaces indicate over-aged and tough celery.

Seasonal Information

Celery is available year-round from California. Washington celery is available from August until November with a peak in September.

Celery Nutritional Information

Serving Size: Raw Celery (110g)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 18	Calories from Fat 2
	% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g	3%
Saturated Fat Fat 0g	1%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 88mg	4%
Total Carbohydrate 4g	1%
Dietary Fiber 2g	7%
Sugars 2g
Protein 1g
Vitamin A 10%	Vitamin C 6%
Calcium 4%	Iron 1%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. Source: PMA's Labeling Facts

Celery is low in Saturated Fat, and very low in Cholesterol. It's also a good source of Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Pantothenic Acid, Calcium, Magnesium and Phosphorus, and a great source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Folate, Potassium and Manganese.

Celery Tips & Trivia

Don't throw away celery that has been in your refrigerator a little too long and gone limp. Revive the stalks (or extend the shelf-life of fresh celery) by shaving a small amount off from the butt-end, soaking in luke-warm water (1/2 hr. or more), and refrigerating.
Originally a bitter, wild marsh plant ranging from Sweden south throughout Europe, celery was used over centuries for medicinal purposes "to purify the blood."
The winner of an athletic event in ancient Greece was given a bunch of celery, much like flowers are given today.