About The River

Monday, August 31, 2015

Growing Celery

 This year was my first year to try growing celery.
Looking at the photo above, you would think, how on earth is that celery going to look like the celery I purchase at the store?
The trick is the following.
Once the celery is tall enough, you will wrap a paper bag around the plant, leaving the topmost foliage exposed. Tie the paper in place with twine. 
What we are doing is blanching the celery.
Blanching is accomplished by excluding light over a period of time while the plants continue growing.
You do need to check the progress of the blanching, celery is susceptible to rot.
Once you have stalks that have reached a light greenish yellow color, the plant is ready to harvest.


 I forgot to take a photo of my celery all in a row with bags wrapped on them.
I did remember to take a photo of the finished product.
I froze some of my celery for soup. 
We ate some fresh and I tossed some in potato salad and chicken salad.
Everyone thought it tasted great.
I am already making my  garden list for 2016 garden season. I will be planting two rows of celery.


A neighbor suggests that I might put up a scarecrow near the vines, which would keep the birds away. I am doubtful about it, the birds are much too accustomed to seeing a person in poor clothes in the garden to care much for that.
Charles Dudley Warner
 
 

14 comments:

  1. Love your photo's here Carla.

    Great to grow your own celery and as you say you can use it in so many different recipes either cold or hot.

    All the best Jan

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  3. That's exciting about your celery! I think I'm the only one who likes it fresh in the family. They'll eat it in soups and stuffing,etc. I need to remember to freeze some next time I buy it. I do wrap it in foil when I buy and it stays fresh for a long time!

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  4. Wow, celery! You are quite the gardener.

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  5. Interesting. I never knew that about celery.

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  6. Love the quote, Carla! Amen to that.

    I am so impressed! I don't even remember my father growing celery and he grew everything. Yours is beautiful. It is so hard to find really fresh celery with lots of nice leaves in the grocery store. I love to use the leaves too in my potato salad and chicken salad, and soups.

    Do you grow okra there in your neck of the woods?

    Dewena

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  7. Wow...I never knew that about growing celery...never thought about it infct. The corn certainly is tll. I love corn!

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  8. Congratulations on growing celery. I grew celery once and had good success but I had much more than I could use. I froze some and didn't even used it as I much prefer fresh celery so now I just buy it.

    Wow, the corn is tall.
    Hugs,
    JB

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  9. I'm so glad you are growing this garden and teaching us a few things! I never knew this about celery. The only time I really purchase it is during the fall for soups and for dressing at Thanksgiving! Your celery looks beautiful and I'm glad to know you can freeze it! Cool beans...I mean celery! :-)

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  10. Wow celery...and it looks so healthy and green. What a treat!

    I found the link to your blog through Pinterest, LOL...just finished leaving you another comment on my blog letting you know that I can't get to you from your comment on mine. Went to Pinterest, and for some reason clicked on the News button...and you had just pinned something. At first I was going to message you, but realized that you had a link to your blog on your Pinterest profile...see Pinterest is not a waste of time, like many say.

    Jen

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  11. That's pretty impressive! I love the shot of your boys! I've never tried to grow it, clearly I would need more space. It looks fantastic and so healthy!

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  12. Indeed. Though I've tried to get perfectely blanched cauliflower with the same technique with only marginal success....:)

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  13. Wow! I have not known anyone to raise celery before, and what an interesting process. Did you start it from seed or plant?
    Celery and Okra may be on my list for next year for new veggies to try!

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  14. You are so industrious, Carla. And I love your "can do" spirit. I've never tried growing celery. Yours is beautiful.

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High Fives from Wisconsin!