Do I need to clean celery and how to do it correctly?

Celery is a spicy vegetable brought to Russia from the Mediterranean countries.Due to the large amount of nutrients and vital vitamins, celery is a leader among other vegetable crops. Essential oils, which are also in the composition, give the salad a unique aroma and a special rich taste. Every part of the plant, from the stalk to the leaves, can be eaten. Raw celery is as tasty and healthy as it is processed. Below we consider the possible types of this vegetable, and methods of cleaning it.

In the vegetable department you are most likely to come across four main celery species. Distinguish plants can be visually - leafy, petiolate or root.

Scented celery is a two-year-old herbaceous vegetable crop, the appearance of which may resemble massive parsley. In the first years, powerful beams of bright greenish leaves with a characteristic glossy surface, a fleshy handle and a white strong root system are formed in the plant. After a year, as a rule, in the early spring period, greenish leaves are formed around the plant, and in July the vegetable begins to actively bloom. In August, the seed ripens and after a few days the plant begins to dry.

To the most fragrant type of celery include leaf plant. It is also an indispensable source of beneficial micronutrients. Most often used raw or as a component in a salad. Gourmets are used for seasoning soup or another dish. The vegetable got its name due to the unsuitability of eating its petioles and root. Thin petiole and harsh roots have fewer vitamins than leaves, and have unpleasant taste.

Chereshkov celery is a vegetable, in which food is used exclusively petioles and leaves. One petiole can reach four to five centimeters. It is rich in essential oils, various vitamins and minerals useful for the human body. Celery celery is perfect for preparing the first and second courses, dietary low-calorie salad, is an excellent additive to pickles and canned foods. It gives the dish a piquant, bright aroma and unique taste.

As you might guess from the name, from the root type of celery only root vegetables are used for food. Such celery looks like big beets of a beige shade. On average, the weight of a vegetable can reach nine hundred grams. The fruit of this type is a real source of trace elements and minerals. It is equally tasty, both raw and when added to a salad or hot dish.

Celery celery has an incredible healing effect. The plant has a beneficial effect on the nervous, cardiovascular and digestive systems.

In its composition is:

• huge amount of protein;
• the whole set of vitamins B, E, K, C;
• essential amino carboxylic acids such as aspartic, tyrosine;
• the content of potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese and iron necessary for the human body.

In addition, the effect of celery consumption on the human body is expressed in the following:

• aging of cells is significantly slowed down, positive dynamics in the treatment of senile dementia is noted;
• water-salt balance is restored;
• there is a beneficial effect on the blood vessels, and therefore blood circulation is restored, and blood pressure returns to normal;
• the presence of essential oils in vegetable composition helps to relieve nervous tension and get rid of irritability, increases the activity of brain activity, vitality, immunity and resistance to stress situations that arise
• the high content of essential for the human body minerals and vitamin B has a beneficial effect on the appearance of the skin, hair follicles, skin around the eyes;
• regular consumption of celery root has a diuretic effect on the body, which helps to cleanse the kidneys and urinary canals;
• A salad with raw vegetables is recommended for people suffering from diabetes, and whose diet excludes meat;
• due to the fact that celery helps food to digest better, removing all toxins from the body, a person eventually stops experiencing heartburn, flatulence, gets rid of constipation and stomach cramps.

However, like any other product, this vegetable crop has a number of contraindications, which you should familiarize yourself with:

• celery is not recommended for people with urolithiasis, in order not to provoke the movement of the stone or aggravate the situation;
• the plant is contraindicated for people with blood clots or dilated veins;
• as vegetable culture contains a huge amount of essential oils, its use is undesirable for women preparing to become a mother;
• you can not eat celery in the presence of colitis and enterocolitis.

Celery leaf does not require any pretreatment. It is enough to separate the leaves from the stalk and rinse in cool water. Let the plant dry and you can start cooking. Celery stem must be thoroughly cleaned. First of all, you will need to cut at least three centimeters from the bottom of the plant, and be sure to remove the upper shoots.

The age of celery plays a determining factor in the method of processing plants. A young plant, which is characterized by a thin skin without any hint of dents and streaks of brownish hue, is not necessary to clean. Vegetable can be rinsed in hot water and dried, putting on a terry towel.

Most of all difficulties, as a rule, arise with the cleaning of the root celery. First of all, the root must be cleaned from remaining on the surface of the soil. In this connection, it is advisable, when purchasing, to give preference to a vegetable with a smooth surface, rather than covered with nodules. Its cleaning and processing will be much easier, and it will not take much effort to remove the skin. Let us dwell on the celery cleaning algorithm.

To get started, you need a durable kitchen knife, which will remove the top and bottom of the skin from the root.

Cut the required amount from the fruit, and remove the rest in the refrigerator. In the use of the package or food film in this case is not necessary, since their presence does not increase the shelf life of the vegetable.

The main rule of root celery processing is the absence of any spoiled areas on the surface of the vegetable. The flesh of the plant must be absolutely clean and uniform.

Pay attention to the structure of the vegetable. It consists of a spongy and basic homogeneous lobe. The spongy area is characterized by a huge amount of plant fiber. Its use contributes to the cleansing of the body of toxins and toxins, however, it does not possess any taste. In this regard, the spongy area is used to add thickness to the soup or to make tinctures for detoxifying the body.

The homogeneous part of the root has a pronounced aroma, thanks to which it is so loved by gourmets. And the presence of a large amount of vitamins and minerals makes the dish not only tasty, but also useful. There is an opinion that cleaning the celery root is not necessary, since it is possible to lose the lion’s share of beneficial vitamins in the skin. However, this is a completely wrong statement. The fact is that the skin of the root contains nitrates, and therefore its processing is extremely obligatory.

Thoroughly cleaned and washed in cold water root vegetable shred according to the recipe of the prepared dish.Cooks are advised to cut celery as small as possible - thus, the extracted juice from the pulp will soak all the ingredients of the dish.

If you choose this wonderful vegetable crop for the first time, then you need to properly read some recommendations that will help you buy high-quality and ripe vegetables. The processing and cleaning of celery will depend on its condition and age. About what celery to acquire, consider below.

For high-quality leaf celery characteristic juicy greenish tint. Feel free to touch the leaves, their structure should be elastic. The plant, as a rule, has a pronounced aroma. Stem celery is famous for its tasty and healthy juice. Having cut or broken the stem, you should hear a ringing sound. The brownish tint and the presence of scratches on the plant indicates that you have a stale product.

High-quality and mature celery celery has a bright green color and a smooth surface. When purchasing a root, pay attention to its appearance. It is desirable that the surface of the fetus was smooth, without any nodules. So its further processing will be much faster and easier. Green top leaves indicate the freshness of the vegetable. High-quality root is hard enough and does not push through when you press it.

See how to peel celery stalks in the next video.