Fresh Celery

Celery—some people love it; others, well. . . others just don’t. We think it is indispensable for making savory soups and broths, crunchy salads, and flavorful stuffings. Pascal celery—the most common variety in markets through the year—is the crispest, strongest tasting, and greenest of all the celeries. Buy stalks that are firm, unwilted, and unblemished. The leaves should be fresh and green, not yellow or droopy.

Celery should keep refrigerated in a plastic bag seven to ten days. It must be rinsed well before using; the bottom is usually full of the black muck in which it grows. To crisp celery, trim the ribs and soak them in very cold water. If the ribs are tough, break off a small piece at the top without breaking through the strings, then tear the strings away by pulling the piece toward the bottom.