How to Blanch Celery in the Garden

Are you a celery fan? Done right, it’s satisfyingly flavorful with a pleasing texture that leaves you wanting more.

But it can be difficult for the home gardener to achieve this without applying a little extra attentive care.

Done wrong, celery’s either too watery and stringy to enjoy, or so bitter you’re tempted to spit it into a napkin.

Cooking might reduce its bitterness, but that’s not the type of blanching we’re talking about here.

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Rather than heat-treating and robbing the stalks of their crunch after harvest, this article will teach you how to apply a gardening technique to your crops that will improve texture and flavor.

You don’t want to miss this step!

So, now that you’ve got your celery started in your garden, it’s time to figure out how to blanch it so you can enjoy perfectly crisp, flavorful stalks come harvest time.

I know I can’t be the only one who hates cooking the life out of fresh veggies.

After blanching, your homegrown celery will maintain its texture and flavor, even when it’s been cooked down a bit in a soup or stew.

The word “blanch” first appeared in common use in England in the 1400s. Derived from the French words blanc and blanchir, it means “to whiten.”

In many types of plants, such as cabbage, blanching happens naturally. Have you ever noticed that outer cabbage leaves are much greener than the innermost folds of the plant?

This is because the sun doesn’t reach those inner layers. The outer leaves act as a barrier, preventing photosynthesis and the production of chlorophyll.

Blanching is the practice of covering the