History
It is not known who discovered celery but is has been around for almost 3,000 years. The oldest record of the word celery is in a 9th-century poem written in France or Italy, speaking of its medicinal uses. In the 16th century people in Italy and northern Europe began growing celery in gardens but it was still only used for medicinal purposes.
The use of celery for food was first recorded in France in 1623. Yet for about 100 years it was only used to flavor foods. In France and Italy, by the 17th century, the stalks and leaves were occasionally eaten with an oil dressing.
In the late 17th and early 18th centuries, improvements of the wild type were first seen in Italy, France, and England, one being eliminating the too-strong flavor of the wild type.
It is not known what colonists brought the celery plant to America, or when, but four cultivated varieties were listed here in 1806.
Celery Facts
Celery is available year-round with little seasonal variation in supply. Celery can be bought in bunches with the leaves attached or trimmed. When selecting celery to purchase choose stalks with fresh leaves and firm crisp stalks of medium length and thickness. Do not purchase celery with brown or black discolorations on either the stalks or leaves. Light green stalks tend to taste best. Dark green stalks have more nutrients but tend to be stringy. Use a vegetable peeler to trim the strings.
At home wrap celery in plastic and use within two weeks. Keep the celery away from the coldest parts of the refrigerator-the back and side walls-with its high water content it freezes easily. Wash under cold water and trim the ends of the stalks before using. Cooked celery may be refrigerated for up to 5 days. One medium bunch of celery yields 4-6 servings.
Because of its high water content, celery has very few calories: an 8-inch rib contains just 6 calories. Yet it provides a good amount of potassium and Vitamin C, and some insoluble fiber.
Nutritional Information (per 1 cup chopped): 20 calories, 1 g protein, 4 g carbohydrate, 2 g dietary fiber, 0.2 g fat, 0 g cholesterol, 104 mg sodium, 344 mg, potassium, 8 mg Vitamin C