How to Dry Celery, with a quick blanching method.

When organic celery goes on sale at our local marketplace we stock up! I like some to eat fresh with peanut butter, or cheddar cheese, and some for the freezer. As well as a bunch to slice, blanch and dry. But why dried celery? Because in some recipes, it is simply better...

Take advantage of sale prices, then fill your food dryer!

Personally, I like to have both frozen diced celery and dried celery in my kitchen ready to go! Frozen celery is perfect to add to any recipe where the food will be cooked. It will bread down in the cooking process, but the flavor is still there. But I prefer to use dried celery for tuna or chicken salad for sandwiches. And it is perfect to stir into cottage cheese along with some dill and serve with sliced tomatoes. Or how about your own homemade version of Stovetop Stuffing...you may want to rehydrate before using, or let is naturally soak up any liquid, on it's own.

So come and take a look at how easy this process is!

WHOA! It turns out there is a little more to drying celery than washing, chopping and loading up the food dryer!

I did a bit of research before I dried my own celery and originally wrote this post, back in 2022. And while it is not mandatory to blanch celery before drying, I strongly suggest that you do. The blanching process takes but a minute and will ensure that your dried celery has a mild and enjoyable flavor long after drying.

True Confession: For my original batch I did not blanch and I actually had to throw it out after a few months. Why? Because the flavor was so strong, it was bitter. And to my way of thinking, not a flavor I would want to add to any recipe.

So lets start again, shall we?

Place a large pan of water on to boil.

Place a heat safe strainer in the sink.

Wash, dry. and trim the ends from the individual ribs of celery. Slice approximately 1/4 inch thick.

When the water is boiling, add the sliced celery.

Stir and let the celery blanch for about 30-45 seconds.

Pour the celery and boiling water into the strainer and let it rest until the water has all drained away.

Fill the drying trays with the blanched and drained celery slices.

Take care not to overcrowd the trays. You may dry as much or as little as you wish.

Use the vegetable setting, and begin checking after 12 hours.

Celery must be brittle dry, for storage. Plus you will know it is dry because look how small it becomes...however to test for dryness, pick up a piece and try to bend in half. It should break, if it does not, you will want to continue the drying time.

Dried celery will be very small! After checking at the 12-hour mark continue to dry if needed. When the celery is completely dry, store in a jar with a tight-fitting lid, or a zip-top plastic storage bag.

In humid environments (like East Texas) you may want to store the dried celery in the freezer to keep it from drawing moisture.

After loading the dryer trays I process the ends and pieces for the freezer.

See the link below!

I love it when I can keep kitchen waste to this low level. But our hens will enjoy these ends and pieces.

UPDATED: 09.26.2024

Would you like to comment?

Dee | GrammysGrid.comMarch 31, 2022 at 6:35 AM
Never thought about drying celery, how interesting! Thanks so much for linking up at the 25 and Done Link Party 16! 25 entries in 25 hours!! Shared on Fb, Pn, and Tw.
Jean | Delightful RepastMarch 31, 2022 at 8:43 AM
This has me regretting that I turned down an offer of a hand-me-down dehydrator a few years ago! May have to get one!
Joanne April 1, 2022 at 2:35 AM
I can not believe how tiny they get when they are dried! I assume you can use the same process with the celery leaves for celery flakes? I know one organic farmer was talking to my mom about doing something with the leaves to use them in cooking so she'd have less waste. Thanks for sharing with us.
Dee | GrammysGrid.comApril 2, 2022 at 7:37 AM
Visiting again to say thanks so much for linking up at the Unlimited Link Party 74. Pinned.
LeslieApril 3, 2022 at 9:08 AM
I love all your posts about different ways to preserve food, I have learned so much from you!
Gardening HelenApril 4, 2022 at 8:37 AM
It never occurred to me to freeze or dry celery. What a great post! Thanks for sharing at My Big Fat Menopausal Life's Share the Wealth Party. Have a wonderful week!
Miz HelenApril 6, 2022 at 9:49 AM
Thanks so much for sharing your awesome post with us at Full Plate Thursday, 582. Hope you are having a great week and come back to see us real soon!
Miz Helen
Dee | GrammysGrid.comApril 6, 2022 at 1:05 PM
CONGRATS Melynda! Your post is FEATURED at the 25 and Done Link Party 17! 25 entries in 25 hours!! Entries shared on Fb, Pn, and Tw. Opens Apr-7 at 2am. Closes Apr-8 at 3am central time.
BethanySeptember 30, 2024 at 4:22 PM
I love my dehydrator, but hadn't thought of using it to dry excess celery - love it!
BetsyOctober 1, 2024 at 9:35 AM
So glad I saw this post. I love celery and use it so much. Never thought of drying it til now, I have dried many other veggies from my garden. I have some celery in the fridge I will do this afternoon. Thank you for sharing.
PaulaShort October 23, 2024 at 4:25 PM
I learn so much from you. I don't like celery so I usually leave it out of recipe's and use celery salt or seed. Or just chop up the leaves. This is really neat to learn because I think dried celery would be something for me to try.
Thanks bunches for sharing with Sweet Tea & Friend's this month.
Happy Retiree's KitchenNovember 9, 2024 at 11:20 PM
I have frozen celery many times, but never dried it. Great idea, thanks so much for the tips.
Nancy Andres at Colors 4 HealthNovember 11, 2024 at 2:05 PM
This post inspired me to try my hand at drying celery. Got to this post from SSPS#336. My shares this time are #108 through 113. Warm regards, Nancy Andred