Help,
Is it possible to freeze fresh (unblanched) celery. If so how long will it keep?
I imagine it is possible. The water content will destroy the cell structure when it freezes, but to cook with it will be ideal as celery tends to melt down when you A: chop it fine enough & B: cook it long enough.
Keepnig properties: the same as any other evegtable. I stress that I haven't done this and am sure that a more experienced person will be along soon. The logis is based on my pathalogical desire not to waste anything leading to 2 freezers in a tiny kitchen... ;D
Why not cook/stir fry it lightly first to reduce its volume & make it more immediate for later incorporation? It's never going to be celery again!!
But we do freeze unblanched cut-up leeks - a different matter.
This is what my "The Vegetable Expert" book says:
Cut scrubbed sticks into 1 in. lengths and blanch for 3 minutes - cool and drain. Pack into polythene bags and freeze. Frozen celery is no use in salads as the crispness is lost, but it is perfectly satisfactory for cooked dishes.
Hope this helps!
If you are into Italian food, I usually make a big batch of soffritto with equal parts chopped celery, carrot, onion--all raw--and freeze it, in a thick freezer (plastic) bag. Even my picky eater of an Italian husband can hardly tell the difference between fresh and frozen!
Sautee gently in olive oil as a seasoning base for a lot of Italian recipes.