Daily Kitchen Note
Plastic bags trap the ethylene gas that celery naturally produces, causing it to spoil and go limp quickly. Wrapping the stalks in aluminum foil allows the gas to escape while retaining the moisture needed to keep the celery crisp for up to four weeks.
How to Wrap celery in foil
- Keep the celery head whole and unwashed.
- Wrap the entire bunch tightly in a sheet of aluminum foil.
- Place the foil-wrapped celery in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator.
Why it works
Celery naturally releases ethylene gas, a ripening agent that accelerates spoilage when trapped in a sealed plastic bag. Aluminum foil is porous enough to let the ethylene gas escape, yet it still holds in the vegetable's natural moisture. This balance prevents the stalks from drying out or rotting prematurely.
Source
University of Massachusetts Amherst Extension: Produce Spotlight on Celery
