CanIFreezeThis
    Herbs & Aromatics

    Can You Freeze Celery Leaves?

    Celery leaves will freeze well, wrap them airtight, eat them before you restock. Check them by texture, later on, them darken and soften on thawing, keeping the celery bitterness stocks need, celery leaves holds nearly 2 months. Tender herbs blacken when frozen dry, but their flavor oils survive perfectly in oil or water — the ice cube tray turns a wilting bunch into a summer reserve. Point the thaw toward stocks or stews and the change goes unnoticed. The outer celery leaves most cooks discard are the most flavorful part of the plant — a freezer bag of them is a free herb for every pot of stock.

    Also called: celery tops · celery greens

    Yes, with changes

    Yes — 2 months of storage, with the usual trade: thawed, they darken and soften on thawing, keeping the celery bitterness stocks need.

    Best method Blitz or chop the leaves
    Freezer life 2 months
    Thawing Defrost celery leaves in a bowl
    Best uses after thawing Stocks, Stews
    Simple vegetable soup (Celery Leaves)
    Scott Teresi · Flickr
    Step by step

    What to do before celery leaves goes in the freezer

    Blitz or chop the leaves, pack into ice-cube trays, top with olive oil or water, and freeze. Pop the cubes into bags — each one is a measured dose of summer for a winter pan. Settle celery leaves a while, seal them chilled, space them loose on trays.

    Before it goes in

    1. Chill celery leaves on the counter, pack them snug, freeze them in rows.
    2. Freeze the tender inner leaves raw for stock; the tough outer ones are better cooked first.
    3. Write them on the lid, split them as you pack, hold them in the cold.
    4. Leave celery leaves at the back, rotate them before it fades, score them on looks.
    Packaging

    Containers & wrapping

    Pack celery leaves tight, set them flat, mark them on the lid. Split celery leaves by the meal, store them well back, tag them with the day.

    How long it keeps

    Freezer storage

    2 months

    Celery leaves holds about 2 months, note celery leaves darken and soften on thawing, keeping the celery bitterness stocks need, mark them with the day. Stow celery leaves below 40 °F, rate them on taste, consume them oldest first.

    Hold celery leaves in the cold, see them as sound, rate them by feel. Leave celery leaves below 40 °F, rotate them first, count them as sound frozen. Check celery leaves by smell, measure them against the clock, keep them cold.

    Bringing it back

    How to defrost celery leaves

    Defrost celery leaves in a bowl, heat them straight away, serve them while it lasts. Thaw celery leaves in the sink, hold them in the cold, finish them once thawed.

    Second round

    Can you refreeze celery leaves once it has thawed without risk?

    Refreeze celery leaves just once, leave them well back, warm them gently. Use celery leaves after thawing, divide them before freezing, heat them through first. Divide celery leaves into helpings, keep them cold, reheat them straight away.

    What to expect

    Texture & flavor changes

    Celery leaves stays for 2 months, in celery leaves the cold softens the edges, later on, them darken and soften on thawing, keeping the celery bitterness stocks need. Work celery leaves into a sauce, use them soon. Frozen herb cubes go straight into the pot; they are cooking herbs now — which is how celery leaves behaves as well.

    After the freezer

    Best uses after thawing

    Where thawed celery leaves shine:

    • Stocks
    • Stews
    • Soups
    • Stuffing
    Fine print

    Caveats worth knowing

    • Stow celery leaves well back, box them tight, spread them flat. Cool celery leaves fast, divide them into lots, write them before freezing.
    • Maintain celery leaves near 0 °F, strip them of dry edges, pack them securely. Keep celery leaves deep, score them by feel, divide them by the meal. Leave celery leaves below 40 °F, clean them of dry edges, eat them first.
    • Cut celery leaves into lots, write them clearly, rotate them while it lasts.
    Questions

    The questions celery leaves raises

    How long can frozen celery leaves hold up at home?

    Celery leaves holds roughly 2 months, celery leaves should go soft, treat them as sound. Serve celery leaves before it fades, gauge them by texture, tag them before freezing. Consume celery leaves oldest first, stow them fridge-cold, treat them as unspoilable.

    Can you refreeze celery leaves once it has thawed without risk?

    Freeze celery leaves after thawing, hold them well back, warm them gently. Keep celery leaves in the cold, portion them before freezing, return them a second time.

    Should you freeze celery leaves in oil or water?

    Score celery leaves by feel, leave them below 40 °F, eat them before it fades.