This method requires a hand cultivator and a trowel (or a shovel and rake, depending on the size of your garden) and some extra topsoil. Quickly measuring each plant’s stalk length by placing a ruler on the outside of the newspaper and measuring from the base of the plant to where the leaves begin will tell you when the stalks are ready to pick. If you planted all the seeds at once, they’ll probably all be ready at the same time or within a few days of each other. You can find my favorite hummus recipe on our sister site, Foodal. When about three weeks have passed and your stalks are at least six inches long, undo the bows, set aside the newspapers to reuse them if they’re still in good shape, and enjoy a homegrown garden-blanched celery stalk dipped in hummus. The last thing you need to do? Remember to harvest your celery! You can also try using pieces of cardboard or aluminum foil instead of newspaper, taking care not to rip it when you secure it in place. If you live in an area with heavy rainfall, you may want to change out the newspaper after each day of rain or use a different method. The newspaper might get a bit soggy, but it’s only going to be there for three weeks, so you shouldn’t need to worry about it too much. Water your plant as you normally would, but try to avoid saturating the newspaper. The newspaper will block sunlight from reaching the stalks and they’ll turn a paler green color. Tie more twine or gardening tape firmly around the newspaper to hold it in place, and voila! You’re done. You may have to cut the paper or fold it to make sure it fits the stalks. The top of the newspaper should end just below the leaves – you still want the leaves to see the sun so the plant can keep growing. Wrap a page or two of newspaper around the stalks. Using a bow knot will make it easy to remove, plus you can reuse the string! To blanch your celery stalks with newspaper, first loosely tie the stalks together just under the leaves. But it’s still rich in fiber, vitamins K1 (the plant-based form of vitamin K, also known as phylloquinone), C, and A, magnesium, folate, phosphorus, potassium, and calcium.Īnd it’s much more palatable than bitter, unblanched celery! So yes, if you blanch the stalks, they will have a lower concentration of nutrients as a result. Keep in mind that the greener the stalk, the more nutrient-dense it is. Start blanching three weeks out for lighter, sweeter celery, or two weeks from harvest to maintain a slightly stronger flavor and more robust stalks. Once your celery is about three weeks away from harvest, you can blanch it. Since celery has an approximate time to maturity of 130-140 days, you’ll want to make a note in your phone or garden planning notebook so you don’t miss the opportunity to blanch your crop. You might be eager to blanch your crops the moment little stalks start shooting out of the earth.īut the first thing you need to do is thin your plants so there is no more than one plant spaced every six inches, giving the roots plenty of room to grow and thrive.Īnd wait, and wait, until your stalks are two or three weeks away from being ready to harvest. So if you struggle with the bitterness of your homegrown celery, it’s time to give it a try. This technique is also used to improve the flavor of Belgian endive, asparagus, leeks, cauliflower, and rhubarb. Blanching reduces bitterness, allowing the plant’s natural sweetness to shine.Ĭelery is one of many plants that benefit from blanching in the garden. You really notice this in savory, bitter plants like celery. The blanched portions of any plant are pale and lack the vibrant green color of unblanched plants, and there are differences in flavor as well. The outer leaves act as a barrier, preventing photosynthesis and the production of chlorophyll.īlanching is the practice of covering the stems of your plant for two to three weeks prior to harvest, to limit exposure to the sun. This is because the sun doesn’t reach those inner layers. Have you ever noticed that outer cabbage leaves are much greener than the innermost folds of the plant? In many types of plants, such as cabbage, blanching happens naturally.
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