How to prepare celery for dipping?
I like celery with dips (e.g. blue cheese or ranch dip) but I am not sure what is the best way to prepare the celery petioles: Of course I clean them. I also remove the very lower, white parts (which are often more dirty and spotted) but what else? Remove the leafy top parts? What bothers me the most is the strings. Sometimes they are OK, sometimes they are annoyingly hard to chew. How to know? How to remove them?
Best Answer
It's all edible, of course. So, much if your treatment is personal preference. I find that the outer stalks are typically more stringy than the inner ones. You can use a vegetable peeler to remove a layer of strings from the stalks. That can help.
Pictures about "How to prepare celery for dipping?"
How do you prepare raw celery?
Cut the stalk lengthwise into 2 or 3 even strips. Then cut each strip into sections that are 1.5 to 2 inches (3.8 to 5.1 cm) long so that the celery pieces resemble batons, or tiny sticks. Dice the stalk finely for the smallest cut. Split each stalk into 2-4 sections lengthwise, so that you form long, skinny pieces.How do you chop celery for dipping?
Well, not always. The outer stalks, which tend to be a darker green, can be stringier and more fibrous and can benefit from a quick peel. Simply use a vegetable peeler to remove the outermost layer. You'll know it's time to stop when the celery color gets paler.Do you have to peel celery sticks?
When buying celery look for:How to cut celery into sticks
More answers regarding how to prepare celery for dipping?
Answer 2
You can chill them in ice water 30 minutes before serving to make them a bit less pungent or chill in the refrigerator in a sealed bag after chopping them into sticks (short term 2 days at most, rub with lemon juice to reduce oxidization past a 2-day marker).
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Karolina Grabowska, RODNAE Productions, SHVETS production, Daria Shevtsova