Fermented Celery – Surprisingly Easy and Delicious!

If you’ve ever thought that celery was a bit, well, boring, this zesty fermented celery just might change your mind!

This crisp, salty, and tasty fermented celery delivers some gut-healthy probiotics along with great flavor and a dose of veggies!

I started making homemade refrigerator pickles a couple of years ago, and was pretty impressed with how easy and tasty they were.

Next came homemade mild giardiniera (significantly more cost-effective than the store-bought variety), which was also a success.

So the next logical step was to try my hand at a new snack: fermented celery.

How to serve fermented celery

This dish is great as a snack, in salads, on sandwiches, or even in soups!

Fermented celery is a bit salty, like olives (which are also stored in brine), so if you are sensitive to salt, you can use it more as a condiment than as the star of the show.

Try fermented celery in place of chips with salsa or guacamole, or plain. It has the salt and the crunch, just not the fried oil factor.

Fermented foods in history and the benefits of fermented vegetables (like celery)

People have been fermenting foods for thousands of years – since 6000 BCE in the Fertile Crescent. You only need water and salt to create a brine that will preserve whatever you are fermenting!

(I added fresh dill and pickling spices for fun, but they are not necessary.)

In addition to keeping food fresh longer (especially in the days before refrigeration was widespread), fermenting vegetables allows for the flourishing of beneficial bacteria

All this good bacteria helps keep the bad bacteria in our guts at bay, reducing inflammation.

Are these lacto-fermented celery sticks?

Yes, they are!

Lactic acid fermentation, also known as lacto-fermentation (nothing to do with milk) is the anaerobic process by which Lactobacillus (good bacteria) and other lactic acid bacteria convert sugar into lactic acid, which then serves as a preservative.

Fortunately for us, this process adds quite a bit of nice flavor as well!

In addition, lacto-fermenting is one of the easiest ways to try your hand at fermenting food at home.

Health benefits of celery

Celery provides us with both soluble and insoluble fiber, both of which are important for maintaining a healthy digestive system.

In addition, celery provides lots of antioxidants, which can help alleviate and prevent oxidative stress.

Oxidative stress contributes to cancer, so celery may help prevent or slow cancer.

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How long do these last in the fridge?

As long as you use clean utensils to fish out celery sticks, these should last a month in the fridge pretty easily.

If you are familiar with fermenting and attentive to hygiene, they can last for quite a bit longer, but always use your eyes and nose to help determine freshness.

That being said, we ate our first jar within two days, so it may not be an issue!

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Variations on this recipe

While I used dill pickling spices, you could make plain fermented celery with just salt, water, and celery, or add any spices or additional veggies you’d like. Consider:

• Ginger
• Jalapeno
• Turmeric root
• Red onion
• Carrots
• Crushed red pepper flakes
• Beets
• Cabbage
• Cauliflower

You can also play around with how long you ferment these. Some people do short ferments of only three days, many do 7 days, and some do several weeks (just be careful when inspecting for mold).

Simply take a stalk out and taste it to see if it is “pickly” enough for you. If you want more of a briny flavor, put the fermenting lid back on and let it sit longer.

In addition, most people use around a 2% brine solution (4 tsp table salt to 1 quart water). However, anywhere between 2-5% can work just fine. You can taste the brine (with a clean spoon!) and play around with the concentration.

Less than 2% will increase the chances of spoilage. More than 5% can risk stopping the fermentation.

Generally 2% is good for firmer vegetables (cauliflower, beets, carrots), and 5% is good for softer vegetables (like zucchini, bell peppers, and cucumber).

It’s more art than science though.

Do I really need fermenting lids and fermenting weights?

No, both items are optional, but the fermenting lids make the process easier.

The fermenting weights decrease the chances of your veggies floating above the brine and developing white Kahn’s yeast.

Some people boil rocks to disinfect them (and/or put them in a ziplock baggie) and use them rather than buying something they’ll rarely use.

If you do not use a fermenting lid and just use a regular mason jar lid, you will need to burp the jars a couple times a day, and probably place them on a towel just in case they leak.

Wait – How do you burp a jar?

Simply open the lid to let the gases escape, then re-tighten it.

Should I use iodized or non-iodized salt for fermenting veggies like celery?

Truly, whatever you prefer.

Some people say not to use iodized salt as it makes the brine a bit cloudy, and it may inhibit helpful bacteria that benefit the fermentation process.

That being said, a 2018 study on sauerkraut found that:

The use of iodized salt did not statistically significantly influence microbial populations in the fermentation. Thus, there is no basis for the popular held belief that the use of iodized salt inhibits the growth of the bacteria important for the sauerkraut fermentation.

I stuck with sea salt to be safe, and to hopefully increase my chances of a perfect outcome.

Fermented Celery Ingredients

Before you begin, you will need:

Edible Ingredients

• 1 small bunch of celery (if you have a large bunch of celery, you will need about 2/3 of it, so you can 1.5x the recipe and make a third jar or just have leftover celery for snacking)
• 1-2 cloves of fresh garlic, depending on size (it doesn’t take much)
• Fresh dill sprigs (about 4)
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp whole black peppercorns
• 2 tsp sea salt (or iodized salt)
• 2 cups water

Tools and Equipment

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• 2 wide-mouth pint jars (these ones are quilted)
• 2 metal lid rings, and the metal lids after the 5 days are up.
• 2 fermenting lids (I used these pickle pipes)
• 2 fermenting weights (optional – some people also boil rocks, but I used these glass ones)
• Knife and cutting board
• Measuring cups and spoons

How to Make Fermented Celery

Prepping the fermenting equipment and celery

1. Before you begin, make sure all your equipment is clean. If your jars have become a bit dusty, wash them again and let them dry. This will give us the best chance of not having any unwanted mold growth.
2. First, wash and trim the ends off your celery. Then, cut them into sticks about an inch or so shorter than your pint jars.
3. Peel and trim your garlic. After that, in a larger container like a quart jar, stir your salt and water together to make your brine.
4. Next, arrange a couple sprigs of fresh dill in each jar. Place half the garlic, peppercorns, and mustard seeds in each jar along with the dill.
5. After that, start packing each jar tightly with celery sticks. It is easier to keep them upright if you tip the jar to at least a 45° angle. You can hold on to the dill to help the jars look nice if desired. Especially if you are not using fermenting weights, you will want to pack everything very tightly so nothing can move, and leave about an inch of space in between the tops of the celery/dill and the top of the jar (called headspace).
6. Then, pour the brine into the jars until the celery is just covered and a tiny bit more. If you are using fermenting weights, add them now to help keep everything below the brine.
7. Next, place the fermenting lids (or metal lids if not using) on top and use the metal rings to close the jars.

Fermenting and Storage

1. Place in a cupboard or other area not in direct sunlight at room temperature, and allow to sit for 5 days. You can place a towel underneath the jars just in case. (If you don’t have fermenting lids, you will need to burp the jars a couple times each day – see above.)
2. After 5 days, replace the fermenting lid with a standard metal lid and store in the fridge (you can leave the fermenting weights in if using – staying under the brine will keep the celery good longer). Serve in salads, with salsa or guacamole, or as a snack, and enjoy!

Important: This post is for informational and educational purposes only. This post should not be taken as medical or nutritional advice or used as a substitute for such. You should always speak to your own doctor or nutritionist before implementing this information on your own. Thank you!

I hope you liked this simple recipe for fermented celery!