Crop of the Week: Celery
March 31, 2012 6:54 PM
• Celery acreage in the Yuma area has increased each year
since 2005. It is grown exclusively for the fresh market and can take up
to 16 weeks to reach maturity. In 2007, Yuma County growers had about
1,000 acres of celery in production with a value of more than $1.2
million.
• Celery has negative calories! It takes more calories to digest a piece of celery than the celery has in it to begin with.
• Celery is a member of the Umbelliferae family, a cousin of carrots, parsley, anise, parsnips, fennel, caraway and celeriac (celery root).
• Celery plants are raised from seeds in greenhouses. It takes only one ounce of celery seeds to grow one acre of celery. Celery production and harvest are very labor-intensive. A person handles each individual plant at least three times, once when it is transplanted in the field, again when it is trimmed and then when it is cut and placed in a carton.
• Keep raw celery on hand for a quick snack that's delicious and nutritious. Kids enjoy the texture and sweetness of celery, and you can add to the nutrition value by spreading celery pieces with peanut butter, cream cheese or a zesty yogurt dip. If you keep celery in ice water, it will stay nice and crunchy.
• Celery packs a nutrition punch. It's a good source of calcium, vitamin C, fiber, potassium and folic acid. It also contains compounds that may help lower cholesterol and prevent cancer.
• The name celery is from the French word celeri.
• Originally a bitter, wild marsh plant ranging from Sweden south throughout Europe, celery was used over centuries for medicinal purposes “to purify the blood.” The winner of an athletic event in ancient Greece was given a bunch of celery, much like flowers are given today.
• Using a celery stick to garnish a Bloody Mary originated in the 1960s at Chicago's Ambassador East Hotel. An unnamed celebrity got a Bloody Mary but no swizzle stick. He grabbed a stalk of celery from the relish tray to stir his Bloody Mary and history was made.
• Two billion pounds of celery are grown each year in the U.S. Per capita U.S. consumption of celery is about nine to 10 pounds per person annually.
• Celery stalks, celery seed and celeriac (celery root) are each grown commercially from different varieties of the plant.
• The edible celery stalk is not a plant stem as often claimed. It is a petiole, which is part of a leaf.
• Many sound artists break stalks of celery into a microphone to simulate the sound of breaking bones.
Source: Kurt Nolte is an agriculture agent and Yuma County Cooperative Extension director. He can be reached at knolte@cals.arizona.edu or 726-3904.
• Celery has negative calories! It takes more calories to digest a piece of celery than the celery has in it to begin with.
• Celery is a member of the Umbelliferae family, a cousin of carrots, parsley, anise, parsnips, fennel, caraway and celeriac (celery root).
• Celery plants are raised from seeds in greenhouses. It takes only one ounce of celery seeds to grow one acre of celery. Celery production and harvest are very labor-intensive. A person handles each individual plant at least three times, once when it is transplanted in the field, again when it is trimmed and then when it is cut and placed in a carton.
• Keep raw celery on hand for a quick snack that's delicious and nutritious. Kids enjoy the texture and sweetness of celery, and you can add to the nutrition value by spreading celery pieces with peanut butter, cream cheese or a zesty yogurt dip. If you keep celery in ice water, it will stay nice and crunchy.
• Celery packs a nutrition punch. It's a good source of calcium, vitamin C, fiber, potassium and folic acid. It also contains compounds that may help lower cholesterol and prevent cancer.
• The name celery is from the French word celeri.
• Originally a bitter, wild marsh plant ranging from Sweden south throughout Europe, celery was used over centuries for medicinal purposes “to purify the blood.” The winner of an athletic event in ancient Greece was given a bunch of celery, much like flowers are given today.
• Using a celery stick to garnish a Bloody Mary originated in the 1960s at Chicago's Ambassador East Hotel. An unnamed celebrity got a Bloody Mary but no swizzle stick. He grabbed a stalk of celery from the relish tray to stir his Bloody Mary and history was made.
• Two billion pounds of celery are grown each year in the U.S. Per capita U.S. consumption of celery is about nine to 10 pounds per person annually.
• Celery stalks, celery seed and celeriac (celery root) are each grown commercially from different varieties of the plant.
• The edible celery stalk is not a plant stem as often claimed. It is a petiole, which is part of a leaf.
• Many sound artists break stalks of celery into a microphone to simulate the sound of breaking bones.
Source: Kurt Nolte is an agriculture agent and Yuma County Cooperative Extension director. He can be reached at knolte@cals.arizona.edu or 726-3904.
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