What's the deal with yucky CELERY? Tell me how to get the good stuff!

[powellrj]

Interesting first post

 

[Pdog]

Since we have resurrected the thread (sorry about that one) I will add my two cents. I do find this happens a lot with celery. Celery quality is way too inconsistent and I was actually googling to try to find out why and found this thread. You get good celery and it's like finding gold but bad celery is just inedible. Not sure if there is another produce type that is to the degree that celery is in that regard. You do want to buy it organic if possible because it is one of the dirty dozen, but unfortunately I have found that Trader Joe's is one of the few places I have found affordable organic celery and for some reason almost every time I go to Trader Joe's their conventional celery is lighter in color and the organic is darker green. That brings me to my point that there is very few ways to tell if your getting the good or the bad and the ugly. Lighter color celery is usually crispier and sweet rather than bitter. If it is dark that is usually not good and with Trader Joes the conventional always has the look of good celery and the organic looks off and is usually not great which is probably why it is as cheap as it is. Buying lighter colored celery hearts from a brand that you can trust is about all you can do to help your cause and if it is organic and affordable at the same time then you hit the celery jackpot! One other quick celery observation I have found....celery at restaurants is almost always good and from the grocery store a crap shoot at best. Not sure if restaurants get better celery because someone tastes it and they don't accept the tough bitter stuff so the suppliers know they can't pawn off the bad stuff to restaurants and that is where the quality goes but you generally will never find bad celery served at a restaurant.