How To Tell If Celery Is Bad - Sprint Kitchen

Eating celery that has gone bad can cause food poisoning and make you very sick. Yet, it’s easy to tell when celery is fresh versus when it’s spoiled.

Not sure whether your celery is still good? Keep reading and we’ll tell you how to tell if celery is bad.

How To Tell If Celery Is Bad

It can be harder to tell when produce has gone bad because it doesn’t usually come with a “use by”, “sell by”, or “best by” date. Instead, you have to rely on your senses to tell whether the food is good.

What Does Spoiled Celery Look Like?

Fresh celery should be light green in color. Celery that has begun turning white or brown is going bad. The vegetable will even begin to hollow out in the middle of the stalks.

You can also tell that celery is going bad by looking at the base and the stalks. The stalks will begin to spread away from the base as it goes bad.

What Does Spoiled Celery Smell Like?

Celery shouldn’t have much of a scent to it. So, if you smell a bad odor coming from your celery, it has gone bad.

What Does Spoiled Celery Feel Like?

Celery that is fresh should be firm to the touch. When it starts to go bad, celery will become soft, bendable, and slimy.

Limp celery alone is not necessarily bad. If the celery has gone soft, but everything else looks okay, it’s likely still good. Cold temperatures can make celery go soft, so storing it in the refrigerator is likely to cause this.

Can You Eat Celery That Is Out Of Date?

Most fresh produce doesn’t come with a “best by”, “sell by”, or “use by” date. But, most produce that you bring home from the store will be relatively fresh.

If you buy fresh, whole celery, it will usually last for about 3-4 weeks. Pre-treated and pre-cut celery packages may only last for about 2-3 days. Cooked celery will usually last for about 1 week.

How To Make Celery Last Longer

To keep your celery fresh longer, you’ll want to store it properly. You should wrap fresh celery in a damp paper towel. Then, you should wrap it in aluminum foil and place it in the vegetable bin in the fridge. If you don’t have aluminum foil available, place your celery in a plastic ziplock bag instead.

You can also blanch and freeze your celery which will make it last for about 6-8 months.

What Happens If You Eat Spoiled Celery?

Like any food, eating spoiled vegetables can cause food poisoning. Symptoms may include abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, fever, and loss of appetite.

Sometimes, people may experience food poisoning just 30 minutes after eating bad celery. Others may not experience symptoms for up to 3 weeks after. Most people will begin to notice symptoms 1-3 days after eating the spoiled celery.

How long it takes depends on the type of bacteria infecting the celery and how much you’ve eaten.

Bacteria that may infect spoiled celery include E. Coli, salmonella, staphylococcus, clostridium, and listeria.

Conclusion

Eating spoiled celery is bound to make you sick, but it’s easily avoidable. Fresh celery should be green and firm. Spoiled celery may have discoloration, smell rotten, and will become soft. To avoid getting sick, store your celery properly and inspect it before eating.