Celery

Celery has been generally recognized since ancient times, first as a medicinal raw material, and a little later it began to be valued as a nutritious vegetable crop. It is a herbaceous plant of the Apiaceae family.

There are about twenty varieties of this plant, and they all have some external similarities, but their growing season is different. Biennial grass can reach a meter height. In the first year, it forms only leaves and roots, and in the second it blooms and produces seeds.

• The stems are straight, furrowed with a thickening at the root. There are several pinnately dissected leaves on the tops.
• Tiny flowers are greenish-white in color, collected in complex umbrellas.
• The root of all varieties is taproot, in some with a resulting thickening - a root crop.

In Russia, there are three types of celery, which are more popular.

Namely:

It is grown from seedlings, due to the long growing season (150-180 days). This species is cultivated for the sake of large, spherical root crops, the weight of some varieties can reach up to a kilogram. The leaves are used in home cooking, but they can be collected only after the root crop has ripened, which means in the fall.

This plant is of medium height, up to half a meter.The stems, because of which it is grown, are green, white and even pink, it all depends on the variety. Mature petioles are very fleshy and quite thick, up to 5 centimeters. They go well with various vegetables, or as an independent dish, stewed or fried. The root does not develop.

This fragrant herb belongs to the early ripe species. The leaves are harvested throughout the summer-autumn period. The root crop is not formed.

Celery is a very common vegetable crop, cultivated on almost all continents. In the wild, it is most often found in America, on wet marshy soils. The plant is native to the Mediterranean.

The Italians are convinced that this vegetable culture increases the energy of the body, so they use it often and in any form.

Roots collected from October to November. They can be prepared for future use in three ways. They are not stored fresh for a long time, so it is best to cut the vegetable into strips and freeze. Also, the crushed roots are dried in the sun and stored in a dry sealed container. Many pickle celery for the winter. To do this, the root is chopped into small cubes, scalded in boiling water for 3 minutes and already folded into jars, poured with marinade (per liter of water, 1 glass of vinegar, sweet peas and cloves).

leaf celery harvested when the plant reaches a height of 25 centimeters. Dry the leaves in the shade, or in the oven at 40 degrees. They are also frozen and pickled. And you can make such a blank: 1 kg of fresh, clean, dry, chopped greens, mixed with 250 gr. salt, rolled into jars and stored in a dark, cool place.

from stems prepare organic salt. To do this, they must be washed, finely chopped and put to dry in the oven. The temperature should not exceed forty degrees, otherwise there will be no benefit. When the dried stems begin to break well, grind them into powder and store in an airtight container.

Used in cooking and celery seeds. As a seasoning, they are suitable, both fresh and dried.

• Two tablespoons of this vegetable provide the body with a daily intake of vitamins.
• It tastes similar to parsley, but more fragrant and spicy.
• The plant is moisture-loving and cold-resistant.

In 100 grams of products:

This vegetable crop is one of the most biologically valuable products.

Whole plant contains:

• Vitamins: B6, B1, C, K, B2, E, B9, PP, provitamin A.
• Trace elements: sodium, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, pectins, glycosides.
• And also: oxalic acid, furocoumarins, essential oil.

In root crops, the content of starch, mucus, acetic and butyric acid is isolated.

The aerial part is rich in amino acids.

• Tonic
• antiseptic
• Antiallergic
• Anti-inflammatory
• mild laxative
• Wound healing
• Enhance physical and mental performance

An experiment was conducted on the effect of celery on potency in the program "About the most important thing." Take a look, at the same time you will learn about the beneficial properties of celery.

Celery has a long list of contraindications:

• pregnancy and lactation;
• varicose veins, thrombophlebitis;
• high blood pressure;
• skin diseases and allergies;
• pancreatitis, cholecystitis;
• urolithiasis disease;
• uterine bleeding and heavy menstruation;
• elderly and debilitated with exacerbation of chronic diseases.

The strong spicy aroma of the vegetable in question is due to the content of essential oil in it. It is obtained from seeds that are steam distilled.

• It is widely used in massage practices, for rheumatism, gout, arthritis and even urinary retention.
• It is used as a sedative that improves the emotional state of a person.
• It has a strong antimicrobial effect.
• Perfectly fights skin problems: age spots, redness, puffiness.
• Increases sexual activity (aphrodisiac).
• Reduces blood pressure.
• Helps with flatulence.
• Tones.

Contraindicated for pregnant women!

In addition to the plant itself, celery juice is actively used for medicinal purposes. This incredibly useful product improves digestion, cleanses the intestines, reduces cravings for sweet and fatty foods, relieves puffiness, normalizes the temperature balance of the body and tones the entire body. It also helps with beriberi (adults are recommended to drink 1 tbsp, and children 1 tsp three times a day before meals). And it is especially popular for fighting extra pounds.

Celery juice helps with osteochondrosis, ophthalmic diseases, kidney disease, diabetes, salt deposition.

A drink of honey and celery juice (1:1) is used in the complex therapy of prostate adenoma (2 tablespoons, 3 times a day before meals).

If you cook carrot-celery juice, you get an excellent remedy for the treatment of nervous disorders.

• The vegetable is consumed raw, boiled, dried.
• Used as a seasoning to enhance the flavors of various dishes.
• The root crop is good in salads, it can be fried, boiled or baked.
• Stewed stalks are suitable as a side dish.
• Seeds not only season dishes, but also flavor sausages.
• Meat, poultry, fish, vegetables - almost everything goes well with this wonderful plant.
• In addition to salads, sauces, soups and other dishes, celery leaves are used in canning and as a decoration.

A few recipes with this wonderful product for your attention.

Boil one chicken breast and cut into pieces. Add chopped celery stalks (4 pcs.), One large apple without skin and half a head of red onion to it. Season with mayonnaise and mix thoroughly.

It will take half a kilogram of pork. Cut the meat into pieces and fry in a pan until browned. Switching to medium heat, add vegetable oil and chopped vegetables to the dishes (onions - 1 pc., Celery - 3 pcs.). Simmer it all under the lid for 20 minutes. Now pour half a glass of dry white wine and sprinkle with dried parsley, garlic and salt to taste. We leave for another twenty minutes. Serve with any cereal.

First, let's prepare the stuffing for the roll. Cut a stalk of celery and one leek and sauté in butter. Add crumbs of a small piece of white bread, parsley, salt and pepper to taste.

Veal fillet will need one kilogram, 1.5-2 cm thick. We put the finished filling on it, roll it up and put it in a baking bag. To prevent the meat from falling apart, you can tie it with twine. We place the bag in an oven preheated to 180 degrees. The roll will be ready in an hour and a half.

From vegetables you will need potatoes, onions, carrots, celery roots and parsley, all in equal proportions. Cut into medium pieces and put in a multicooker bowl, adding vegetable oil. In the "Frying" mode, we withstand 15 minutes. Then add finely chopped chicken, salt, garlic, herbs, seasonings to taste and pour water. We cook in the "Extinguishing" mode for one hour. After, we grind everything with a blender into a puree.

You can learn more about the benefits of celery from the TV show Living Healthy.

Along with nutritional value, celery also has healing properties, which have already been discussed in this article, but there are others worth noting.

• Good for cardiovascular diseases.
• Prevents infectious processes.
• It is an excellent immune booster.
• Balances the emotional state.
• Does not allow the onset of putrefactive processes in the intestines.
• Relieves stomach pain.
• Good for eyesight.

Before self-medicating, you still need to consult a doctor and be sure to follow the dosage.

A mixture is made of honey and celery root juice (1: 1). Take a week of 50 grams three times a day.

It is necessary to include this vegetable crop in your daily diet, or drink the juice of its root 150 ml per day, divided into three doses during the day.

The infusion is prepared from 1 liter of boiling water and 5 gr. grated root crop. Stand for 8 hours, strain and drink a tablespoon three times a day.

Celery is exceptionally good for women's health.Menopause, painful menstruation, hormonal failure, weakness and bad mood will be less noticeable, and over time they may completely disappear if this irreplaceable plant is used correctly.

Also, if you carry out preventive measures using the same seeds, the menopause period can be completely invisible. Women can start such courses (lasting 27 days, 2 times a year) after 35 years. For this, 0.5 tsp. raw materials are poured into a glass of hot boiled water. (Do not boil!) And set aside the product for 9 hours. Drink a tablespoon 4 times a day.

I would also like to note that those who consume celery (in any form) have not only a healthy appearance, but also excellent health.

Often, men suffering from impotence resort to drug treatment, not knowing that there is such a natural remedy as celery. Doctors have long noted its beneficial properties in this regard, because it improves the blood supply to the genitals. The plant is compared with Viagra, since they are almost the same in terms of effectiveness.

The vegetable contains a large amount of a hormone that perfectly eliminates sexual impotence.

In addition, celery, as a diuretic, treats urinary tract infections.

In addition to all of the above, this, one might say, universal vegetable, is also used in face and body skin care. Its juice helps in the fight against acne, pustular formations, and is also able to preserve and prolong youth.It can be used both in its pure form and in masks that have a calming effect and enhance cell regeneration.

With the help of a gauze compress dipped in celery juice, the face will be refreshed and the skin will tighten. 15 minutes of such a procedure is enough, after which you need to wash.

2 tablespoons chopped aerial part of celery mixed with half a glass of milk. The mixture is brought to a boil, filtered and warm applied to the face. After 15 minutes, rinse with warm, then cold water.

The crushed leaves and stems of the vegetable are placed in a thermos and poured with boiling water for 3 hours. Strained tonic wipe the face, or freeze as a cosmetic ice.

• used in the canning industry;
• used in perfumery and pharmaceuticals.

The most popular varieties of celery include:

Early maturing root variety. Vegetation period up to 150 days. Quite fruitful, medium-sized fruits with white pulp, weighing up to 200 grams. Lateral roots are not bushy. The leaves are strongly aromatic.

High-yielding petiole variety. Until the beginning of ripeness 160 days. Height up to half a meter. It has a pronounced taste and smell, retains its presentation for a long time.

Leafy, mid-season variety of high quality. Ripening period up to 80 days. It grows up to 65 cm. It is distinguished by curly, very fragrant leaves, corrugated along the edges. Resistant to low temperatures and drought.

All types of this vegetable crop are moisture-loving and cold-resistant. Most often, this vegetable is grown by seedlings, due to the long growing season. Seeds are mainly cultivated leaf celery.

See below for details.

Sowing celery for seedlings is done at the end of February. The soil at the same time should not be too acidic, it must be fertilized with organic and mineral substances.

After the appearance of the first true celery leaves, the temperature can be lowered to 16 degrees (adult vegetables, without damage, tolerate t to -5 ° C). At the same time, picking of plants is carried out. The first top dressing is done after 15 days, as soon as the transplanted seedlings begin to grow.

Young seedlings are transferred to a permanent place in the second decade of May. Each root is planted at a distance of 25 centimeters from each other, but the growing point is not covered with earth. Then water under the root and sprinkle lightly.

When all the manipulations with young plants have been made, for good growth it remains only to weed, loosen and water them abundantly. This applies to celery root. With the petiole, they carry out such a procedure as bleaching - wrapping the petioles with paper to the leaves. Due to this, the stems become more juicy and do not have bitterness.

Harvest begins to be collected from September to November. Leaves, stems are cut almost flush with the root. Thin roots are removed from root crops, leaving small shoots.

You can watch the following video about the beneficial properties of celery.

• Since ancient times, the plant has been hung in homes as an amulet for good luck. It was believed that it had miraculous powers and was used to treat cancer patients. Also used as an aphrodisiac and given to young spouses before their wedding night.
• In the United States, one of the cities in the state of Colorado was awarded the title of "Celery Capital of the World" for the large-scale cultivation of this vegetable crop.
• In ancient Greece, wreaths were woven and awarded to winners in competitions dedicated to the god Zeus.