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Celery is
believed to have been first cultivated in Italy prior to 600
AD. It was used as a medicinal plant only. The first
recorded use of celery as a food was in France in 1632. In
the late 17th century, celery was first eaten as a salad
herb with an oil dressing.
The very
strong flavor of the wild plant was tamed by blanching and
it became suitable as a table food. Blanching is a method of
covering the growing stalk with dirt as it grows to prevent
the sunlight from turning the stalks green. Several self
blanching varieties have been introduced, but they have not
proven to be satisfactory.
Celery seed
was first brought to North American from Scotland where it
was used to start the first commercial production near
Kalamazoo Michigan. The five most significant nutrients in
celery, in order, are Vitamin C, potassium, folate, dietary
fiber and manganese; with vitamin B6, calcium, vitamin B1,
magnesium, vitamin A, tryptophan, phosphorus, riboflavin and
iron. Cultivated celery grows 12 to 16 inches high. The
world's tallest celery plant was 9 feet tall. It was grown
by Joan Priednieks of Weston Zoyland, Somerset England in
1997 There are many ways to prepare celery for the table.
Celery is a
popular ingredient for poultry stuffing, being lightly
sautéed in oil or butter before mixing with the other
ingredients. A celery stalk can be 'stuffed' with a variety
of fillings. Celery can be included in stews, salads, and it
is an excellent addition to fresh vegetable juices. In order
to prevent the celery strings from clogging the juicer, the
celery may be cut into small pieces. Celery is...
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