This quick pickled celery recipe is ready to enjoy in 24 hours! The pickles are crunchy and sour, and have a wonderful zesty flavor! Enjoy them as a snack, or try them on the side with juicy smoked burgers, Chicago style hot dogs, chicken wings, or your favorite meal!
If you’ve ever wondered, “Can you pickle celery?” the answer is an enthusiastic YES! Celery is an excellent choice for pickling. In my opinion, pickled celery tastes infinitely better than raw celery. This might be why my mom always included celery in her Assyrian pickle mix (torshi).
If you’re a pickle enthusiast like me, you’ve got to try this quick pickled celery recipe! With just a few simple ingredients, it’s the perfect way to make use of celery before it spoils.
Finishing a whole bunch of celery can be a challenge. I only buy it when a recipe calls for it, like my creamy turkey soup recipe.
Sure, you can use leftover celery to make ants on a log or toss it into a salad, but I’m just not a huge fan of its flavor. Instead of throwing it away or sharing it with the deer 😁, I prefer to pickle it. If you’re like me and struggle to use up celery before it spoils, give pickling a try!
😍 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- This quick pickled celery recipe is simple, easy, and delicious!
- Pickled celery can be canned to enjoy throughout the year.
- I love to gift some of my homemade pickles to family and friends, especially those who love pickles as much as I do!
🛒 What You Need For This Recipe
🔖 Ingredients & Substitutions
- Celery: Fresh celery stalks. The leaves don't need to be trimmed.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic, never bottled!
- Pickling salt: If you don't have pickling salt, you can substitute sea salt or kosher salt.
- Spices: I'm adding black peppercorn and coriander seeds, however, you can also add mustard seeds and red pepper flakes.
- Vinegar: Choose from distilled white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or a combination of the two.
- Herbs: Feel free to add your favorite fresh or dried herbs. Think oregano, bay leaves, etc.
- Optional Ingredients: A few slices of yellow onion and a serrano pepper (or jalapeno) are optional, but can give the pickled celery added flavor and spice.
🧄 How to Pickle Celery
Step 1: Wash celery stalks, then use a vegetable peeler to remove the stringy fibers. Slice celery into 4"- 5" lengths.
Step 2: Divide celery between two sterilized pint-sized mason jars. Slice peeled garlic cloves and serrano pepper in half, then divide between the jars. Top each jar with fresh dill.
Pro Tip: I only had 12 ounces of celery to pickle, but could have easily filled the jar with more celery. So if you have less than a pound of celery, don't let that stop you!
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Step 3: Prepare pickling liquid by adding vinegar, water, peppercorns, coriander seeds, pickling salt, and sugar into a saucepan. Add a slice of onion and heat the mixture over medium heat, whisking until the salt and sugar dissolve. Do not boil.
Step 4: Allow the pickling liquid to cool slightly then strain into the jars until the celery is totally submerged. Add lids, then hand-tighten collars. Wait at least one day before tasting the celery. The flavor will improve with more time. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
Pro Tip: Straining the onion slices first makes pouring the brine into the jars easier.
🤷🏻♀️ Recipe FAQs
Celery is excellent to pickle. Since celery has a neutral, mild flavor, It really soaks in the flavor of the pickling brine and becomes very flavorful!
Fermented celery has a tangy, slightly sour flavor with a hint of saltiness, depending on how it was prepared. The fermentation process enhances its natural bland flavor. The texture can become softer, especially if processed in a hot water canner.
Besides cucumber, many other vegetables can be pickled. This includes green beans, cauliflower, peppers, cabbage, asparagus, and green tomatoes.
🥗 How to Enjoy Pickled Celery
This quick pickled celery recipe can be enjoyed on its own or used in a variety of dishes including adding the chopped celery to dill potato salad, Keto deviled eggs, tuna, or this rotisserie chicken salad. You can also include them on a fall charcuterie board.
👩🏼🍳 Pro Tips
- Use crisp, fresh celery stalks for the best results.
- Wash celery thoroughly to remove any dirt or debris, especially towards the root, where dirt collects.
- When slicing the celery, aim for uniform sizes.
- When adding the pickling solution, don't forget to leave about ½ inch of headspace at the top of the jar.
- If the quick pickled celery floats, use pickling weights to keep them submerged in the liquid.
- Process the jars in a boiling water bath for about 10 minutes if you want shelf-stable pickled celery.
🌶 More Pickle Recipes
If you enjoy this quick pickled celery recipe, try these other pickled vegetables!
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📖 Recipe
Pickled Celery
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb celery stalks
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 serrano pepper (optional)
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill
Pickling Brine
- 1¼ cups vinegar
- 1¼ cups water
- ½ teaspoon peppercorn
- ½ teaspoon corriander seeds
- 1 tablespoon pickling salt
- 2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 slice yellow or white onion (optional)
Instructions
- Wash celery stalks, then use a vegetable peeler to remove the stringy fibers. Slice into 4" to 5" lengths.
- Divide celery between two sterilized pint-sized mason jars. Slice peeled garlic cloves and serrano pepper in half, then divide between the jars. Top each jar with fresh dill.
Prepare Pickling Solution
- Prepare pickling liquid by adding vinegar, water, peppercorns, coriander seeds, pickling salt, and sugar into a saucepan. Add a slice of onion and heat the mixture over medium heat, whisking until the salt and sugar dissolve. Do not boil.
- Allow the pickling liquid to cool slightly then strain into the jars until the celery is totally submerged. Add lids, then hand-tighten collars. Wait at least one day before tasting the celery. The flavor will improve with more time. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
Notes
- I only had 12 ounces of celery to pickle but could have easily filled the jar with more celery. So if you have less than a pound of celery, don't let that stop you!
- Straining the onion slices first makes pouring the brine into the jars easier.
- Use crisp, fresh celery stalks for the best results.
- Wash celery thoroughly to remove any dirt or debris, especially towards the root, where dirt collects.
- When slicing the celery, aim for uniform sizes.
- When adding the pickling solution, don't forget to leave about ½ inch of headspace at the top of the jar.
- If the pickled celery floats, use pickling weights to keep them submerged in the liquid.
- Process the jars in a boiling water bath for about 10 minutes if you want shelf-stable pickled celery.
- Keep in mind that if you water bath the canned pickled celery, the texture will get softer.
Kelly Methey says
You come up with the best recipes! I love all your pickled veggie recipes!
Hilda Sterner says
Thank you, Kelly! This is probably one of the easiest ones you'll find. Enjoy! 😘