Have you ever sliced into a stalk of celery and then paused because you’ve noticed that it is white on the inside of the vegetable? This is often accompanied by a spongy texture and a strange, hollow appearance.
Celery that is white inside is not generally dangerous, although it may not be as pleasant to eat as fully green celery. This white area is called “pith,” and it tends to occur when the cells inside don’t get exposed to enough light, and therefore don’t produce much chlorophyll.
Understanding why celery might be white inside will help guide you on when it’s safe to eat, how to use it, and what to expect, so that’s what we’re going to look at in this article today. It should give you a better understanding of why this vegetable sometimes has white at its core!
Why Is Celery White In The Center?
Often, when you snap open the central stalks of a celery stem, you discover white, slightly spongy tissues that look quite different from the rest of the green celery stalk. A lot of people worry about the appearance of this tissue because it looks like the celery might have started to decay – but fortunately, that isn’t the case.
Most of the time, this tissue is caused because minimal light penetrates the center of the celery stalk. This means that the plant doesn’t develop chlorophyll in these tissues, making them white. Instead of its normal tissues, it develops a spongy substance. This pith often contains fewer nutrients and is not as pleasant to eat. The white area may also be caused by things like:
- Damage to the plant
- Poor growing conditions
- Lack of nutrients while getting established
- Insect attacks
All of these will cause the plant to withdraw its nutrients from those cells, which are less important, and put them into the outer cells instead so that it can photosynthesize effectively. None of them mean that the celery is unsafe to eat, but they may mean that it is less nutritious and potentially less tasty than celery without this white tissue.
In extreme cases, the white tissue may be partially hollow, and this is usually a sign that the plant was several deprived of nutrients at some stage during its growth. Hollow celery tends not to be as enjoyable, and may not last as well as normal celery. If you see this and you have grown your own celery, you may need to provide more food for next year’s crop.
How Long Does Celery Last?
In general, fresh celery should last for up to 4 weeks if it is kept in the fridge. It’s a hardy vegetable that keeps well and will not lose much in terms of its taste or texture during this time. However, like all vegetables, it won’t keep forever, and you will probably find that the stalks become bendy and soft after a few weeks.
You can sometimes make celery crispy again by placing the stems in ice water. The stems will absorb the water and will become plump and crunchy once more. However, this trick will not get rid of white or hollow centers; there is no solution for these.
What Should I Do With Celery That Is White Inside?
Some people do not like the texture of celery that is white in the center of the stems, and if you’re struggling to use it in salads, consider cooking with it instead. When it’s raw, the spongy texture will be considerably more noticeable, but if you chop and cook the celery, you will probably find that you can’t tell the difference.
Even celery that is past its best will generally disappear into soups and stews, so this can be a great way to get rid of celery that doesn’t have a great texture without wasting it.
What If I Can See Mold Spots?
If you aren’t seeing white tissue, but instead dots of fluffy white mold, you should compost the celery. Do not eat it raw and do not cook with it. The mold spores are likely to make you sick if you eat them, and they are a clear indication that the celery has spoiled and is no longer any good to consume.
You can usually tell the difference between mold spots and white tissue at a glance, but if you aren’t sure, try wiping the spots away. Mold spots will wipe off, while white tissue will stay in place.
Conclusion
It is fairly common to see white tissue inside a celery stalk, although not every stalk will have white tissue. This is usually a minor quality issue, indicating that the celery grew in non-ideal conditions. White tissue will not hurt you and should be fine to consume, either raw or cooked. If in doubt, check whether the celery smells and tastes fresh before eating it in large quantities.
