Celery is a common vegetable that can be found in most kitchens. It is used as a salad ingredient and also as a side dish. Celery tastes great when eaten raw, but it can also be cooked with other foods.
If you have ever eaten celery raw, you know that it has a bitter taste.
Why Does Celery Taste Bitter?
The main reason for the bitter taste is that the celery is not fresh. If you buy your celery from the grocery store and it doesn’t have any odor, then there’s a good chance it was stored improperly before making its way onto your table.
The most common storage mistake is storing in a place with too much moisture or too little moisture. Celery can easily pick up smells or flavors from other foods, so if you’ve ever noticed odd flavors in your foods after opening those plastic containers of leftovers, they might have been caused by stale celery stashed somewhere in the same cabinet!
Also, make sure to keep celery away from harsh light sources and direct sunlight as this can accelerate the aging of the vegetable and cause changes in flavor over time.
Reasons Why Celery Tastes Bitter
If you’re experiencing a bitter taste, there are a few reasons why.
- Lack of Water: Celery is known to be somewhat dry, so if your celery has been stored in a humid place or isn’t properly hydrated, it could develop bitterness. To keep the water content of celery high, make sure it’s stored in the refrigerator and you wash it before eating.
- Lack of Nutrients: If there aren’t enough nutrients in your soil and water source, the plant will be unable to produce enough food that feeds itself—which means less energy for its leaves and more space between each leaf. This causes them to grow closer together over time—and when they do grow together tightly like this (as opposed to spaced out), they can create bitterness as well!
- Too Much Heat: When exposed to too much heat during growth (ie: sunlight), celery tends not only to develop bitterness but also go through some other changes such as losing coloration altogether at certain points during the growth cycle (ie: yellowing).
- Picked Too Early: Another reason for celery being bitter is that it may have been picked too early by farmers. While this does happen, it is not common and most celery you buy at the grocery store is picked at the perfect time to ensure that it will taste great!
What To Do With Bitter Celery
There are a few ways to make celery taste better. If you’re only using the petals and leaves, then you can include them in salads or simply eat them as a snack. You can also add them to soups, stews, and casseroles for added flavor.
If you like the crunchy texture of celery but don’t like the taste, try chopping it up into small pieces (as small as possible) and adding it to your cooking when it’s still raw so that it has time to cook down with other ingredients.
With bitter celery, you can make juice from them as well. Celery juice can be used in smoothies and other drinks. Since the juice doesn’t last long once it’s made, you can freeze celery juice. Freeze them in an airtight container or ice cubes.
Conclusion
If you don’t know what to make with your celery, it’s time to experiment! The best way to get rid of that bitter taste is by eating celery raw, which means that you can use it in salads or as a garnish. If you want to cook with it, then make sure not to add too much water while boiling or braising. Also, remember that every recipe will taste different depending on how long you cook things so keep playing around until something works!

Kate has been in the food business for over 20 years. Worked as a cook at several buffets which include Old Country Buffet, Five Star Buffet, and Ichiban Buffet. Now, I’m mostly at home cooking for my family, caring for chickens and ducks, and tending the garden.