How Long Does Celery Last?
A whole bunch of celery lasts 1–2 weeks in the fridge. Cut celery sticks last about 1 week, cooked celery keeps 3–4 days, and blanched celery can be frozen for 8–12 months for cooking.
Celery — whole
shelf life- Cut: 1 week in the fridge
- Cooked: 3–4 days in the fridge
Fridge at 40°F (4°C) or below · freezer at 0°F (−18°C). Freezer times are for best quality; frozen food stays safe longer.
Celery is a bunch of crisp, water-filled stalks joined at the base. It stays safe to eat for a long time but loses its crunch easily, because the stalks give up water through their surface. The plastic sleeve it is sold in makes this worse by trapping the ethylene gas celery produces.
How to store celery
- Take celery out of its plastic sleeve and wrap the whole bunch snugly in aluminum foil. Foil holds moisture in but lets ethylene gas escape, which keeps the stalks crisp far longer.
- Keep the bunch intact and break off stalks as needed. Separated and cut stalks lose water much faster.
- Store cut sticks fully submerged in a container of cold water in the fridge, and change the water every day or two.
- Keep celery away from the back wall and the freezer vent. It freezes easily, and frozen-then-thawed celery turns limp and translucent.
- Freeze chopped celery for soups, stews and stuffing only; it will never be crisp again after thawing.
How to tell if celery has gone bad
- Stalks that are slimy, or mushy and brown at the base of the bunch.
- Dark, water-soaked or rotting patches, often in the tender inner heart and leaves first.
- A sour or rotten smell.
- Pale, hollow, very bendy stalks. This is advanced dehydration; the celery is safe if there is no slime or mold, but the quality is poor.
Bacteria that cause food poisoning usually do not change the look, smell or taste of food. Go by the time limits first, and the signs above second.
Celery shelf life chart
| State | Fridge | Freezer | Pantry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whole | 1–2 weeks | 8–12 months | Not recommended |
| Wrapped in foil, a bunch often stays crisp for 3–4 weeks. Blanch 3 minutes before freezing. | |||
| Cut | 1 week | 8–12 months | Not safe |
| Sticks stored in a sealed container or submerged in water. | |||
| Cooked | 3–4 days | 2–3 months | Not safe |
Not safe = perishable: no more than 2 hours at room temperature (1 hour above 90°F / 32°C). Not recommended = possible, but quality suffers or it serves no purpose.
Frequently asked questions
Can you eat celery that has gone limp?
Yes, limp celery is safe to eat if it is not slimy, moldy or bad-smelling. It has only lost water. Trim the ends and stand the stalks in ice water for 30 minutes to a few hours, and they will usually crisp up again. Otherwise, use it in soup or stock.
Why does wrapping celery in foil work?
Foil works because it is not airtight. Celery gives off ethylene gas, which speeds its own aging. A plastic bag traps that gas along with excess moisture, while loosely crimped foil lets the gas out and still prevents the stalks from drying. It can double the crisp life of a bunch.
How long do celery sticks last in water?
Celery sticks stored under water in the fridge stay crisp for about 1 week, as long as you change the water every day or two. Cloudy water or a slippery feel on the sticks means bacteria are growing, and they should be discarded.
Can you freeze celery?
Yes, but only for cooked dishes. Chop it, blanch for 3 minutes, cool in ice water, drain and freeze, and it keeps its flavor for 8–12 months. Celery frozen raw without blanching is best used within a couple of months. Either way it thaws soft.
Related foods
| Food | Fridge | Freezer | Pantry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carrots Whole |
3–4 weeks | 8–12 months | Not recommended |
| Onions Whole |
Not recommended | Not recommended | 1–2 months |
| Lettuce Whole, iceberg or romaine |
1–2 weeks | Not recommended | Not recommended |
| Leeks Whole |
1–2 weeks | 3–6 months | Not recommended |
| Peanut Butter Opened |
6–9 months | 6 months | 2–3 months |
| Soup Homemade |
3–4 days | 2–3 months | Not safe |
More stalks & shoots: Artichokes, Asparagus, Bean Sprouts.
Reviewed 2026-09-20. Times follow published USDA FoodKeeper / FSIS, FDA and CDC storage guidance; where sources differ we use the shorter time. How we compile this data.