Minnesota Cooking: An Easy Way to Dice Celery
Stalk
Celery is a plant, and usually when you purchase it, you are buying the entire plant. It is connected at the bottom, and there is a leafy top.
The leafy top is not edible, so you must discard the leaves. At least, that is what I have been told. They contain traces of oxalic acid and can be toxic to humans. Only use the stalk in your cooking.
So break off a stalk near where they are all connected. You will notice that the main part of your stalk is green and that the end is white in color. Trim off the end of the stalk as close to the green as possible.
You'll find step-by-step picture instructions below!
1) Rinse Stalk
Since this is the entire plant, you will need to rinse some dirt from the bottom of the stalk. This is done by running cool water over the stalk and maybe rubbing stubborn pieces until they fall off.
2) Start Dividing the Long Way
Take a sharp knife and begin by splitting the stalk down the middle. Start at one end and cut from one end to the other.
You will divide each piece the long way three or four times.
3) Cut in Half
Cut the now divided stalk in half. Slide the bunch of strips around themselves and line up the ends. Cut in half again. Slide the bunch around.
You will now have a lot of pieces stacked together.
4) Cut Across
Now, holding the stack and keeping your fingers out of the way, slice across the stack of split stalks, cutting a thin path across the end. This will result in many small bits of celery.
Continue across the bundle of stalks until you reach the other end. You may have to cut the individual pieces one by one at this time. Just be careful and do not cut yourself.
Safety first.
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Comments
AUTHORHello, Spanish Food. Thanks for your comment. I guess I have none of those medical problems that would be aggravated by consuming celery leaves, but, there probably are some individuals that would be better off just not eating it at all. If preventing cancer were only so simple. There will always be snake oil salesman to try to convince you of something great. Too late for a person if it isn't true. Once you have an active cancer, you probably would not be interested in eating any food since you'd probably be sick and not eating well anyways. I read that someone has decided that cancer is a fungus and that baking soda is the cure all. Anyways, my article is about dicing celery and I guess I should stay on topic. Have a great day. :) Char
Don't throw away your celery leaves! They have great flavor and are totally safe to eat, unless you have kidney problems, gout, or rheumatoid arthritis, in which case your doctor should warn you which foods to avoid. Spinach, kale, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts all have higher levels of oxalic acid; it is present in all foods that are high in antioxidants. Besides, your body actually needs oxalic acid for colon health. It may also aid in the prevention of cancer.
Helpful technique!
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