How to Store Celery in the Refrigerator So It Stays Crisp for Weeks

Wrap celery in foil or paper towels, then store it in the crisper drawer

Celery stays crisp for three to four weeks when you wrap it tightly in aluminum foil or damp paper towels and place it in your refrigerator's crisper drawer. The wrapping traps moisture without letting it pool, which is the key difference between celery that snaps when you bite it and celery that turns limp and hollow. Plastic bags trap too much moisture and cause rot; leaving celery unwrapped lets it dry out. Foil or paper towels hit the middle ground.

The reason this works comes down to how celery loses water. Celery is about 95 percent water, and it wilts when that water evaporates into the air around it. A sealed plastic bag creates a humid pocket, but the moisture that leaves the celery has nowhere to go—it pools on the leaves and stems, creating conditions where mold and bacteria thrive. Foil and damp paper towels allow slow, controlled moisture loss while keeping the celery from drying out completely. The crisper drawer maintains the right humidity level on its own, so your wrapping just needs to prevent direct air exposure.

Key Takeaways

• Wrap celery bunches in aluminum foil or damp paper towels before placing them in the crisper drawer to keep them crisp for three to four weeks.
• Do not store celery in plastic bags, which trap excess moisture and cause rot, or leave it unwrapped, which causes it to dry out and wilt.
• Keep celery away from ethylene-producing fruits like apples, bananas, and avocados, which speed up wilting and yellowing.
• Trim the leafy tops before storage if they are yellowing or damaged, as decay spreads quickly from leaves to stems.
• Revive slightly wilted celery by standing the bunch upright in a glass of cold water for a few hours before wrapping and returning it to the crisper.

Why the crisper drawer matters more than you think

Your refrigerator's crisper drawer maintains a humidity level between 80 and 95 percent, which is exactly what celery needs to stay firm. The drawer also isolates celery from the coldest parts of the fridge—the back wall and the top shelf near the freezer—where temperatures can dip below 32°F and cause freezing damage. Celery freezes at around 31°F, and frozen celery becomes mushy when it thaws, even if it looked fine in the drawer.

If your crisper drawer has a humidity control slider, set it to the higher humidity setting (usually marked "vegetables" or with a closed icon). This setting closes vents slightly, trapping more moisture. If your drawer has no control, it is already set to a fixed humidity level that works for most vegetables. The drawer's location also matters: it sits in the warmest part of the fridge, which slows the water loss that causes wilting.

Separate celery from ethylene-producing fruits immediately

Ethylene is a gas that ripening fruits release, and it speeds up wilting, yellowing, and decay in leafy vegetables like celery. Apples, bananas, avocados, and stone fruits all produce ethylene in amounts that matter in a closed crisper drawer. If you store celery next to any of these fruits, the celery will yellow and soften in days instead of weeks, even if everything is wrapped correctly.

The solution is simple: store celery in one section of the crisper and ethylene-producing fruits in another, or keep them on different shelves entirely. If your crisper has a divider, use it. If not, place a piece of cardboard or a small container between them to create a barrier. This separation is especially important if you buy celery and apples on the same shopping trip—the apples are already releasing ethylene, and proximity will shorten celery's life dramatically.

Trim damaged leaves and store the bunch upright when possible

Before wrapping, remove any yellowing, bruised, or slimy outer leaves and trim the leafy tops if they look wilted or brown. Decay spreads fast in leafy greens—one bad leaf can rot the whole bunch in a few days. A quick trim takes 30 seconds and adds days to the celery's life. Keep the main stalks intact; you will cut individual ribs as you use them.

If your crisper drawer is tall enough, stand the celery bunch upright in the drawer with the cut end down, then wrap it. This position mimics how celery grows and keeps pressure off the stalks, which can bruise if the bunch is laid flat under other vegetables. If the drawer is shallow, laying it flat is fine—just make sure nothing heavy sits on top of it.

Revive wilted celery before it is too late

If celery starts to wilt before you use it, you can often restore it. Cut about half an inch off the bottom of the bunch and stand it upright in a glass of cold water for two to four hours. The cut exposes fresh plant tissue that can absorb water quickly, and the cold water firms up the stalks. After the soak, wrap the bunch in foil or paper towels and return it to the crisper. This method works best if the celery is still mostly firm—if it is already limp and hollow, revival will not bring back the crisp texture.

This trick works because celery is a living plant even after it is cut. The cells in the stalks are still trying to transport water, and a fresh cut removes the dried-out surface layer that blocks water uptake. Cold water also slows down the enzymes that cause wilting, giving the plant time to rehydrate. You can repeat this process once or twice during storage if needed.

Store cut celery in water, but use it within a few days

If you have already cut celery into ribs or pieces, store them in an airtight container filled with cold water. Change the water every two days to prevent bacterial growth and keep the celery from absorbing off-flavors. Cut celery lasts about five to seven days this way, which is much shorter than whole bunches because the cut surfaces expose more plant tissue to water loss and microbial attack.

The water storage method is useful if you cut celery for snacking or meal prep and want it ready to grab. Just drain the pieces before eating, and do not store them in water for more than a week. If you notice the water turning cloudy or the celery developing a slimy feel, discard it—both signs mean bacteria are multiplying.

Signs that celery has gone bad and should be thrown out

Discard celery if it has a slimy coating on the stalks, a sour or fermented smell, or soft spots that feel mushy when you squeeze them. Yellowing leaves alone do not mean the celery is bad—you can trim them off—but if the yellowing spreads to the stalks or the leaves feel wet and limp, decay has moved into the plant tissue and the whole bunch should go. Mold, which appears as fuzzy growth or dark spots, means the celery is no longer safe to eat.

Hollow stalks are a sign of age or poor storage, not spoilage. The celery is still safe to eat, but the texture will be disappointing. If you notice hollowness early, use those ribs in soups or stocks where texture matters less, and save the firmer outer ribs for raw eating.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I freeze celery to make it last longer?

Yes, but frozen celery becomes soft and is best used in soups, stews, and stocks rather than eaten raw. Blanch the celery for three minutes, cool it in ice water, drain it, and freeze it in freezer bags for up to eight months. The freezing process breaks down the cell walls that give celery its crunch.

Why does my celery turn yellow even when I store it correctly?

Yellowing usually means ethylene exposure from nearby fruits, or the celery was already aging when you bought it. Check that apples, bananas, or avocados are not stored in the same drawer. If the crisper is set to low humidity, raise it. Some yellowing is normal as celery ages, but rapid yellowing points to ethylene or high temperature.

Is it okay to store celery on a shelf instead of the crisper drawer?

The crisper drawer is better because it maintains higher humidity and warmer temperatures than the main shelves. If you must use a shelf, wrap the celery tightly in foil and place it as far from the back wall as possible to avoid freezing. Expect the celery to last one to two weeks instead of three to four.

What should I do if celery starts to smell sour?

A sour smell means fermentation has started, which happens when bacteria break down the celery's sugars in low-oxygen conditions. Throw it out—the smell indicates the celery is no longer safe to eat, even if it looks firm.

Can I store celery with other vegetables in the crisper?

Yes, as long as you keep it away from ethylene producers like apples and bananas. Leafy greens, carrots, broccoli, and other non-ethylene vegetables are fine neighbors. Just make sure nothing heavy sits on top of the celery, which bruises easily.