Growing Celeriac & Celery WHERE TO FIND US At Snakeroot Organic Farm we offer Newport Farmers’ & Artisans’ Market Get the best celery and celeriac seedlings in six-paks Saturdays 9am–2pm. At the Paris Farmers Union during late May and early June for parking lot. gardeners who wish to grow their own. Set out plants after all danger of frost Orono Farmers’ Market Saturdays 8am–1pm. Tuesdays 2–5:30 pm. At the Celeriac has passed, and water well. You can’t UMO Steam Plant parking lot on College Ave. water either one too much, as they enjoy ample soil moisture. Plant them Pittsfield Farmers’ Market 18 inces apart in the wettest part of your Monday & Thursday, 2–6pm. At Hathorn Park across from Hartland Ave. (Rte 152). garden, or where they can be easily and frequently watered. Unity Farmers’ Market Saturday 9am–1pm. At the Community Center on Rt In early July, when the plants are about 139 (School St.). a foot tall, mulch heavily with grass clippings or hay. For Celeriac this will be Downtown Waterville Farmers’ Market the last mulching, since too much mulch Thursdays 2–6 pm. On the Concourse next to Main St. will cause small hairy rootlets to form at At the Farm & the top of the root. For Celery, however, Anytime we’re not at market, stop by from 8am til another mulching can be applied in dusk. From the Higgins Road, we are ½ mile down early August when the plants are the Snakeroot Road on the right. The farm isn’t visible from the road; look for our sign near the end around 20 inches tall. These mulches of our driveway (which is called Organic Farm help retain soil moisture and prevent Celery Road) heading into the woods. weeds from competing with the plants. We Grow… Harvesting celery begins whenever …a wide variety of vegetables and herbs, garden seeds, cutting a stalk or two from each plant seedlings and perennials. Our planting season begins in will hardley be noticed. Harvesting like February to bring fresh greenhouse veggies to market this continues until hard frost begin, at in May. We also offer specialty items such as dried whcih time you can cut the whole rest of vegetables & herbs, and blooming lupines in pots. the plant and refrigerate. Celeriac harvest begins early September when the whole plant is nakeroot from pulled. Pull only what you will use until Organic Farm the final complete harvest after the hard S frosts arrive. nakeroot 27 Organic Farm Road, Pittsfield ME 04967 Celery freezes quite easily. Wash ph 487-5056 well, slice or chop whole stock. [email protected] or [email protected] Organic Pack into quart freezer bags. www.snakeroot.net/farm Flatten bags to allow easy access Gardeners to the public since 1995. S Farm for use. Freeze. Celery Celeriac The hollow stalk of the upper plant is Celeriac’s flesh has almost no fibers Wild celery, sometimes called sometimes cut into drinking straw and is packed with celery flavor. smallage, can be found in damp and lengths, rinsed, and used in the serving Originating in the easten Mediterranean marshy areas from Sweden to Algeria of tomato-based drinks such as the region, Apium graveolens is a plant and also throughout Asia. Celery leaves Bloody Mary cocktail. The tomato juice species in the family Apiaceae and flowers were part of the garlands is lightly flavoured with celery as it commonly known as celery (var. dulce) found in the tomb of pharaoh passes through the stalk. or celeriac (var. rapaceum) depending Tutankhamun (died 1323 BC), although on whether the stalks or roots are eaten. since celery grows wild in these areas it Store celeriac as you would carrots. Celery and celriac are simply different is hard to decide whether these remains Celeriac normally keeps well and should varieties of the same vegetable. represent wild or cultivated forms. By last three to four months if stored classical times (about 500 BCE) is it between 0°C (32 degrees Fahrenheit) Celeriac (Apium graveolens rapaceum) certain that celery was cultivated. Once and 5°C (41 degrees Fahrenheit) and is also known as ‘celery root,’ ‘turnip- used primarily as an herb and flavoring not allowed to dry out. So keep it in a rooted celery’ or ‘knob celery’. It is a agent, long ago Italian farmers bred plastic bag in the coldest part of your kind of celery, grown as a root celery into the vegetable it is today. It is refrigerator or root cellar, but do not let it vegetable for its large and bulbous root available in both green stalk and red freeze. rather than for its stem and leaves. The stalk forms, the red having a slightly swollen root is typically used when it is stronger flavor. We begin harvesting celeriac in early about 10–12 cm in diameter; about the September, and continue to have it size of a large potato. Unlike other root The celery we are familiar with differs available at the farm well into the winter, vegetables, which store a large amount little from its wild form, our cultivated often offering it from storage at the first of starch, celery root is only about 5-6% varieties having stouter stalks. markets in April and May. starch by weight. Celeriac is not as widely used as some other root The stalks of celery are not the stems of The leaves of celeriac or celery may be vegetables, perhaps because it is the celery plant, but rather are the leaf dried quickly in a warm oven or harder to prepare and clean. petioles. microwave to make celery flakes. Celeriac may be used raw or cooked. It We begin harvesting celery stalks in has a tough, furrowed, outer surface German Celeriac Salad early August and we continue to have it which is usually sliced off before using Wash and scrub root. Boil till tender. available until about mid October. because it is too rough to peel. Celeriac Peel. Slice like you would for potato Although celery is damaged by a hard has a celery flavor, and is often used as salad. Combine and pour over celeriac: frost, we extend our harvest season by a flavoring in soups, stews or juiced; it some olive oil, vinegar, salt and sugar growing some in our greenhouses, thus can also be used on its own, usually (or honey) to taste. Allow celeriac to are able to offer celery considerably mashed, or used in casseroles, gratins marinate for at least one day. Enjoy! beyond when our field grown celery is and baked dishes. A favorite is to mash available. celeriac and potatoes together.