Storing This Food
Do remove green tops from celeriac before storing the root.
Do refrigerate celeriac in plastic bags or in the vegetable crisper; it will keep fresh for about
a week.
Preparing This Food
Scrub celeriac under cold running water. Cut off leaves, and extra root buds. Peel the root,
slice it and either use it raw in salads or boil it to serve as a vegetable side dish.
When you cut into the celeriac, you tear its cell walls, releasing polyphenoloxidase,
an enzyme that will turn the vegetable brown. You can slow the reaction (but not stop it
completely) by dipping peeled, sliced raw celeriac in an acid such as lemon juice or a solution
of vinegar and water.
What Happens When You Cook This Food
When celeriac is heated, the soluble fibers in its cell walls dissolves; the cooked vegetable
is softer.
How Other Kinds of Processing Affect This Food
Medical Uses and/or Benefits
Lower risk of stroke. Potassium lowers blood pressure. According to new data from the
Harvard University Health Professionals Study, a long-running survey of male doctors, a diet
rich in high-potassium foods such as bananas may also reduce the risk of stroke. The men
who ate the most potassium-rich foods (an average nine servings a day) had 38 percent fewer
strokes than men who ate the least (less than four servings a day).
Adverse Effects Associated with This Food
Celeriac