How Long does Celery Keep in Refrigerator? Complete Answer

Celery is the quiet hero of the vegetable drawer — great in soups, salads, and snacks — but it has a habit of going limp before you finish the bunch. The good news: with the right storage, celery lasts much longer than most people think.

Here is exactly how long celery keeps, how to store it for maximum crunch, and how to tell when it is done.

How Long Does Celery Last in the Fridge?

• Whole celery bunch (as bought): 1–2 weeks
• Wrapped in aluminum foil: 3–4 weeks
• Cut celery sticks in water: 1–2 weeks (change the water every couple of days)
• Chopped celery (in a sealed container): about 1 week
• Celery left at room temperature: only a few hours before it wilts

The Aluminum Foil Trick

This is the single best celery storage hack. Plastic wrap traps ethylene gas — the natural gas vegetables release as they age — which speeds up wilting. Aluminum foil lets the gas escape while keeping moisture in.

How to do it: Trim the base of the bunch, wrap the stalks snugly in foil (not too tight — leave a little room), and place them in the crisper drawer. Celery stored this way often stays crisp for a full month.

How to Tell If Celery Has Gone Bad

Limp but not slimy — still usable

Slightly bendy celery is just dehydrated, not spoiled. It is perfectly fine for cooking (soups, stews, stir-fries) where texture does not matter.

Slimy texture — throw it out

A slimy film on the stalks means bacteria have taken over. Do not eat it.

Brown or black spots

A few small brown marks can be trimmed away. Widespread discoloration or black patches mean the whole bunch is done.

Foul or sour smell

Fresh celery smells clean and green. A sour or rotten odor is a clear sign to bin it.

Hollow stalks

Very old celery can turn hollow and stringy inside. It is not dangerous, but it tastes bitter and woody — compost it.

How to Revive Limp Celery

Do not throw out bendy celery just yet. Try this:

1. Trim about 1cm off the base of each stalk.
2. Stand the stalks upright in a tall glass or jug of ice water.
3. Refrigerate for 1–2 hours (or up to overnight).
4. The stalks will absorb water and crisp back up — often good as new.

This works because limp celery has simply lost water. The ice bath rehydrates the cells. It will not fix slimy or smelly celery, though — only limp-but-otherwise-fine stalks.

Can You Freeze Celery?

Yes, but frozen celery goes soft when thawed, so it is best for cooked dishes only — soups, stews, casseroles, and stocks.

How to freeze: Wash, chop, and blanch the pieces in boiling water for 3 minutes, then plunge into ice water. Drain well, spread on a tray to freeze individually, then transfer to a freezer bag. It keeps for 10–12 months in the freezer.

Common Storage Mistakes

• Leaving it in the plastic bag from the shop. That bag traps ethylene and moisture — the fastest route to slimy celery. Rewrap in foil instead.
• Storing it in the fridge door. The door is too warm and the temperature swings. Use the crisper drawer.
• Washing before storing. Extra moisture speeds up rot. Wash celery just before you use it.
• Storing near ethylene producers. Apples, bananas, and tomatoes release lots of ethylene gas. Keep celery away from them.

FAQs

Should celery be stored in water?

For cut sticks, yes — submerged in a sealed container of water in the fridge, changed every 2 days, they stay crisp for 1–2 weeks. For a whole bunch, foil wrapping works better and is less fuss.

Can you eat celery that has gone limp?

Yes, if it is only limp (not slimy or smelly). Use it in cooked dishes, or revive it in ice water first. For more on using up tired vegetables, see our guide on reducing food waste in the kitchen.

How long does celery last once cut?

Cut celery lasts about 1 week in a sealed container in the fridge, or 1–2 weeks submerged in water. Keep the pieces large — tiny dice dry out faster.

Is it safe to eat celery with brown spots?

Small brown spots are usually just oxidation or minor bruising — trim them off and the rest is fine. Large dark patches or a mushy texture mean it is spoiled.

Does celery need to be refrigerated?

Yes. At room temperature, celery wilts within hours and becomes a food-safety risk after 2 hours. Always refrigerate it. For general fridge storage rules, check our fridge organization guide.

Can you regrow celery from the base?

Yes! Place the cut base in a shallow dish of water on a sunny windowsill. It will sprout new leaves in a week or two. It will not grow a full new bunch, but you get free celery leaves for garnish.

The Bottom Line

Celery keeps 1–2 weeks in the fridge as bought, and up to a month wrapped in foil. Store it in the crisper drawer, keep it away from ethylene-producing fruit, and revive limp stalks in ice water before giving up on them.

For more vegetable storage guides, see our articles on how long carrots last in the fridge, plus FoodSafety.gov and the Love Food Hate Waste campaign for tips on cutting food waste.