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Celeriac

life science Maturity 5-7 Next article →

Celeriac is a specialized group of plant cultivars. It belongs to the Apium graveolens Rapaceum Group. Some people call this vegetable celery root or knob celery. It is also known as turnip-rooted celery. However, it is not a close relative of the turnip. This plant is grown for two main parts. People eat the shoots and the edible hypocotyl. A hypocotyl is the swollen part of the stem. It looks like a large, round bulb.

Tselina
Tselina

Growing and harvesting celeriac involves specific steps. Farmers wait for the hypocotyl to reach a certain diameter. Once it is large enough, the plant is harvested. The inside of this bulb is white. The vegetable has several different uses in cooking. It is often a key ingredient in soups. You can also shred the white flesh for salads. The leaves serve as a seasoning for other foods. The small stalks are fibrous and have only marginal use.

Tselina
Tselina

Celeriac has a very long and interesting history. It is a descendant of wild celery, known as Apium graveolens. This wild plant originated in Europe and the Mediterranean Basin. We see evidence of it in very old literature. The Iliad and the Odyssey both mention it. In these poems, it was called selinon. Different scholars have translated this ancient name differently. Lattimore called it the parsley that grows in wet places. Murray called it parsley of the marsh. Butler translated it as wild celery.

Tselina
Tselina

This plant is grown in many different regions around the world. It is widely cultivated in the Mediterranean Basin. It is also very common in Northern Europe. Some people grow it in North Africa. It can be found in Siberia and Southwest Asia. It is also grown in North America. These different locations show how adaptable the plant can be.

Tselina
Tselina

Storing celeriac correctly is important for its shelf life. It can stay fresh for approximately six to eight months. This works if you store it between 0 and 4 degrees Celsius. You must ensure the vegetable does not dry out. There are ways the vegetable can spoil during storage. It may rot through the center if you are not careful. This happens if the finer stems surrounding the base are left attached.

Tselina
Tselina

As celeriac ages, its physical structure changes. The center of the vegetable tends to become hollow. This can happen even to freshly harvested celeriac. Some plants may have a small medial hollow right away. You can also tell how old a celeriac is by its taste. The flavor of celery becomes weaker as the plant gets older.

Tselina
Tselina

Celeriac belongs to the Apiaceae family. This is the same family that includes many other edible plants. It is categorized as both a vegetable and a root vegetable. Understanding its growth helps us appreciate how we use plants for food. From ancient medicinal crops to modern soups, it remains a useful plant. Its ability to be stored for months makes it a reliable food source.

Tselina
Tselina
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