Store This Vegetable With Loaves Of Bread To Keep Them From Going Stale

Bread is always the first ingredient sacrificed when something else needs to stay soft. It hardens so cookies can retain their chewiness, takes on a stale feel to keep cakes moist and dense, and allows brownies to remain fudgy. When it comes time to keep bread from going stale, though, celery is the one for the job. Similarly to how bread's moisture content helps to keep baked goods soft, celery is perfect for preventing loaves from going stale. The vegetable is made up of 95% water, so it has plenty of moisture to give to maintain your bread's pillowy texture. 

Although it is not the best storage method for keeping celery fresh, placing one or two stalks in the plastic bag will keep a loaf soft. When storing bread with celery, place the bag in the fridge to keep the moist environment cool to help slow down the spread of mold. Plastic can cause celery to ripen and spoil faster, so do not let the two sit too long together. If you are morally opposed to refrigerating bread, keep the loaf and celery in a reusable bread bag or cheesecloth. Both materials are slightly porous and breathable, so the celery's moisture content will soften bread without increasing the risk of mold growth.

With all the moisture from the celery going into keeping your loaf of bread soft, it's not unusual to end up with stalks that are drying up. As long as the celery has not gone bad, you can still repurpose it into something new. If the stalk is only slightly limp, you can try giving it an ice bath to help return it to its crisp, natural state. You can also cut the bottom of the stalk off and let it sit in water for a few hours, in hopes that the liquid will revive it.

For celery that simply will not rehydrate, try drying it out instead. Once the stalks are fully dried out from the oven or air fryer, pulse them to make celery salt, homemade Old Bay seasoning, or an earthy boost for pastas, marinades, and more. Even if you leave the stalks as they are, they still work in a variety of dishes. Slightly wilted celery can easily be added to soups, stews, and any other recipe where they are not required to be totally crisp. Letting them simmer in a pot of beef stew or chili, or sauteing them along with the rest of your mirepoix, still adds flavor to a dish.