Celery

Commodity Overview

Celery’s versatility is its biggest selling point. It adds flavor and texture to raw and cooked dishes while keeping the calorie count low, so be sure to promote it for a variety of uses.

PLUs

4071 bunch, small, East
4582 bunch, large, East
4070 bunch, small, West
4583 bunch, large, West
4575 hearts
4576 sticks

Retail Price Data is based on USDA Specialty Crops Market News surveys. Data collection ends on the report date and encompasses ad pricing good from the Saturday before the report release date through the following Friday. Weekly data - from over 400 retailers, comprising more than 30,000 individual stores with online weekly advertised features - covers over 250 produce items. Registered (logged-in) users, can access weekly reports and additional market information.

USDA Specialty Crops Market News publishes FOB and Movement data on a daily and weekly basis. Pricing and volume information is aggregated by commodity and published weekly, subject to any source-data adjustments. Commodity data is further processed based on origin (domestic vs imports) and type (regular vs. organic). Registered (logged-in) users, can access weekly reports and additional market information.

Facts

Celery offers a variety of health benefits. It is a good source of vitamin C, which is a known immune-system booster and can help prevent cancer. Diets including celery have been shown to be helpful in lowering cholesterol and blood pressure. Celery extracts have been shown to reduce inflammation in the digestive system. Celery also contains beta-carotene, which has been shown to help with eye health.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the following nutrient content descriptors for celery: fat free, saturated fat free, low-sodium, cholesterol-free, low in calories and a good source of vitamin C.

Sales Strategies

Celery is an ingredient in many recipes so cross-promote it with other items, including stuffing, bagged salads, croutons, salad dressings, soup ingredients and juicing equipment and other juicing vegetables.
Celery is available in plentiful quantities year-round. Promote it throughout the year.
Fall: Include celery in fall soup displays as it is a staple in soups. Add celery to vegetable trays that you are promoting for football game day parties. Promote celery as a healthy addition to back-to-school lunch boxes. Offer single-serve packs for easy preparation.
Winter: Celery is a traditional addition to stuffing, so be sure to promote it with stuffing supplies around the winter holidays. Promote celery with other Asian vegetables around Chinese New Year as it adds flavor to stir-fries.
Spring: Include celery in spring promotions centered around salad vegetables.
Summer: Promote celery as a quick summertime snack for kids. Cross-promote it with cream cheese or peanut butter.
Offer samples of celery with dip or spread with cream cheese or peanut butter to encourage consumers to buy celery as a snack option.

Dynamic Displays

Display celery on refrigerated tables and in refrigerated cases to keep it looking fresh. Warm temperatures cause celery to wilt. Remove wilted or damaged product from the display as soon as possible.
Offer both stalks and celery hearts to appeal to consumers who prefer the sweeter flavor and shorter preparation time of the hearts.
Place celery vertically on the display to create an eye-catching design. Display celery next to carrots or tomatoes to create a complementary color scheme.
Offer fresh-cut celery sticks and single-serve packages with dip to appeal to those consumers who want a quick snack but not the work of creating it themselves.

Food Service

Include celery in soup as it adds flavor and texture.
Stir-fry dishes are the perfect place to add celery.
Offer celery in omelets and as an addition to scrambled eggs.
Place celery in salads and on salad bars.
Use celery curls as a plate garnish.
Celery sticks can be used as drink stirrers.
Add celery sticks to the children’s menu with dip as an alternative to french fries

In the Backroom

Shipping
50- to 60-lb. cartons, naked, 18, 24, 30, 36 or 48 count 50- to 60-lb. cartons, sleeved, 18, 24, 30, 36 or 48 count RPC 6416, 6419, 6420, 6423, 6425, 6426, 6428 Hearts 18 1-lb. bags 12 11/2-lb. bags Foodservice packs Whole product continues to be packed according to size, ranging from 18- to 48-count. Celery hearts come in 12-, 18- and 24-count. Diced or cut celery 4 5-lb. bags, 1/4 –inch, ½-inch or 4-inch sticks 2 5-lb. bags, 1/4 –inch, ½-inch or 4-inch sticks

Grades
U.S. extra No. 1 U.S. No. 1 U.S. No. 2 Not all celery is graded. Ungraded celery is called “unclassified.”

Handling
Temperature: 32 to 36 F, 0 to 2 C Relative humidity: 90-95% Mist: yes (Do not mist wrapped product.) Typical shelf life: 14 to 28 days from harvest, 3 to 5 days in store Odor-sensitive. Do not store or transport with commodities that produce odors, such as apples, carrots, bulb onions or pears. Odor-producer. Do not store or transport with odor-sensitive produce. Fresh-cut Store fresh-cut celery at 34 F, 1 C, and keep bags closed until used. Celery will dehydrate if left uncovered. Place product in an ice water bath to replace moisture.

Equivalents

20 lb. diced = about 2⁄3 standard case 20 lb. sticks = about 1 standard case 11⁄3 lb. = 1 lb. prepared usable celery 1 lb. stalks = 4 cups chopped or sliced 4 cups raw = 3 cups cooked 1 lb. prepared = 4 servings 1 medium bunch = 4 to 6 servings