How Long Does Celery Last? [Raw, Cut, Cooked]

Bought celery and want to know how long it will take until it goes soft or starts growing mold? How long does celery last?

This article covers everything you need to know about the shelf life of celery, including raw, cut, cooked, and even pre-cut celery sticks you can buy in the grocery store.

Let’s jump right into it.

• Raw
• Cut
• Cooked
• Sticks

How Long Does Celery Last in the Fridge?

According to the University of Nebraska, fresh celery stalks last 1 to 2 weeks in the fridge and only 2 to 3 days if you leave it at room temperature. Cut celery keeps for four days to a week, depending on whether you simply place it in the fridge or submerge it in water.

The storage time depends on how fresh the veggie is and how you store it. As usual, better storage practices result in crisp celery for longer.

So, those 1 – 2 weeks are what you get if you simply toss your celery into the crisper drawer (it’s also how long celery root lasts). But if you go the extra mile and wrap celery stalks in aluminum foil (without crimping the edges), your celery can last up to 4 weeks, says the University of Massachusetts.

(We cover those two basic storage setups in our article on how to store celery. Feel free to check it out for more details.)

If up to 4 weeks is not enough or you have too much celery on hand, you can freeze celery. The only downside is that frozen celery stalks soften after defrosting and are best used in smoothies and cooked dishes.

Sitting Out

Fresh celery typically wilts after two to three days at room temperature, so unless you plan on using it right away or the day after you buy it, you should refrigerate it. In the fridge, fresh celery lasts 2 to even 4 weeks, depending on how you store it.

Leaving the vegetable at room temperature isn’t a good way to store celery. Stored this way, it’ll quickly lose its crispness, and you’ll end up with limp celery in 2 to 3 days.

Next up, let’s talk about how to store cut celery.

Cut Celery

Cut celery keeps for 4 to 7 days in the fridge, depending on whether you submerge the cut stalks in cold water. If you leave them in a plastic container or freezer bag, they’ll keep for about 4 days. But if you submerge the stalks in water, they’ll last for up to a week.

If you decide to store chopped celery in water, change the water at least every other day, says Erin Harner, RDN. This practice will help them stay safe for longer.

Cooked Celery

Cooked celery lasts 3 to 4 days in the fridge sealed tightly in an airtight container or lidded pot. Let the cooked celery or any dish containing it cool to about room temperature before placing it in the refrigerator, but limit the cooling period to 2 hours or less.

(Those two hours of storage at room temperature are often called the “2-hour rule.”)

So if you’re cooking celery in bulk, say making a big pot of veggie soup, don’t make more than you’ll use in 4 days. Or freeze the excess if what you’re cooking freezes well.

Celery Sticks

Pre-packaged celery sticks typically keep for up to 7 days when you store them in the vegetable drawer in the fridge. The package often has a use-by date printed on it, indicating how long the celery should keep quality.

Of course, that date is only a helpful reference point. To know whether those sticks are still okay to use, you need to know how to tell if celery is bad, which we cover in the linked article. And usually, the celery stays crisp for an extra 1 to 2 days.