# Celery quality in decline? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [February 22, 2026, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celery-quality-in-decline/1027888 "2026-02-22T16:30:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2026, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celery-quality-in-decline/1027888/1 "2026-02-22T16:30:13Z")
(In Cafe Society because food). All fall and through this winter, I’ve been having a hard time finding celery at any of a number of grocery stores that is useable. It seems like at least half of any given bunch of celery is mostly hollow in its core, with a kind of dry white webbed matrix where the flesh of the stalk should be. I’ve taken to paying close attention, but find I am usually paying for a bunch of celery and only 2-4 stalks are useable. And this feels like a new situation. Has anyone else noticed this, or is it just me/my region/my luck? ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2026, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celery-quality-in-decline/1027888/2 "2026-02-22T16:57:32Z")
While the quality and size of the celery I’ve seen over the past few months have not been great, and I buy some every week, I haven’t seen what you’ve seen. Some weeks they look pretty good, but on others, not so much. I don’t know if it’s seasonality or something else, but I can’t remember seeing these issues before. I assume they come from California and Florida during the winter months, and I know the weather has been cool and rainy in Southern California over the past few weeks at least, which may be contributing to the quality problem. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2026, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celery-quality-in-decline/1027888/3 "2026-02-22T17:00:23Z")
I think more than half the fresh celery in the US comes from Mexico. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2026, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celery-quality-in-decline/1027888/4 "2026-02-22T17:01:31Z")
> [@Eonwe](#): > > It seems like at least half of any given bunch of celery is mostly hollow in its core, with a kind of dry white webbed matrix where the flesh of the stalk should be. Sounds like “organic” celery, half of which is often unusable, IME. At least it costs more. I avoid organic veggies unless there is no other choice. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2026, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celery-quality-in-decline/1027888/5 "2026-02-22T17:04:32Z")
Hollow celery is old celery..it’s begun to get ready to go to seed. When you choose, feel it’s weight. It needs to be heavy. Your bad luck may be due to the time of year. Spring is around the corner. Fresh celery will soon be in your grocery store. ---
**Author:** ![MuleSkinner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/779978/32.png) [@MuleSkinner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MuleSkinner)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2026, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celery-quality-in-decline/1027888/6 "2026-02-22T17:32:36Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > I think more than half the fresh celery in the US comes from Mexico. Vast majority is domestic. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2026, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celery-quality-in-decline/1027888/7 "2026-02-22T17:53:21Z")
The best is from Celeryville, Ohio. I buy celery often and have not seen any decline. Since I eat it as a snack I look for a light green color, they are milder. The dark green is good for cooking. The only time I have bought organic celery it had such a strong, bitter taste I could not eat it. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2026, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celery-quality-in-decline/1027888/8 "2026-02-22T18:42:39Z")
I have seen that condition, but not recently. I have bought two bunches of celery in the past month, which is a lot for me. ---
**Author:** ![xtenkfarpl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c2a13f/32.png) [@xtenkfarpl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xtenkfarpl)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2026, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celery-quality-in-decline/1027888/9 "2026-02-22T18:45:41Z")
> [@Eonwe](#): > > I’ve taken to paying close attention, but find I am usually paying for a bunch of celery and only 2-4 stalks are useable. I can’t really say much because I personally hate celery. IMHO it is a vegetable only in the botanical sense. But tastes vary, of course… ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2026, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celery-quality-in-decline/1027888/10 "2026-02-22T18:59:23Z")
Haven’t seen that regularly, but celery seems to be consistently more bitter than in my youth. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2026, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celery-quality-in-decline/1027888/11 "2026-02-23T02:05:03Z")
The quality is still there in Canadian grocery stores. But the usual price has increased to $4, which seems high. Someone needs to be punished for stalking. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2026, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celery-quality-in-decline/1027888/12 "2026-02-23T02:06:56Z")
Lettuce consider the question. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2026, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celery-quality-in-decline/1027888/13 "2026-02-23T02:09:37Z")
Don’t think too chard about it. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2026, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celery-quality-in-decline/1027888/14 "2026-02-23T02:12:08Z")
I bought a bunch of celery for 98 cents last night and the quality is the same as it’s ever been. ---
**Author:** ![BrickBat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac91a4/32.png) [@BrickBat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrickBat)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2026, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celery-quality-in-decline/1027888/15 "2026-02-23T02:39:40Z")
FWIW I too note it’s difficult, more difficult to find celery without the white pithy crud within the stalks. ---
**Author:** ![a6ka97](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c2a13f/32.png) [@a6ka97](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a6ka97)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2026, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celery-quality-in-decline/1027888/16 "2026-02-23T17:56:01Z")
I go through celery more during the winter than any other time of the year. Mostly in soups and vegi sticks with dip to go along with the soups. I have not noticed a noticeable decline in the quality of the celery in my area, the upper Midwest. If I do, I will start looking at buying the “celery hearts” where the base and the tops are cut off and the middle is packaged so you can see what you are getting. Costs a little more but at least you can see what you’re getting. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2026, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celery-quality-in-decline/1027888/17 "2026-02-24T11:58:49Z")
Somewhere Art Frahm is quietly weeping in his grave… ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2026, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celery-quality-in-decline/1027888/18 "2026-02-24T15:45:56Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Art Frahm is quietly weeping in his grave Ah, a person of Culture. But asking if anyone had observed a correlation to the quality of their underpants elastic seemed to not be in the spirit of the OP. ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2026, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celery-quality-in-decline/1027888/19 "2026-02-24T15:58:06Z")
Yes, I have noticed the celery quality has declined over the last couple of years here in the UK too. The last lot I bought came from Spain.