# I have a question about celery **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 11, 2004, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-question-about-celery/228672 "2004-02-11T16:46:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2004, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-question-about-celery/228672/1 "2004-02-11T16:46:12Z")
What makes some stalks dark green and some really light green? I love the light stuff. I could eat tons of it. But the dark stuff isn’t nearly as tasty. ---
**Author:** ![boofy\_bloke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@boofy\_bloke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boofy_bloke)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2004, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-question-about-celery/228672/2 "2004-02-12T00:13:16Z")
Chlorophyll. The more sunlight, the darker the stalk, which is why the base of the stalk is almost white. ---
**Author:** ![antechinus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@antechinus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antechinus)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2004, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-question-about-celery/228672/3 "2004-02-12T00:38:11Z")
Cover the celery stalk (growing in your garden) with newspaper, or a milk carton / tin can with top and bottom removed to exclude light from the stalk. Do a search on **blanch celery**. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2004, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-question-about-celery/228672/4 "2004-02-12T01:36:18Z")
Blanch celery! That’s neat! Thanks for the tip. I have never seen it sold in stores – sure would be neat if I could. I’d buy tons of it and maybe stop getting fatter! I live in the SF Bay Area, so there’s GOT to be some kind of hippie store that’ll have the stuff. ---
**Author:** ![antechinus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@antechinus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antechinus)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2004, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-question-about-celery/228672/5 "2004-02-12T01:46:23Z")
> [@Snooooopy](#): > > Blanch celery! That’s neat! Thanks for the tip. I have never seen it sold in stores – sure would be neat if I could. I’d buy tons of it and maybe stop getting fatter! I live in the SF Bay Area, so there’s GOT to be some kind of hippie store that’ll have the stuff. Blanch is a verb. You would be after ‘blanched celery’. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2004, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-question-about-celery/228672/6 "2004-02-12T01:51:37Z")
You’re kidding! I used to date Blanche Celery in college! ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2004, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-question-about-celery/228672/7 "2004-02-12T02:29:05Z")
> [@antechinus](#): > > Cover the celery stalk (growing in your garden) with newspaper, or a milk carton / tin can with top and bottom removed to exclude light from the stalk. > > Do a search on **blanch celery**. This is also called [etiolated](http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=etiolated) celery. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2004, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-question-about-celery/228672/8 "2004-02-12T06:13:58Z")
You’re kidding! I used to date Etiolated Celery in college! ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2004, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-question-about-celery/228672/9 "2004-02-12T11:10:51Z")
> [@Snooooopy](#): > > You’re kidding! I used to date Etiolated Celery in college! Me too! That slut. ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2004, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-question-about-celery/228672/10 "2004-02-12T13:09:02Z")
Another reason is the darker stalks are the older ones. The lighter ones toward the center are younger, and thus more tender. ---
**Author:** ![guiness](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ab097/32.png) [@guiness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guiness)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2004, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-question-about-celery/228672/11 "2004-03-02T23:27:36Z")
Blanched or etiolated celery is considerably less nutriment than green celery ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2004, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-question-about-celery/228672/12 "2004-03-03T01:51:16Z")
> [@Snooooopy](#): > > What makes some stalks dark green and some really light green? I love the light stuff. I could eat tons of it. But the dark stuff isn’t nearly as tasty. The dark stalks are more flavourful, which makes them less desirable for snacking, but makes them ideal for stocks, soups, stews etc. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2004, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-question-about-celery/228672/13 "2004-03-03T02:08:33Z")
Some gardeners prop up cardboard or plywood by the celery rows to keep them pale. If you don’t want the stringiness of the older stalks, you can lightly peel them to get to the tender part of the stalk. If you do that for a living, you’ll be a _celeried_ worker. ---
**Author:** ![quiltguy154](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/ad7895/32.png) [@quiltguy154](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quiltguy154)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2004, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-question-about-celery/228672/14 "2004-03-03T02:19:02Z")
There are some varieties of celery that are naturally(?) paler than what you’re used to. I’d imagine farmers go for the darker stuff as it is more attractive, and they may have other worthwhile characteristics,agriculture-wise. Watch all the celery eating though, it does have a fair amount of sodium. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2004, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-question-about-celery/228672/15 "2004-03-03T08:48:03Z")
Yes; the lighter varieties are known as Self-Blanching Celery; older varieities absolutely _required_ blanching by earthing-up or wrapping, or they would be too bitter to eat. Personally, although I like the nutty sweetness of the pale inner stalks, the slight bitter tang of the outer ones is enjoyable too - fill the ‘groove’ with crunchy peanut butter and embed some raisins. ---
**Author:** ![quiltguy154](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/ad7895/32.png) [@quiltguy154](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quiltguy154)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2004, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-question-about-celery/228672/16 "2004-03-03T12:51:39Z")
…and please to remember that this humble vegetable has inspired one of the most enduring mystery stories of all time wait for it----------------------------------------------------------------- “The Celery Stalks at Midnight” Thanks, you’ve been a great crowd, and I _won’t_ be here all week!!!