Celery root can be grown by yourself and harvested for the winter. This root crop is becoming more popular, and now it can be bought in a supermarket or in the market. We will get acquainted with the useful properties of celery root, contraindications for its use, and also consider how it can be used and stored.

Description of Root Celery

Root celery is a two-year vegetable crop from the Umbrella family. Its stem grows to 1 m. A lumpy fleshy root crop of gray-white or brown color forms in the first year after sowing. It has a strong aroma, its size can reach 20 cm in diameter. In the second year in July - August, the culture blooms with an umbrella inflorescence, and seeds can be collected from it. Most often it is grown in seedlings. All parts of the plant are edible.

Celery comes from a Mediterranean area, but is now grown in many countries.

Calorie content and chemical composition

Low-calorie celery root - 34 kcal per 100 grams of product.

The content of BJU and nutritional value of 100 g of root celery are as follows:

• proteins - 1.3 g;
• fats - 0.3 g;
• carbohydrates - 6.5 g;
• organic acids - 0.1 g;
• dietary fiber - 3.1 g;
• water - 87.7 g;
• ash - 1 g.

Did you know? The ancient Greek healer Hippocrates believed that celery calms the nervous system. The ancient Romans used this plant as an aphrodisiac.

The vitamin composition is represented by ascorbic acid, vitamins K, E, H, PP, A, group B, carotene, niacin. The mineral composition contains a lot of potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, sulfur, iron, cobalt, iodine, manganese, copper, molybdenum, selenium, chromium, and zinc.

Everything else, the root crop includes flavonoids, furanocoumarins, essential oils, pectins.

The main properties of the plant

Due to its composition, celery root can benefit the body, but it should be consumed reasonably.

Benefits and healing properties

• In addition to eating, root celery can have the following beneficial effects:
• It has a diuretic effect. It is good to use for diseases of the urinary and genitourinary system;
• Strengthens the immune system. In addition, its flavonoids inhibit pathogenic microflora.
• Promotes digestion and bowel movement, stimulates appetite.
• Tones up an organism and increases working capacity.
• Improves blood coagulation and its composition.
• It activates the metabolism and helps with obesity. Many weight loss diets include this root crop.
• Soothes the nervous system.
• Lowers blood pressure and has a beneficial effect on the heart.
• Good effect on the appearance and skin, as the silicon contained in it contributes to the production of collagen, strengthen hair and nails.
• Useful for women and men. It contains sex hormones and can be used as a prevention of prostatitis. All this in men helps increase potency, and makes women more sexually active.

Harm and possible contraindications

The use of root celery is undesirable during pregnancy, especially in the last trimesters, as it stimulates the muscles of the uterus. Its tonic properties should be considered epileptics. When breastfeeding, it is generally better to abstain from it, at least for the first six months, since it can provoke colic. In addition, due to the peculiar taste of the product, the baby may not want to drink mother's milk.

• Contraindications to its consumption are:
• allergy and individual intolerance to the product;
• thrombophlebitis;
• severe form of varicose veins;
• large moving kidney stones;
• exacerbations of gastrointestinal diseases (peptic ulcer, gastritis, colitis, pancreatitis, cholecystitis);
• acute inflammation of the kidneys;
• increased acidity.

Rules for the use of plants

The useful properties of celery root are used in various fields - for cooking, treatment and in home cosmetics.

In cooking

This root crop is very popular in cooking. It is often used for making soups, borsch, vegetable dishes. It goes well with seafood and fish. Vegetable gives all dishes a piquant taste.

Did you know? The favorite of King Louis XV, Madame de Pompadour, ate celery soup and treated him to the king himself to spend a passionate night.

The product in question has a small calorie content and has a burning effect, so it is often included in the diet for weight loss. There is even a recipe for celery root weight loss soup. To lose extra pounds, this root crop can also be prepared in the form of a salad, side dish (for example, in the form of mashed potatoes) or a base for juice. Pure juice is used to improve metabolism and only in small quantities.

Salads with the addition of grated fresh celery root are very useful. It is used for the preservation and pickling of mushrooms, as well as vegetables - cucumbers, cabbage, zucchini, and eggplant. When this root vegetable is added to the dishes, they can not be salted or much less salt should be thrown, as the described ingredient gives an unusual spicy taste and shades other products well. For children and adults, vitamin juice from apple, carrot and celery in equal proportions is useful.

Introduce this product into the diet of children should not be earlier than 9 months of age and only boiled. Use it for a small child with caution. First, a small piece of celery is added to the soup and the baby's reaction is monitored. Juice can be given to a child no earlier than a year and start with a teaspoon added to another juice that is more familiar to him. Raw root can be added to salads no earlier than 3 years. It should be borne in mind that the specific taste of the root crop may not be pleasant for children.

Pregnant women should avoid this product and if consumed, only occasionally in very small quantities.

Important! Even healthy adults should not abuse celery: a large amount of root vegetables can cause increased gas formation, digestive upset.

In folk medicine

The healing properties of celery can be used for treatment.

Traditional medicine gives the following recipes for some health problems:

1. Chronic constipation. As a laxative, an infusion of celery root helps well. For its preparation 1 table. a spoon of the root crop, ground to a pulp state, is placed in a thermos and steamed with boiling water (1.5 cups). After 4 hours, the infusion is ready. It is drunk before meals for 1 table. spoon.
2. To increase potency and from male infertility. In this case, drink juice from this product. For this, the root crop is ground on a blender and squeezed juice. Take 1-2 teas before meals. spoons.
3. With hypertension. To prepare the product, 500 g of greens and celery roots are crushed, 1 liter of water is poured and boiled over low heat for about 30 minutes. Then put 50 g of sugar. Such tea is drunk 3 times a day, 250 ml for a week.
4. Salt deposits. They recommend a decoction for the preparation of which they take celery root, parsley, parsnip and garlic cloves in a ratio of 4: 4: 4: 1. These ingredients are crushed and mixed with juice squeezed from 1 lemon. Then 2 dessert spoons of the mixture is poured into 0.5 l of boiled water, brought to a boil. After everything is cooled and filtered through a small strainer. Take 3 times a day for 1 table. spoon.
5. To reduce blood sugar. To do this, 250 g of chopped root celery is poured into 0.5 l of boiled water and boiled over low heat for 30 minutes. Then add 50 g of rice and after 10 minutes remove from heat. The resulting porridge is divided into 2 servings and taken on an empty stomach in the morning and evening.
6. Vodka tincture for prostatitis. Pour 1 liter of vodka, 2 small cut roots and 1 table. spoons of celery seeds. Insist a week, and then filter and drink 30 ml twice a day.

Did you know? Famous for his love affairs, the Italian Casanova used a lot of celery to be on top in front of women.

In cosmetology

Root celery is also used for cosmetic purposes. It tones the skin well, cleans pores, fights excessive pigmentation, and also removes toxins, has a smoothing effect on wrinkles.

In home cosmetics, the following celery root recipes are applicable:

1. Facial Cleansing Broth. It is prepared as follows - 50 g of crushed root is poured into 0.4 l of water and boiled over low heat for 15 minutes. Then the broth is filtered through a strainer and poured into a suitable container. Such a tool can be used to remove makeup, as well as ingredients for masks and tonics.
2. Soft scrub for aging face skin. To prepare it, 20 g of the crushed root are placed in the oven for 10 minutes. Then it is ground in a coffee grinder and mixed with 5 g of starch. The resulting mixture is applied to a clean, damp face with light movements, and then after 7-8 minutes, rinse with warm water. The procedure is recommended to be done no more than 1 time in 2 weeks.
3. Vitamin face mask. For its preparation, one table. a spoonful of chopped celery root, oatmeal and half a grated apple are well mixed until a porridge-like mixture is obtained. It is applied to the skin of the face, bypassing the area of ​​the eyes and lips, for 15 minutes. Then the mask is washed off with warm water.

Proper storage methods

Celery root can be stocked up for future use.

Consider the basic methods for properly storing this product:

1. Indoor. The storage time of the root at home at room temperature is no more than 4 days.
2. On the shelf of the refrigerator. In the department for vegetables at a temperature of + 1 ... + 3 ° С, celery root can be stored for 14-30 days. For such storage, it is desirable to put it in a plastic bag.
3. Using clay. In this case, the clay is diluted with water to the state of sour cream. Each root is dipped into such a mixture, which is then dried in the sun. After the raw materials are placed in a cellar or underground for further storage. Clay perfectly prevents the rotting process, and celery roots are stored for up to six months.
4. In dried form. Can be stored up to 1 year. The root crop is peeled, then cut into strips and dried in the sun or baking sheet in the oven. After placed in a glass jar and put in the pantry or on the kitchen shelf.
5. Freezing. The root crop is cut into strips, laid out portionwise in bags and placed in the freezer. Shelf life is not more than 1 year.
6. In sand. Can be held up to six months. For this purpose, a container of sufficient depth is filled with sand and the roots are deepened into it vertically. Sand should completely cover them. Then the tank is moved to the basement, underground or cellar. The optimum temperature regime for storage is + 12 ° С.

Important! When storing in the sand, make sure that the root crops do not touch each other. Stored vegetables should be free from damage and signs of rot.

Celery root is useful for many health problems, but has limitations on consumption and contraindications. Particular attention should be paid to men who want to improve the quality of sexual life, and women seeking to lose weight.