About Celeriac - Apium graveolens var. rapaceum
Celeriac is also known as celery root or knob celery. Its Latin name is Apium graveolens var. rapaceum. Apium comes either from the Latin apis, meaning “bee,” because bees go dotty over its tiny white flowers, or from a prehistoric Indo-European word for “water,” which would be appropriate, since celeriac prefers wet soils and salt marshes. The term graveolens means “heavy-scented”; rapaceum means “turnip-like.” The English name celeriac comes from the Latin celer, meaning “quick-acting,” in reference to its remedial reputation.
Swiss botanists gave the first description of celeriac around 1600. Not a true root, celeriac is a special variety of celery cultivated for its swollen stem base rather than its upper branches. Technically, it is a corm which looks like an irregular, brown turnip, with many small roots extending from its base. Between an apple and a cantaloupe in size, the lopsided sphere is embossed and channeled, decorated with whorls, crevices, and disorderly rootlets, and often scruffy and muddy. It became popular in Europe in the 18th century but has never been very popular in either England or the U.S.
Celeriac taste much like a combination of celery and parsley, only stronger and with a smoky flavor. It is one of the few vegetables that must be peeled before using, and the innermost woody section may be too fibrous to use. You can do anything with celeriac that you can with turnips. Once peeled, it can be eaten raw in salads or blanched, steamed, boiled, pureed or stir-fried. Cut into matchsticks, its chewy crunch and assertive flavor are easy crowd pleasers. Cooked celeriac mixed with an equal quantity of potato makes a delicately flavored puree. The stalks and leaves are not eaten.
Storage
Do not wash celeriac before storing. Place it in a hydrator drawer or store in a plastic bag and refrigerate for up to one month. Celeriac may also be stored for 6 to 8 months under proper root cellar conditions.
Preparation Tips
Slice off stalks at the root crown. Soak the root in warm water to loosen dirt in the crevices, then scrub thoroughly with a stiff vegetable brush. If exterior is too tough, peel with a sharp knife. Peeled celeriac will darken when exposed to air; to retard darkening, toss with lemon juice or keep in water. Lemon juice can also be added to cooking water.
Parboil peeled celeriac whole for 20 to 30 minutes, half inch to quarter inch slice for 5 to 6 minutes. Top with butter.
Bake in its skin at 350 degrees F. for 1 hour. Peel and prepare as desired.
For extra-celery flavor, use instead of common celery in soups, stews, casseroles, and stir-fries.
Try raw celeriac sticks tossed in your favorite creamy dressing, or use for dipping.
Grate raw celeriac into salads.
Boil and mash celeriac with an equal amount of potatoes.
Sources: “Whole Foods Companion,” Dianne Onstad, 2004 and “Asparagus to Zucchini, A Guide to Farm-Fresh Seasonal Produce,” Madison Area CSA Coalition, 2003.
Nutrition Facts
Celeriac is low in saturated fat and very low in cholesterol. It is a very good source of vitamins C and K, potassium and phosphorus, and a good source of dietary fiber and vitamins B6.
(1 cup raw celeriac)
Calories 66
Total Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0g
Sodium 156mg
Total Carbohydrate 14g
Dietary Fiber 3g
Sugars 2g
Protein 2g
Vitamin B6 13% RDA
Vitamin C 21% RDA
Vitamin K 80%
Calcium 7% RDA
Manganese 12% RDA
Potassium 13% RDA
Phosphorus 18% RDA
Source: www.nutritiondata.com.