Illustration of celery sticks in pale brine with garlic, peppercorns and lime peel.

Snacks & Condiments

Citrus–Horseradish Bloody Mary Celery

Name: Citrus–Horseradish Bloody Mary Celery
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 12 h 15 min
Yield: 1 quart-size jar; about 6 snack or garnish servings
Ingredients: 12 oz (340 g) fresh celery, weighed after trimming; cut into 4–5-inch sticks or shorter to fit below the brine; 2 small garlic cloves, peeled and lightly smashed; 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns; 2 broad strips washed lime peel, about 1 x 2 inches each; avoid excess white pith; 1 cup commercial white distilled vinegar labeled 5% acidity; 3/4 cup cold drinking water; 1 tablespoon commercial Worcestershire sauce; 2 teaspoons commercial prepared noncreamy horseradish, not cream sauce; 1 teaspoon commercial hot sauce; 2 teaspoons granulated sugar; 1 teaspoon pickling or canning salt

Crunchy cold-marinated celery with horseradish, garlic, lime peel and a savory Worcestershire brine.

1 quart-size jar; about 6 snack or garnish servingsPrep 15 minutes activeCook None; 12-hour refrigerated flavor restTotal 12 hours 15 minutes, including the 12-hour refrigerated rest

CeleryBloody Mary flavorsRefrigerator onlyNo-cookOriginal adaptationOne-page PDF

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Method

Wash and trim

Wash hands with soap and water for 20 seconds. Clean the board, knife, whisk, jug and one wide-mouth quart-size food-safe jar with a lid. Rinse celery and the whole lime under plain running water before cutting; no soap on produce. Dry with a clean towel, remove damaged areas, trim celery and weigh 340 g. Cut into 4–5-inch sticks, shorter if needed to fit below the liquid with room for the lid. Peel 2 broad lime strips with little white pith; peel and smash the garlic.

Whisk the cold brine

In the clean jug, whisk all vinegar, cold drinking water, Worcestershire, horseradish, hot sauce, sugar and salt until the sugar and salt dissolve. Do not boil or warm the brine; this is a cold-marinated raw vegetable recipe, not a canning process.

Pack and cover

Place all garlic, peppercorns, lime peel and celery into the clean jar. Pour in all the cold brine. Celery must be covered by liquid, with enough space to close the lid. Shorten and rearrange sticks as needed. If the liquid still cannot cover them, transfer the entire batch to a narrower clean food-safe lidded container; do not dilute with extra water or top up an old batch.

Refrigerate immediately

Close with an ordinary removable lid, label the preparation date and time, and refrigerate immediately at or below 40°F (4°C). Rest for 12 hours in the refrigerator for light flavor development; that estimate is not full curing or validated acidification. There is no room-temperature rest or fermentation.

Serve cold; keep the original clock

Lift out celery with clean utensils for snacks or drink garnishes. Refrigerate the remaining batch promptly. Use within 4 days of preparation, including the 12-hour rest, or an earlier ingredient deadline. This is our selected household maximum, not a validated product shelf life. Never return served pieces, reuse old brine or top up an old batch. Discard after a cumulative 2 hours out of refrigeration, or 1 hour above 90°F (32°C), counting preparation and serving.

Rocky’s note

Equipment: one clean wide-mouth quart-size food-safe jar and removable lid, knife, board, scale, peeler, liquid measure, measuring spoons, whisk, jug, clean serving utensils and a refrigerator thermometer. A narrower clean lidded food-safe container may be needed to keep the same whole batch covered.
Fridge only: cold-marinated raw celery, not a canning or fermentation recipe. Keep at or below 40°F (4°C). Use within 4 days from first preparation, including the 12-hour flavor rest, or an earlier ingredient deadline. The four-day household maximum is our selection, not FDA/NCHFP approval or a validated product shelf life.
Count all time out of refrigeration cumulatively, including preparation and serving: discard after 2 hours, or 1 hour when air temperature is above 90°F (32°C). Keep covered and use clean utensils. Never reuse old brine, top up old batches or return served pieces. Smell and appearance cannot establish safety.
Use commercial vinegar labeled 5% acidity and commercially prepared sauces; check their storage labels. Vinegar, salt, a closed lid and a tart taste do not establish safe unrefrigerated preservation, measured equilibrium pH or shelf stability. No oil is used; this is not garlic stored in oil. No canning, pantry storage or room-temperature fermentation.
Flavor choices: cold mixing is intended to retain crunch; lime peel adds citrus aroma without juice dilution, and Worcestershire adds savory depth. Sugar balances sharpness, not preservation. No tomato juice, vodka or honey is used.
Allergens: Worcestershire commonly contains anchovies (fish); some brands contain wheat or other allergens. Check actual Worcestershire, horseradish, hot sauce and all component labels. Celery is also a potential allergen. No allergen-free, gluten-free or vegan claim is made.
Inspired by Simply Savory Kitchen Recipes’ “Bloody Mary Pickled Celery” caption. This cold-brine variation adds lime peel and Worcestershire. Sources: https://www.facebook.com/reel/2338450536905730
Produce [2]: FDA, 7 Tips for Cleaning Fruits, Vegetables — https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/7-tips-cleaning-fruits-vegetables . Rinse produce under plain running water before cutting; do not wash produce with soap. Wash hands and use clean equipment.
Cold holding [3]: FDA, Are You Storing Food Safely? — https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/are-you-storing-food-safely . General guidance supports immediate covered refrigeration at or below 40°F (4°C), refrigerated marinating and the two-hour/one-hour-above-90°F rule; it does not validate this formula or the selected four-day maximum.
Preservation boundary [4]: NCHFP, General Information on Pickling — https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/pickle/general-information-pickling/general-information-on-pickling/ . Tested-preservation guidance does not validate this independently developed cold marinade or its shelf life. Keep refrigerated; do not can, ferment or store in the pantry.
Not kitchen-tested; quantities, yield and times are estimates. AI-generated serving illustration.