• Use your hands to separate the individual celery stalks from the root by gently snapping them off from the base.
• Rinse the celery under cool water, making sure to run a finger alongside the inside edges of the celery to remove any dirt or debris.
• Place the celery on a cutting board with the bottom edges lined up. Using a large sharp knife, cut off the bottom white parts right before the celery color turns from white to green, about 1 inch. Reserve for stock or discard, as desired.
• Line up the joints - where the stalk meets the beginning of the leaf parts of the celery. Cut at the joints and reserve the leaves for stock or discard, as desired.
• Cut celery into desired shape:

For snacking sticks

• use a large sharp knife to cut each stalk in half or thirds.

For large chunks

• use a large sharp knife to cut 1 to 1 ½ -inch pieces across the celery.

For small dice

• use a large sharp knife to make lengthwise cuts down the celery to get about three to four ¼ inch wide strips. Line up the strips and cross cut at ¼ inch intervals.

For thin or bias slices

• use a large sharp knife to make thin straight or bias (at an angle) cuts ¼ -inch slices across the celery.
• Store any cut celery in an airtight container submerged in water to keep the celery hydrated and crisp.