☙

celery

©iStockphoto.com/Brian McEntire

U.S. Department of Agriculture grades

What most people call a “bunch of celery,” the USDA calls a “stalk;” and what most people call a “stalk of celery,” they call a “branch.” One other term needs describing: “node,” which is the point at which the first leaves or leafstems appear on a branch of celery.

U.S. Extra No. 1.

The average midrib length of the outer whorl of branches is at least 7 inches. The stalks have to extend from one side of the container in which they are packed to within 1½ inches of the opposite side. If stalk length is specified, it must be in even whole numbers. Seedstems can't be longer than 8 inches or twice the greatest dimension of the stalk measured at a point 2 inches above the point where the lowest outer branch is attached to the base.

U.S. No. 1.

Same as U. S. Extra No. 1, except more bowing and twisting is allowed. The average length of the branches, as defined above, is at least 6 inches long.

U.S. No. 2.

Average branch length is at least 4 inches, and damage requirements are relaxed to “free from serious damage.”

24 FR 2640, April 7, 1959; most recently redesignated at 46 fr 63203, Dec 31, 1981.

Sorry. No information on contributors is available for this page.